Spacers for a 2 blade

[pmike5869]

Rebuilding a trapper with 2 blades on the same end/pin. Do I use a .015 spacer for each blade or just one?? Mine also had concave blades and tried to polish them while keeping the profile. Really difficult. To cut them flat would be easier but I wanted to preserve the original shape. I had to make a wood Anvil shaped like the blade surface and drape it with varying grades of sandpaper. Not happy with the result as the blades were pitted badly. Will buy another new knife and use new blades with very high polish.

[muskrat man]

use a single slackener it will provide enough space for both blades. I've used the old wood disk trick for cleaning hollow ground blades too

[pmike5869]

Thx for the reply and info MM. Didn't get enough removal of the pitting to satisfy me so will buy a new knife and use those blades. Hate to spend the $ for a new knife just to tear it down but I will have enough labor in this to make the end result worth while. Haven't decided on scale mtl yet but there is plenty of time. Making pins and filework will take 3-4 more days. By then I should figure out what I want to use. Would like to use turquoise but the idea of shaping/polishing that stuff scares me. Stone is not something I've got machinery for. I ought to buy some and just figure it out.

[pmike5869]

Just bought some white turquoise. Will play with it and see what happens.

[Hukk]

Just bought some white turquoise. Will play with it and see what happens.

I'm guessing that you got the recon stuff. I like it and have some on hand. I have some lapidary equipment now for stones and Dino bone, but the recon - just use the same tools as you use for wood.

[gringo]

arizona malachite

[Hukk]

Nice! I like malachite, I have enough for several knives but it is from the Congo and CHEAP, some I have coming was $10 a LB.

That sure is a nice lump of Malachite, I also got about 4 LBS of Jet in the mail. Jet is gem grade coal and it will burn.

How much does that Malachite weigh? Looks to be a healthy chunk!

[gringo]

i grew up on top of a copper mine in arizona...i have to admit i am spoiled...in the winter i have this abandoned strip mine i go wander about and find some purties...

[pmike5869]

Yes it is recon Hukk and that is why I chose to start with it, see, I"m a coward and the real stuff scares me. It looked really good on the net, we'll see. Also got some Malachite, will probably buy some red coral also, all recon... to start with.

[Hukk]

Yes it is recon Hukk and that is why I chose to start with it, see, I"m a coward and the real stuff scares me. It looked really good on the net, we'll see. Also got some Malachite, will probably buy some red coral also, all recon... to start with.

I have both but have not used the real stuff yet, the recon is just so stable, why go away from it. I think Masecraft has the best selection of recon and you can specify the thickness you want, I usually get 1/8 or 3/16. I've never had a need yet for anything different.

A rockhound would like want the real stuff. I have some nice clean Lapis and Malichite also 4 lbs of REAL Jet coming that I haven't played with yet. I keep thinking I want to make a toothpick with copper liners and bolsters with Desert Ironwood and turquoise or Malachite inlayed in the handle. I worry if the malachite making the copper green though. Only one way to find out I guess.

[gringo]

i have mounted malachite on copper with no ill effects...

working stone is just like working anything else...the problem with the copper compounds is they burn under high temps. in fact, you can burn turquoise with hand stones if you do not have a can of water to cool the stone.

i went through a period of no power tools to shape and polish stone...i used a carbide blade in a hacksaw, old sharpening stones, and wet/dry sand paper to polish...not recomended unless you like to watch trees grow...

each stone is different....grain, hardness, inclusions are the biggest issue....tiny specks of hard stone included in the matrix....these have a tendency to catch the tool, and explode your work...

go slow...take your time, and the end result will more than please you.

[Hukk]

Thanks for the 411. I'm new to lapidary and I like it and I would like to use real stone on a knife for handles. They sure look nice. I think I've mentioned that I have some Lapis, Jet, Malachite, Picasso Marble (a favorite ) and a few others. I also have a lot of Dinosaur bone and Indonesion fossil coral that is 350 million years old. Really it's just an extension of working with pearl, the equipment changes as do a few rules. I was going to do a tutorial with pearl and others, but I will be in Ohio looking for MM's knife stash.

So I will do those after June 4 when I get back and I have to wait for some drill bits to come in also. I bought some drill bits in packages of 10 with a titanium nitride coating for the pearl. Some people actually throw out a drill bit after they drill all the holes for a knife handle. They want to make sure the bit is sharp so it won't burn the pearl.

The titanium nitride coating can't be but a couple microns thick (0.000002 meters ) and it is a brittle material. But what it adds is called lubricity (correct spelling is real iffy). Lubricity is a fancy word for reduced friction and the folks that study wear on mechanical mechanisms are called Tribologists. ( Honest - I don't have a good enough imagination to make all this up )

Any how the titanium nitride is supposed to make drilling be much more smooth. It's not really necessary but they had packs of 10 on sale and for a buck, I bought the 3 sizes I use most.

I drill pearl in a small bowl of water, usually using High Speed Steel bits with no problems at a high speed. For Agates, jaspers, jades, and Dino bone I will be using a diamond bit and as slow as 100 RPM, but more on that when I get back from my sons graduation.

[pmike5869]

"bout ready for the scales

[Diligence]

That is just excellent work!!

J