new life in an old scout

steve · Post by **steve** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 5:01 am

heres a nice old case xx 10 dot, 1970 red bone scout 6445R that i just finished restoring. i took some before and after pics for comparison.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:06 am

Nice job Steve!

Dale

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:30 pm

Very nice restoration! Would you care to share your method of cleaning?

gmusic · Post by **gmusic** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:55 pm

Very nice job Steve!

My problem has always been getting the inside to look new!

steve · Post by **steve** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 5:54 pm

thanks guys. i collect the 10 dots and i got a steal in this knife because of the condition it was in but the blades werent pitted, just really dirty and dark with some patina and rust but all the blades are very tight and have great snap......just about break a nail opening them.

as for the cleaning, i used a dremel and started out with some 500 grit sandpaper cut out from a sanding belt in about a 1-2 inch circle to fit the mandrel.....i use sand paper from a sanding belt because its stiffer than sheets and holds up longer. i dont use anything that dremel makes besides the tool itself and the mandrel......all there stuff is too rough to get a fine finish when youre done. i go over the knife lightly but thoroughly, being very careful around the tang stamps and contours of the blade, to remove all the dirt and rust, then after doing all the blades and backspring, i go over it again with some 800 grit which is the finest ive been able to find in a sanding belt and get it nice and smooth with that. i use these fine grits because the 500 grit is just coarse enough to do a great job removing the dirt and rust but doesnt remove alot of metal in the process and the 800 gets her nice and smooth in preparation for the buffing. then once all the blades and back spring have been gone over good and are nice and smooth (this also works great on bolsters that may be beat up), i move to the buffing. then i just buff the knife, being sure to keep plenty of buffing compound on the wheel so as to prevent over buffing and not rescratch the blades and it removes any scratches from the sand paper. then after the buffing was done, i sharpened out the nick that was in the main blade and wipe the whole knife down with a clean rag to finish the job and give her a nice shine. all in all, it took me about 2 1/2 hrs from start to finish on this knife, including cutting one thumb in the process

.
the knife was in pretty rough shape when i got it, but now aside from the main blade being sharpened some, you can barely tell its been used and it shines like a new piece of jewlery. it looks great in my collection.

gmusic · Post by **gmusic** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:41 pm

You mean something like this?

I just take a 8p nail, cut it to length, slot it and away you go!

I find wet dry paper works best, it lasts longer that the stuff pictured. But the belt you mentioned is going to get a trial run...................

steve · Post by **steve** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:23 pm

yes gary, it looks like the set up you have there with the nail, only i use a dremel mandrel but pretty much the same thing. i tried using some of the wet/dry sheet sand paper but it wears out too fast and is too flemsy for me. it just doesnt have the back bone that the belts have beause they have a backing on them that makes them stiffer and longer lasting. as for the buffing, i dont do any buffing with the dremel, i use my delta variable speed bench grinder with cloth buffing wheel for that.

Ringmaster · Post by **Ringmaster** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:51 pm

I was shown/picked up a little tip, while I was laid up, that kinda/sorta fits in with this topic.

It doesn't involve power tools, alas. But, when hand-rubbing a blade, we all know how quickly sandpaper loads up, wears out, etc.

If you add just a few drops of dishwashing detergent to the water, the sandpaper lasts a lot longer, and while it doesn't exactly prevent the crud build-up, but significantly retards it.

So far, I've gone as far as 600 grit, wet-or-dry, sheet stock. I got a really nice satin finish, that I consider attractive. 800 or 1200 might produce a different result, I just can't say at this point ?

The old codger that showed me this, used a wood block for backing - personally, I've found that using one of those pink erasers (not the art-gum blocks), works better, as a backing.

Maybe this is common knowledge, but it was news to me. A nice, even satin finish, without distinct sanding lines is a lot easier now. Try it, if you haven't already - I'd like to hear your opinions ?

Ignert JR

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:29 pm

Nice work! You can find a lot of belts finer than 800. I use mostly 2 x 72 belts and you can find leather, Scotch Brite, 2000 grit, and even crocus cloth that you use a rouge with. They make a lot of stuff for it. My 6 x 48 goes to about 800, I haven't searched for anyrhing else, because I use it primarily for stock removal on wood handles becuase I can hook a shop vac (6.5 HP) to a port and keep the sawdust way down.

steve · Post by **steve** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:19 pm

thanks hukk. ive seen the leather belts and have thought about trying one but what i saw was more expensive than the belts i usually use and i didnt know how well they worked. do they give a smooth finish? also, if you care to share where i could find some finer grits in sanding belts, i sure would appreciate it. ive looked on ebay and several wood working supply stores and sites on the net and i found some finer grits but not in belts. i like what i use now and i can get a mirror finish with it, but i would like to find a finer grit if i could. anyway, i would appreciate the tip.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:00 pm

Jantz catalog page 87 has leather belts and I've not used them but know of folks that have. Also on the same page they have Scotch Brite belts that are very fine (400 - 600 grit) and super fine belts (800 - 1000 grit). I have used those (19.95 Ea

). I also have in the shop 2 belts that are 2000 or 2500 grit (smooth) and I don't know where I got those. On page 88 they have felt polishing belts (haven't tried those - $16.50 EACH). They have cork belts that you use wet to 800 grit.

