As
a break from building liner-locks and because I bought
some really nice gear at this Blade Show in Atlanta,
I've decided to build an interframe. Also as a result
of popular demand (Ha ha) I am going to post it on this
forum for those who are interested. I don't propose to
go thru the process of building the basic folder on this
forum but this process I use to mill the cavities and
fit the inlays.
I don't own a pantography so I've had to resort to
using my mill-drill and the result I get is really
amazing. I will show you my set up and the jig etc.
I use and the rest is up to you. If you have any questions
you will have to post them on the thread I have opened
up and I will endeavour to do my best.
You will have to bear with me as I build this piece
as the process is slow anyway and as I have to stop
and photography each step that will slow the process
down even more.
Figure 100 shows the drawing of the basic folder and
my hardened steel (O1) template that I use as a drilling
and profiling guide.
Figure 102 shows
the 2 halves of the frame profiled and all holes
drilled and reamed.
Note that the bar
pivot pin hole is not drill all the way thru., I have
drilled in about .050".
Figure 101 shows all the parts of the folder laid
out and I will now proceed the build the basic folder.
figure 100
figure 102
figure 101
Ok, I have built the basic folder with the blade
profiled, bar fitted to it's almost finished
state and it opens
and closes OK.
Figure 104 shows it in it's open position and figure
103 in the closed position. Note that I have yet to
grind the blade, I can do this as a break during the
next stage.
figure 104
figure 103
To build an interframe by whatever means you need
a master to work from and designing the master is not
difficult.
You need a piece of graph paper (I use metric as the
squares are of smaller size than imperial) on which
you place you template and trace the outline on the
graph paper trying to keep the horizintal axis of the
knife parallel to one of the axis of the graph paper.
Take several photocopies of this to work from (this
preserves your original), and draw the cavity or cavities
that you wish to have, place a nice square around the
drawing. You now take a photocopy of this or stick
the drawing on a piece of ground steel ( mild steel
will do), now place your template over this aligning
it with the traced outline, clamp, drill and ream the
blade pivot pin hole and the 2 spacer pin holes. Remove
the template and drill, saw and file to the line that
you have drawn to mark the cavity/cavities. Try and
keep your edges square as much as possible, but if
your like me and not the best filer on earth not to
worry I'll show you how to square them up later.
Figure 105 shows 2 masters that I use, the one with
2 cavities has been hand cut and the master with the
oval has been wire cut to give a prefect oval. I will
be using this one for this knife.
Next step is to mark the cavity on the frame that
is going to be cut. The reason for this will become
clear in the next stage.
Figure 106 shows the oval scribed on each frame half.
figure 105
figure 106
OK, I measure
the thickness on the frame halves (in this case 3.45mm)
then mount
the 2 halves on my milling
plate ( as shown in my previous tutorial on how to
make a lock-back folder) then clamp the plate to the
table of my mill/drill. Firstly with a 1/4" drill
and secondly with a 1/4" endmill I drill/mill
a hole to the depth I want my cavity to be. I like
to leave "a wall" of about 1mm (.040")
at bottom of the cavity so in this case I drill/mill
to a depth of 2.45mm (.096"). The reason for doing
this will become obvious as I progress.
NOTE: All my measurements are in mm. as my mill dials
are metric.
Figure 107 shows the halves mounted on the plate on
the table, the holes have been drilled and milled out.
figure 107
I now proceed to set up my milling arrangement.
Figure 108 shows my milling "base", a piece
of 800mm (8")x 300mm (12") x 12.5mm (1/2")
surface ground mild steel plate into which I have inserted
a steel collet with a 3/16' hole drilled in it. The piece
of rod you can see in the picture is the follower, a
length of 3/16" O1 drill rod that I have heat treated.
After clamping the "base" to my mill I put
the follower in the chuck and with the hand wheels centre
the follower over the hole in the collet. I then clamp
both axis of the mill, zero the counters and remove the
hand wheels. This now ensures that the milling cutter
is centred over the follower.
Figure 109 shows the follower in the collet.
Figure 110 shows the follower in the collet and the cutter
in the chuck in line with the follower.
figure 108
figure 109
figure 110
Figures 111
and 112 show the topside and underneath side of my
milling "table". The table is
made from surface ground mild steel measuring 6''x4"x1
1/4" with the legs being 4"x1"x1" and
weighing 10.5 lb (approx. 5kg), the weight been the
most important factor (the heavier the better). On
the table are the locating holes for the frame and
the master, these have been precision drilled all the
way thru the table.
figure 111
figure 112
I now place and clamp one of the frame halves on
top of the "table", locating its position with
the pin holes and on the underneath side I locate the
master making sure that I have it the correct side "up".
