Hunting knives and related projects

[montana]

Looks like it works perfectly. To be honest I have never seen home made knives made with jigs, they have all been done free hand. Jigs make it much more precise. Thank you for taking the time and posting your pictures, information and video. You are quite talented Von Gruff

[Von Gruff]

Well my grinder is now running propperly after changing the 2 pole 1/2 horse motor for a 4 pole 1 horse moter and shifting it from under the bench to on top which cuts out one of the transfer shafts and 2 pulleys.
I had a good sweedish hacksaw blade so made this one for the kitchen. Too hard to drill without carbide drill bits so ground it for a non drilled pin in the stick tang handle



One of the heavy old files I had been given was near 3/8 tthick so I drew up a mini cleaver for jointing rabbits etc.

[Von Gruff]

Being reasonably pleased with progress I layed out my patterns on some unknown knife steel I was given to trial but not knowing exactly what it is I thought I would make them up anyway as giveaways that would let me try a couple of new techniques. The stick tang was the end of the length of steel and I thought not to waste it.



I got this lot heat treated this morning. All were taken to non magnetic and uenched in 130* canola oil then tempered at 375 for 2 hrs



The little cleaver was hand sanded to 600 and is sitting with a set of Jarah handles glued and cramped up for the night.

[Von Gruff]

Early morning here so not the best light to get pics but have got a couple of them almost done. For wood handles I do the same as I do for when I build rifle stocks in that I give them a couple of coats of thinned spar varnish sanded back to the surface with 600grt paper then any number of coats of BLO and tung oil mix for the finish.
This pic is more to show the little rack I use when the finish is drying.


The knife is the compannion piece for the 6.5x57 I built with the blank from Frank (I will show the rifle build soon) and I saved a piece for this knife. 52100 steel, stainless steel bolster and pins 3 7/8 blade and 8 7/8 oal.

[Von Gruff]

I got the cleaver and one of the knives finished today.

The cleaver has a 4 3/4 x 1 5/8 x .304 blade and is 9 3/4 over all. The tang is tapered which gives it a great balance and heft at 12 3/4 oz.

[Von Gruff]

This knife is one I cut out a while back so the handle hasn't got the little flair at the rear of the grip like I have for my patterns now but it will do for my needs for the time being. It is not as if I dont have a number of knives to choose from if I go for a hunt as I have been playing with them (strictly for myself on a 2x36 grinder) for the last 38 years

[montana]

Beautiful, I like the rasp marks that are left on the blade. Your knife blades are perfect for a hunting knife and once again the handles came out beautifully.

[Von Gruff]

These are the patterns I have finalised as the ones I will make any future knives from

The steaking knife, kitchen knife, salami knife and a paring knife


A general purpose knife, slaughtermans knife, skinner and a boning knife


A heavy hunter, two different general hunters, a light hunter and a bird and trout.


So that about brings me up to date on the knife front so is there interest in seeing a few of the rifles I have done. Not grendel or AR related but definately hunting related with maybe a few you might not see that often.

[bwaites]

So is it time to take orders?

[Von Gruff]

Not for a while yet but I would like to think that may be possible soon.

[Von Gruff]

So maybe a few rifles now.

I have had a long unrequited love for the Martini actioned rifles after having a Cadet in 22 Hornet for much too short a time in about 1981 until it was enticed away by a little cash.

I had seen a ME on the local auction site that was not running high bids and followed it with interest until I put in a bid that secured it for me.
This was the description and one of the accompanying pics


This is a martini action .303 rifle. Crown VR Enfield 1879.
Crown 111 1. All this on one side and on the other
Crown VR Enfield 1896 Crown ME .303. 1.
This is NZ marked no.64 also NZ with an arrow above the NZ and then 98
Sold out of service markings 093 on Stock
No butt plate. Lever is marked Arrow WD ? E30
A .303 bullet will not fit right up into the receiver.
It has a beautifully clean shiny bore.




When it arrived I did find there was more to (or less than indicated) this carbine than anticipated but I did have a worthwhile project to work on with no historical or originality to alter.

First of was the barrel and rather than being a 303 was a 30-30 so it was slated for changing right off the bat. I have a friend who has a large collection of LE and ME rifles (along with many others of course) and has accumulated parts as he has found them over the years so he traded me a new No 4 barrel for some future stocking work for him. Gunsmith cut and crowned the barrel for carbine length and reinstalled the sights. He skimmed the front of the action to re-square it to boreline centre and set the headspace at .02, and centered the firing pin strike.

I found the butt stock had been shortened by over a 1/2 inch and with the forestock being cut down, so a restock was in order.
I got a reasonably plain, darker grained blank from NZ Walnut to work with.

I was able to locate a butt plate locally but the screws and a latch cup were sourced in England.

So a reasonably plain blank as befitted the original Martini's came from NZ Walnut Supplies


I sanded off the bolt rifle pattern and remarked it for an advantageous grain layout for the Martini


and cut the blank into the appropriate pieces.
[url=http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/303%20Martini%20Enfield/Photo0819_zpsf9a08f5d.jpg.html] [/url

[Von Gruff]

My inspiration was the Artillery Carbine as issued to some of the NZ troops (initially)in the second Boer War.



More can be found on the issue here

http://www.allaboutenfields.co.nz/history/martini/

Drilling the stock bolt hole is a time for many measurements to set things up but sooner or later the drilling must be done




This is what you really (really ) want to see

[Von Gruff]

So after drilling the stock bolt hole the socket can be fitted and the barrel channel inletted



I was held up at this stage trying too source a nosecap so I finished the buttstock and looked at the sighting arrangement. I find open sights a little more than my eyes can effectively use now but have aperture sights on another couple of rifles and really like them so decided to make something along the lines of the Lyman mod 21 as I could not afford either the Mues or Parkerhale etc.

A light piece of alloy for pattern work




A piece of box steel and a worn out round burr as a base for the sight. It is amazing what can be done with a drill press and files coulped with lots of paitence.

[Von Gruff]

With a little bit of drilling and filing I ended up with this. I replaced the action pins with simple 2 in bolts and made the heads into small raised roundheads. The tab washer to indicate elevation was made from a hinge flap.(It was the right thickness and it was handy)






I have 3/4 inch elevation adjustment that according to my sighting radius and the intended velocity of my cast bullets should get a 1000yd point of aim/point of impact. Isn't theory great??

[Von Gruff]

I borrowed a NOE 316299 mould and cast up about 2500 bullets while waiting for the nosecap to arrive




I would need something appropriate to carry my ammo but didn't have enough leather to do the full bandoleer so decided a 10 round belt punch would be enough