Texas Knife catalog page 31 has crocus cloth belts that you add rouge to. They also have wet/dry paper sheets to 2000 grit (9 x 11). On page 32 they have 8-1/2 x 11 polishing sheets to 1 micon (9 micron is about 800 to 900 grit). mesh for a $1.25 each, but I saw them somewhere for $1.00 ea. Page 33 has Jackson 51 White rouge I'm going to try, it's 1200 - 1400 grit.

Then you have Pop's online and Tracy? at http://www.usaknifemaker.com and a bunch of other sites. I don't know what all they carry. I try to have K&G, Jantz, and Texas Kifemakers supply catalogs on hand first before I go online.

What I use as backing for sandpaper is those pads that you put on a granite block for leather work. I can usually find areas around the edges that are not to beat up and cut to size. They work great and they are FREE since they would be thrown out otherwise.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:54 pm

thanks for the info, that's interesting I usually use a beltsander with fine grit belts to remove all the patina, rust and pits and then buff with black emry then drop down to jackson 51 then to green chrome and occasionally go all the way down to scratchless pink, but the tangs around the stamps are what always give me the trouble.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:17 am

thanks hukk, i will check into those and see what all i can find. i think ill see if i can get my hands on some of the 1000 grit sand belts first. im eager to try that.

i know what you mean mm, the tang stamps and contours of a blade can give you trouble. thats one reason i like the dremel and the small 1-2 inch pieces of sandpaper cut in circles, they dont catch and tear if they are in a round shape and they are big enough to cover a good area of the blade but can also work into tight spots right around the tang. another little trick i might mention is that i keep a pair of scissors handy and after ive used a piece for a bit and it starts getting gunked up around the edges from the dirt or rust, i take the scissors and trim off the edges of the sandpaper that is gunked and or tathered. it only takes a second and lasts alot longer that way and its just like a new piece of sandpaper. it really helps and cuts back on wasting a piece that you might otherwise think is used up.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:38 am

heres another knife that i picked up a couple weeks back. the before pics are the sellers pics i bought the knife from and the after pics are the ones i took after i was done with it. i really like the red bone handles on this one.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:11 am

Nice work, really well done, I have been thinking about a folding hunter - BUT really I have too much on my plate. Still if I find a deal I can't pass up

I need to get that Barlow out, thinking O-1 or L-6 for a proto and then to the titanium and Eggerling Mosaic Damascus steel.

You have a nice mirror finish on those bolsters.

Folding Hunter does sound fun though.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:31 am

thanks. i have a 1970 with wood handles but have wanted a bone handled one for a long time. maybe you or someone that comes by can answer a question for me.......i know these are red bone handles but are they second cut? ive seen the regular red bone with the regular jigging without the worm grooves, which are quite nice too, but i have seen some with these handles listed as second cut but i dont know?

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:18 am

Steve & Gary,
Nice tip with the Dremil. I will have to try it!

JR-
I will have to try the dish soap trick.

My usual method of finishing a rebuilt knife is to hand sand up through the grits to 2000. Then I switch to the micron paper Hukk mentioned and use 4000, 6000 & 8000 grit. Then I finish off with 12000 Grit Hobbico Micro-Mesh Sheet. See link: http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/hca/hcahcar3479.htm
By the time I am ready for the loose buff using Jackson’s 51 it is pretty well polished. It works on metal, stag & bone.

I haven’t had much luck with the leather polishing belts. The felt belts work better for me. The leather belts stretched out too much and won’t stay on the sander.

I get the Satin Brite belts (1 X 42, from Jantz) as opposed to the Scotch Brite belts as they are a bit cheaper & work just as well. I use a lot of them & the older they get the finer they are, provided of course that you don’t get some metal imbedded in them.

When I am hand sanding, which is my preferred method, I use some rubber blocks that they use for backing sandpaper for hand sanding in auto body shops. They come in different shapes & sizes. They are called Dura-Block. http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/search/ ... agodsXNzPw
I think they are cheaper where I buy them. None the less, they are worth the expense, IMHO, as they last indefinately, unless your dog gets ahold of them.

They really help with the sanding. As you can see I have cut them to different sizes to get into unusually shaped places. I also have the cork butt to a broken fishing pole that I use for sanding inside curves.

This is a great forum for trading shop tips & techniques.

Dale

PS- I am doing a Schrade folding hunter now in jigged bone. I will post pics when I finish.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:56 am

yes, it is a great forum to swap techniques dale and im enjoying it and taking in some good tips and info from everyone.

i just checked out the knifemaker site that hukk posted earlier and saw some interesting stuff. after reading about the cork belts on that site, i might try one of those. i clicked on the 800 grit and it looked coarse but said, it could take a 120 grit finish to a mirror finish so i might have to check that out.

also, does jantz have a web site or phone number to get a catalogue? id be interested in seeing what all they have too.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:35 pm

steve wrote:yes, it is a great forum to swap techniques dale and im enjoying it and taking in some good tips and info from everyone.

i just checked out the knifemaker site that hukk posted earlier and saw some interesting stuff. after reading about the cork belts on that site, i might try one of those. i clicked on the 800 grit and it looked coarse but said, it could take a 120 grit finish to a mirror finish so i might have to check that out.

also, does jantz have a web site or phone number to get a catalogue? id be interested in seeing what all they have too.