Figures 113 and 114 shows the master and frame half
mounted on the "table".
I then place the "table" on the base ensuring
that the follower is inside the cavity and with the
milling cutter in the chuck I check that I have the
master positioned correctly.
figure 113
figure 114
I then zero
the downfeed and lower the cutter .1mm (.004")
into the hole I've milled in the centre of the cavity.
This is
a solid carbide end cutting
burr and I run it flat out (2200 rpm) and use plenty
of cutting oil.
Figure 115 shows everything correctly positioned and
ready to go.
figure 115
IMPORTANT NOTE:
When milling using this technique ALWAYS remove metal
in a clockwise
rotation and don't
ever let go the table. The reason for the weight of
the table now becomes obvious, because the "table" is
not clamped but free standing it will want to "take
off". This is the reason why I take very light
cuts and always move clockwise to the hole milled in
the cavity.
I now proceed to mill out the cavity.
Figure 116 shows milling underway and Figure 117 shows
the first frame half completed.
figure 116
figure 117
Once the first frame half has been milled, replace
it with the second half using the appropriate locating
holes and on the underside of the table turn the
master over, reclamp and mill out the second half.
Figure 118 shows both frame halves milled out. Occasionally
I like to keep track on how long I spend on a task,
helps me get a feel for the overall difficulty in making
a particular knife, and on this occasion it took me
2 1/2 hours to mill out both cavities. When I first
started making interframes it took me considerably
longer.
When milling
has been completed drill 2 small holes (1/16")
in the floor of each cavity. This will enable the
inlays to be removed
and allow trapped air
to escape.
figure 118
TIP: If you
have hand filed the master the sides will be "off square" and need to be "trued" up.
Figure 119 shows a new cutter with the end teeth visible,
the other cutter is a worn cutter with the bottom ground
flat and smooth. Simply mount the hand filed master on
top of the "table" over a piece of stiff card,
lower the modified cutter into the cavity and go round
the edges carefully until the edges are "true",
in other words use the burr as a motorized file. Be
careful as carbide, although very hard, is very brittle.
figure 119
The next step is to cast the master inlays from automotive
body filler.
Because I can never align the cutter and the follower
EXACTLY the same each time I set up and because all
3 jaw chucks have some runout (however minute) I cast
my master inlays each time I make an interframe.
First off I apply a wax coating (either furniture
wax or automotive wax) to the inside and outside of
each frame and both sides of a flat piece of steel.
Let it dry and rub off, the wax coating acts as a release
agent for the body filler. Next I mix up some 2 part
automotive body filler and fill each cavity with it,
then clamp each frame to the flat piece of steel. It
now becomes obvious why the 2 holes are drilled in
the floor of each cavity as the excess body filler
oozes out, wipe off this excess.
Figure 120 shows the frames clamped to the steel plate.
figure 120
When the filler
has gone off unclamp the frames and mark each inlay
(I use MO
and PO with an arrow show
the front). Using the end of a 1/6"drill bit pop
the cast inlays out of each frame, remove the slight "burr" at
the corners and with a sharp knife cut off the 2 pimples
on the bottom of each inlay. Check that the edges of
the castings have no air bubbles, if they have you
will have to recast the inlay/s.
Figure 121 shows the frames unclamped and Figure 122
shows each inlay cleaned up etc.
figure 121
figure 122
Next step is to mount the castings and cut a dummy
inlay.
I now take each
casting and mount them on a backing plate (with superglue)
that
has had locating holes
drilled in it from the template (I use aluminium although
steel or even micarta will suffice as long as it is
flat and parallel sided). I also use a pice of 1/8" micarta
that has been drilled with locating holes, to mount
my inlay material.
Figure 123 shows the 2 mounting plates and the piece
of micarta used to mount the inlay material. NOTE the
channel milled in the centre of the micarta. This is
the approximate position the inlay material needs to
be.
figure 123
Figure 124 shows the inlay master mounted on the bottom
of the milling table and figure 125 shows the piece of
micarta mounted on top of the table onto which I have
stuck, with superglue, another piece of micarta that
my dummy inlay will be cut from.
figure 124
figure 125
Before I start
to mill my inlays I replace the 3/16" carbide
burr with a 1/8" end cutting carbide burr and
also remove the 3/16' follower and replace it with
a follower that I have turned down to 1/8" on
the end. Because as I mentioned earlier all 3 jaw chuck
have some runout the dummy inlay will by most accounts
be smaller than the casting and I need to cut a larger
inlay than my master. How much larger I never know
until I do it. In order to do this I have turned a
number of followers in .002" increments, starting
with the 1/8" follower, up to around .135".
