Spirit One-Hander

J-sews · **Reply #30 on:** May 15, 2007, 05:00:28 AM

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I've not come up against any problems except lack of time.

(That, and my uncanny ability to start and half-finish several projects at once!)

I'll keep you posted.

J-sews · **Reply #31 on:** June 01, 2007, 03:30:06 AM

Finally found some time this week after hours to work on a new knife blade. It's my first one ever, so I'm going really slow and being really careful. Believe it or not, every single one of those bumps and notches around the pivot on the RH end are critical. Remove too much material in the wrong place and the blade opens too far, or it doesn't lock properly, or it closes too far and wrecks the knife edge. It's definitely been a learning experience.

Next step (I think?) is too rough-in the knife edge bevel. Then it's off to heat treat, then polish up nice and shiny, then sharpen the edge properly.

This is all new to me, so if anyone has advice, please speak up!

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #32 on:** June 01, 2007, 03:31:17 AM

Very nice work so far Bob!

Damn those precise Swiss Engineers huh?

Def

knife-man · **Reply #33 on:** June 01, 2007, 02:27:36 PM

polish it up before it goes to HT .. to at least 240 grit MINIMUM.

You will thank me later

.

looking good so far.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #34 on:** June 01, 2007, 02:33:54 PM

Have you gotten anywhere with the rivet issue yet?

Def

supratentorial · **Reply #35 on:** June 01, 2007, 03:33:46 PM

Quote from: J-sews on June 01, 2007, 03:30:06 AM

Next step (I think?) is too rough-in the knife edge bevel. ...if anyone has advice, please speak up!

The next step is to make some for your friends at multitool.org! ...and one for me too! :grin:

Raukodur · **Reply #36 on:** June 01, 2007, 05:38:19 PM

Dunno why but I really dislike the shape of that blade. I think you should have gone for the shape LM have put on their charge/surge/wave tools, just my personal preference.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #37 on:** June 02, 2007, 12:05:33 AM

This shape is more akin to the OHT shape... gotta keep your mods at least partially traditional!

Def

J-sews · **Reply #38 on:** June 02, 2007, 03:43:33 PM

Quote from: Defender on June 02, 2007, 12:05:33 AM

This shape is more akin to the OHT shape... gotta keep your mods at least partially traditional!

Def

Exactly what I was thinking. I'm trying to make my new blade resemble a scaled-down One Hand Trekker blade.

(here's a comparison shot some guy sent me a while ago)

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #39 on:** June 02, 2007, 03:47:53 PM

Nice custom OHT... I wonder who belongs to that one!

So, where are the serrations on yours? You have to put on the serrations so everyone can complain about them then grind them off!

Def

Garnett · **Reply #40 on:** June 05, 2007, 10:20:36 PM

Nice work J, still watching this thread with baited breath. Really hoping this works out - good to hear you're going slow - my mistake is always haste - and my engineer mates end up telling me smugly, over a pint, "Measure twice, cut once".

Not sure I would have gone for a OHT blade shape, but I respect your decision to keep it "pure" victorinox - classy.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #41 on:** June 06, 2007, 03:11:49 AM

I am just wondering how hard it will be to convince him to send it to me for "evaluation" when it's done!

Def

665ae · **Reply #42 on:** June 06, 2007, 06:50:20 AM

He already promised it to me

It's a Michigan thing...

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #43 on:** June 06, 2007, 12:27:47 PM

I wouldn't admit to that in public after the season the Tigers have had... but then I guess you guys are used to it!

Def

J-sews · **Reply #44 on:** June 06, 2007, 01:14:51 PM

Well that just made my decision a WHOLE LOT easier! :angry:

PM me with your address when you get a moment Mike.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #45 on:** June 06, 2007, 01:35:25 PM

Oh so now it's my fault you guys will never see a pennant?

Def

Ice Tigre · **Reply #46 on:** October 11, 2007, 02:30:34 AM

Dredging an old topic....

Gonna stay out of the sports thing other than, to

Def..

How did this turn out Bob?

I've found that I used the blade on my wave more than I thought; by not having an easily opened blade on the spirit..

J-sews · **Reply #47 on:** October 11, 2007, 03:14:08 AM

Quote from: Ice Tigre on October 11, 2007, 02:30:34 AM

How did this turn out Bob?

I've found that I used the blade on my wave more than I thought; by not having an easily opened blade on the spirit..