Here is the website below and if you order something off the online catalog you can request a catalog for FREE. The number for orders is 1-800-351-8900, saves $4 or $5.00

http://www.jantzsupply.com

Iwould also request a catalog from Texas Knife Supply Here is the website. http://www.texasknife.com/TKS_Mainframe.htm The ORDER phone number is 1-888-461-8632.

A catalog from K&G online is knifeandgun.com and I do send a lot of wood here for stabilization. The number for orders is 1-800-972-1192 for questions and information it's 1-928-537-8877. After a while you will end up need a bunch of online sources, here's a few: DANG JUST FOUND MY LIST
WEB http://www.knifeandgun.com

K&G INFO
Sales Order 1-(800) 972-1192
? and Information 1-(928) 537-8877
Fax 1-(928) 537-8066

Knife and Gun Finishing Supplies
1972 Forest Avenue Send wood blocks by UPS to this address
P.O. BOX 458 Order forms go here HINT: You'll get everything faster if you have the catalog and use the toll free number.
Lakeside, Az 85929-0458

WSSI does the coloring for you for a fee.
You will need a signed disclaimer before they start work on first order.

WEB http://www.stabilizedwood.com
Lot's of good information in this site to read.

Wood Stabilizing Specialists, Int'l
2940 Fayette Ave
Ionia IA 50645
Toll Free Phone 1 (800) 301-9774

Antler and bone can be stabilized also.

Here is a site that sells stabilized wood, a 1 man operation he will not stabilize your wood only his own. But there are some there like end grain stabilized Black Palm that I can't get in the right sizes.

http://www.galleryhardwoods.com/knifehandle.htm
Gallery Hardwoods, Inc.
P. O. Box 1515
Springfield, Oregon 97477
1- (541) 747-5725

I would start out by getting some catalogs for knife makers.
JANTZ http://www.jantzsupply.com
K&G http://www.knifeandgun.com
TEXAS KNIFEMAKERS SUPPLY http://www.texasknife.com/TKS_Mainframe.htm

Regular Mechanics Suply (tool catalog) http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm

Online Catalog .pdf format http://www.sheffieldsupply.com

Online Sales

Alpa Knife http://www.alphaknifesupply.com GREAT PEOPLE TO WORK WITH
Knife Kits http://www.knifekits.com/kk_1mainframe.htm
Masecraft http://www.masecraftsupply.com/index.html
Mother of Pearl Company http://www.knifehandles.com
Northcoast Knives http://www.knifehandles.com
POP'S http://www.popsknifesupplies.com great place for belts and Baders

I just remembered that I had a list saved

That should keep you busy for the rest of your life.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:35 pm

thanks hukk. i just checked out a few of those sites and made a few short cuts to them on my desktop now. i found some 1500 and 2000 grit sand belts i think ill try and im thinking about trying one of the cork belts too the next time i do some ordering.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:06 pm

All these tips, hints, lists & good ideas bouncing out of this thread reminds me of an old saying I just made up..........................er,..............ahem...... let me rephraise that

The free flow of ideas, techniques & information in this thread has tickled my muse & inspired me to wax poetic............(not much better)

OK, here it is:
Give a man a fish you will feed him for a day.
Teach a man to collect or repair knives you will keep him broke, bemused, & befuddled but VERY entertained for a lifetime.

OK, it is too early on Saturday morning for rational thought. I am going get some caffeine, go to a pawnshop & see if they have any knives.

Dale

Diligence · Post by **Diligence** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:25 pm

Steve -

Just wondering if you use a single sheet of sandpaper with the dremel, or do you stack a few together?

All this shop talk has me itching to get busy!

j

steve · Post by **steve** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:06 pm

i use just a single piece cut from a sanding belt because they have a backing and cut it in about a 1-2 inch piece in shape of a circle to keep from catching the corners and tearing the paper. i take a hammer and nail and tap a hole out just big enough to fit the mandrel but no bigger, you want it to fit tight so the sandpaper turns like its suppose to. if its loose, the mandrel will turn but the sandpaper wont or will fly off the mandrel.

stagman · Post by **stagman** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:21 pm

Hey Steve
I am only about 3 months behind on you guys conversation,
But WOW !!! the scout & foldin hunter just came out GORGEOUS !!!
Never ceases to AMAZE me what some of our AAPK members
can do with knives of all kinds
Is AAPK great or what !!!
Will

steve · Post by **steve** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:07 pm

thanks for the kind words will. i like taking old knives like that and giving them back their beauty that they had years ago, or atleast as close as i can get to it. there wasnt anything wrong with those except someone had neglected them over the years, but the beauty was still there under all the neglect, just had to get to it.