Megalodon Filet Knife

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 07:26:16 PM

Don't know where to post this but wanted to share it anyway, if moderators have a better place for it please move it.
I finished up my summer crunch at work, the days when school here in sunny CA is out and staff and students are off for summer vacation marks my busiest time of year, every public school that has remodelling, modernization work or ADA upgrades, seismic upgrades all has to start and finish in 54 days. I've had a seven man staff working 6-7 days a week on 15 different projects in. Two counties. It all ended when the kids came back to school, so what to do what to do, I desperately need a break having not taken a real vacation in close to 18 years. I dug around and found a filet knife project I never did anything with so clear off the reel parts and tools from my workbench and bring out the knife blank. Odin through a box of knife scales and find I don't have anything long enough for this blank, it's 18-1/2" OAL with a seven inch handle? So I select some synthetic abalone for the main part of the handle and some buffalo horn for the hilt, add a strip of brass to separate them and some brass pins. Here's the rough out parts.

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 07:29:11 PM

Next mix up some slow curing epoxy, I'm not adept enough to use the five minute stuff yet.
Put everything in place and clamp it up to cure.

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 07:32:03 PM

Rough out the shape on my 12" disc sander. The brass has to be filed down separately and fitted as close as possible because sanding on a high speed disc generates high enough temperature to make the epoxy fail.

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 07:33:23 PM

Here it is rough shaped and ready to start final shaping and finishing.

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 07:37:37 PM

From here i start with 150 grit sandpaper, and progress to finer grits until I get to 600 grit, then I switch to
Wet sanding progressing ever finer up to 3000 grit, then paste compound, scratch remover and finally a polishing compound rubbed by hand. Here's what it looks like today.

Ron Jones · September 11, 2015, 07:40:31 PM

Arthur would be pleased to have his salmon filleted with that! Nice work. Hope you enjoy using it on lots and lots of fish.
Ron

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 08:00:10 PM

Thanks I do hope to filet a big halibut with it this year. But I'm grounded while the boat gets repaired, working part time leaves me to much time on my hands and without a project of some kind I revert to my natural state of vegetation, couch potato supreme. Watching the nature channel and re runs of NCIS. This was supposed to take me more time however it's surprising what can be accomplished in a short time with a bit of diligence and I still have to build a sheath for it, BUt I don't have a piece of leather big enough so I have to place a order and wait for it to arrive. My three reel projects are grounded waiting for parts so I may have to pull out another knife blank tonight. Looks like my planned winter projects are getting an early start.

STRIPER LOU · September 11, 2015, 08:47:59 PM

Very nice job Dave. Looks great with the different materials. I've been making some reel knobs from marbled cast acrylic. Where do you get the simulated abalone? If its not too expensive maybe I'll try a couple of knobs out of it.
Lots of great talent here and it goes a lot further then reels! A bunch of great cooks too!!!!!!!
.....................Lou

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 10:20:20 PM

It's age Lou were all like a fine wine and we just keep getting better.
I got those acrylic pieces a couple years ago, not sure where but I will look back and I'm sure I can find them again. hadn't thought about it but I bet it would make a gorgeous handle knob. It would have to be glued up to get enough thickness. As I recall when I got these scales the seller told me he had larger pieces.
I'll let you know.

Alto Mare · September 11, 2015, 10:42:32 PM

Very nice job Dave. I like your line about aged wine, that how we usually relate it our wives, unfortunately for some, at times that wine turns into vinegar

.

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 10:55:46 PM

Thank you Sal but Vinegar will make your face pucker. I must be aging at the right temperature.

Lou. Google: woodturningz.com. They have all sizes and colours also there's a tab on their homepage called big blanks, they have acrylester blanks in 1.5"X1.5" x 6" or 12" 10-20 bucks I think. They're in the Midwest somewhere I think Indiana.

David Hall · September 11, 2015, 11:37:33 PM

Quote from: Alto Mare on September 11, 2015, 10:42:32 PM
Very nice job Dave. I like your line about aged wine, that how we usually relate it our wives, unfortunately for some, at times that wine turns into vinegar .

You might be the one to ask a question I have had for awhile,
I have been toying with the idea of using gemstone for a knife handle.
I chose to work with this combo of Acrylic, brass and horn on this particular knife for a couple reasons.
One it should be pretty weather and water resistant, two it gave me the chance to work materials other than wood, but I'd really like to try stone, I know it's a great deal harder to work than anything short of stainless steel, so I'm wondering if there is any fancy grained stone you might know of that can be worked by hand that might make a colourful unique knife handle?

Rancanfish · September 12, 2015, 01:10:03 AM

Wow! I'm first in line here...................

You have a talent there David.

Tiddlerbasher · September 12, 2015, 01:21:28 AM

David, as a fellow knife cutler I appreciate and enjoy your work

David Hall · September 12, 2015, 01:23:49 AM

Quote from: Rancanfish on September 12, 2015, 01:10:03 AM
Wow! I'm first in line here...................

You havea talent there David.

Thank you for that, any talent I may or may not have has been buried for years under work work work but being here on this site just about everyday for the past 10 months reading old posts and following all the great reel builds, has truly been inspirational.