This project got set on the back burner for a few months while I was working on the Multitool.org multitool. I dusted it off last week and finished up the "soft" work on my knife blade. Now it's off to heat treat being hardened.

After that, all it will need is polished and sharpened. This isn't something I feel comfortable doing myself, I'd rather have it done by a pro. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #48 on:** October 11, 2007, 03:18:48 AM

Paul Bos is the undisputed master of heat treating, but I don't know if he would take something like that on. I think he's pretty well a big time organization nowadays.

Other than that, I don't know of any that would be any better than any others.

Def

J-sews · **Reply #49 on:** October 11, 2007, 03:32:50 AM

Heat treat I've got covered. It's the polish and sharpening that I could use some assistance with.

(actually, the polishing and sharpening is something I could learn to do myself. But never having done either before, I don't want to screw up all the work I've got into this blade up to now!)

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #50 on:** October 11, 2007, 03:37:28 AM

Oh, well in that case, damned if I know!

You could try sending an email to Tom (Rotokid) as he's got all kinds of contacts that may be able to help out.

Def

Ice Tigre · **Reply #51 on:** October 19, 2007, 05:52:27 AM

Polishing can be as simple as a sanding pad and a range of wet/dry(use with wd40 for a faster even cut) sandpaper, from a grit close to the finish before heat treat, up to around 600 or 800 for a satin finish. At every grit change, change the direction you sand by 90deg...

Then you can buff with a dremel, or some flitz and a soft cloth.

If you didn't find somebody willing to do it, and still need someone, drop me an e-mail...

G.

WhichDawg · **Reply #52 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:18:16 AM

now I've read this and got excited and it's not done yet!!! how can I enjoy my christmas....

J-sews · **Reply #53 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:25:06 AM

Quote from: WhichDawg on December 23, 2007, 04:18:16 AM

now I've read this and got excited and it's not done yet!!! how can I enjoy my christmas....

Ouch! That pokey stick is sharp!

Okay, okay, I'll get it done next week. There won't be much going on at work between the holidays, so I should be able to commandeer one of the grinders and get this baby finished.

WhichDawg · **Reply #54 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:28:51 AM

Quote from: J-sews on December 23, 2007, 04:25:06 AM

Quote from: WhichDawg on December 23, 2007, 04:18:16 AM
now I've read this and got excited and it's not done yet!!! how can I enjoy my christmas....

Ouch! That pokey stick is sharp!

Okay, okay, I'll get it done next week. There won't be much going on at work between the holidays, so I should be able to commandeer one of the grinders and get this baby finished.

many will be happy! and for the record, you do really nice work mister, we have a nice mill and press and constructing a new Plasma CNC table, I will be trying some of your mods bro! your in MI ever have shermans ice cream in South Haven? it's the best

J-sews · **Reply #55 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:33:47 AM

Quote from: WhichDawg on December 23, 2007, 04:28:51 AM

.....your in MI ever have shermans ice cream in South Haven? it's the best

Yah-yah, you told me, but they're CLOSED!!

Now I have to wait months for some Sherman's ice cream.....

WhichDawg · **Reply #56 on:** December 23, 2007, 04:54:32 AM

ohh I forgot, knew I asked somebody!

WhichDawg · **Reply #57 on:** April 04, 2008, 12:54:01 PM

I think Shermans is open now! and I hear they've got some nice weather this weekend!

and what ever happen to this Spirit Mod?

Benner · **Reply #58 on:** April 04, 2008, 05:01:15 PM

Yeah Bob we wanna see a OH Spirit.

J-sews · **Reply #59 on:** April 05, 2008, 01:31:14 AM

Okay, okay! Jeez, I've only been working on this now for what......a couple of weeks?

Heh-heh anyhow, here's where its at: Quite some time ago I finished shaping the blade. The pivot area is surprisingly complex in how it engages the Spirit's lock mechanism. (It gives me a whole new appreciation for Swiss precision manufacturing!) Afterwards the blade was surface ground to the proper thickness, then sent out for heat treat to 58 rockwell C.

That's where it stands now. I've been too much of a chicken to grind the final bevel on the blade, polish it, and sharpen it. It's just not something I've ever done before, and I don't want to screw up all the work I've done to this point.

Here's what it looks like assembled:

Function is great. The blade is easy to open one handed, just using the thumb hole. It does not interfere with the plier function at all. The only unforeseen problem is minor; the new blade blocks access to the nail nick on the awl. The knife blade has to be opened first in order to access the awl, which is no big deal I guess.

Bob

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