Figure 126 shows some of the followers.
figure 126
I now proceed to cut the first dummy inlay. Figure 127
shows milling in progress.
figure 127
When I have cut this dummy I tap it off the mounting
plate and try it for size in the appropriate frame.
Figure 128 shows milling complete and Figure 129 shows
the inlay in the frame.
figure 128
figure 129
9 times out of 10 it will be too small, so I replace
the follower I've used with a larger one and repeat
the process. I keep doing this until I reach the fit
I want. It's up to the individual to decide how close
a fit they need, however, bear in mind that any gap
will be magnified by any fixative you use to hold the
final inlay in place. I like to have mine fitting as
close as humanly possible, almost like a piston when
you insert them in the frame.
I will now cut dummies until I get the fit I want.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The way I've mounted my master inlay
will cut an inlay that is a mirror image of it, therefore
you must turn the cut inlay over. Always mark the inlay
BEFORE you tap it off the backing plate. ie the top
face of the cut inlay will be the INSIDE, therefore
you must mount your final material inside out. I hope
this is clear but if it isn't I will show you when
I come to do my final inlay.
I am now ready
to make my real inlay. I measure the depth of my
cavity, 2.45mm (.100" approx.) against my
inlay material, 2.00mm (.080"), which makes the
inlay material thinner the the cavity depth, OK Inow
stick some white "knifemakers paper" on the
back of the inlay material which brings it up to 2.60mm
leaving me approximately 0.15mm (.007") to grind
off after fitting. I use loctite 324 speedbonder, a
2 part adhesive which sets in approximately 5 minutes,
I also use this adhesive to glue the inlays in.
I mount the inlay material on my micarta plate with
superglue and carefully mill out the inlay, I take
cuts of 0.5mm
(.020"). After milling out the inlay I mark the
back for identification and alignment and then tap
off the mounting plate. I then radius the bottom edge
and
polish the whole edge with 600 grit wet and dry.
Figure 130 shows my inlay material.
figure 130
Figure 131 shows the inlay milled out and the back
marked, remember previously I mentioned that the inlay
was mounted inside out, this demonstrates what I mean.
The arrows indicated front and top and MI stands for
markside inside.
figure 131
I now carefully try my inlay in the frame, it should
be tight, but I should be able to press it in with
my fingers. Hot dog, it fits spot on.
figure 132
I now remove inlay master from the bottom of the tap
and replace it with the master of the other side, and
on the top I turn the micarta mounting plate over and
reclamp.
Theoretically the follower should be the same for both
sides, but it's better to be sure than sorry, so I
cut a dummy inlay for this side and check. Ok it's
fine so I mount the inlay material and cut the second
inlay, mark the back and remove from the mounting plate.
Hooray this one fits fine also.
Figure 133 shows both inlays in their respective frames
to gether with their dummy ones.
figure 133
OK that's the hard work done, now I will remove the inlays,
file and polish the release cut-out, and relieve the
inside of the frame.
I still have to grind the blade etc. so as I progress
I will post the pictures.
I have now ground the blade, ladder pattern stainless
damascus from Ed Van Hoy,
heat treated, polished and etched it. I have also polished
the bar, relieved, jewelled, shaped and polished the
frame, and done the final fit up ready to assemble.
Figure 134 shows all the components ready for assembly.
figure 134
I then assemble the piece, peen the pins, grind them
off and repolish the knife. Before closing it I clean
the internals with a degreaser, blow out the dust and
add a drop of oil to the mechanism.
Figure 135 and 136 shows the finished piece. Now it's
off to the engraver for some deep relief engraving
and to think about a name for it. When it comes back
I will post a picture.
figure 135
figure 136
Well that's it ladies and gentlemen, I hope you are
all inspired and can hardly wait to build one, remember
if you have any questions post them on the forum and
I will do my best to answer them.
Regards from Australia.
Well it's all finished, Figure 137 shows it all engraved.
I think it's come up looking great.
figure 137
Regards from Australia.
.
