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Drawknife Making Project

R

rxh

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This is a project to make drawknives using the tools that I had available. I used a 10" Isaac Sorby drawknife as a guide for the shape and dimensions. However, I wanted a smaller size so I reduced the cutting edge length to 6". WIP photos and description to follow.IMG_7452A.JPG
 
I started by turning some handles of hornbeam.20201105_172234A.jpg
 
I bought strips of O1 steel (gauge plate) 6 mm x 25 mm x 500 mm and marked out the basic shape. I drilled small holes at the positions of the inner corners then cut away the waste with a hacksaw. Then I cleaned up with files.20201107_094356A.jpg
 
looking forward to seeing how you make the blade. And stop the handles pulling off in use.
 
The blade blanks appeared literally seconds after my post! That is fast work.
 
AJB Temple - I'm not usually so quick :)
I clamped the blades to the bench and shaped the bevel by filing.20201108_154302A.jpg
 
The bends were formed by clamping the tang area in the vice and pulling the rest round to 90 degrees.
 

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I shaped the tangs by filing.
 

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That's it for tonight. Tune in tomorrow to see some more progress :)
 
I'm amazed you can bend that size of tool steel cold.

Some draw knives are flat and straight, and some are curved and hollow. Some are flat and hollow, some are curved and flat. What are you going for?
 
AJB Temple":2kqfipur said:
looking forward to seeing how you make the blade. And stop the handles pulling off in use.
Click to expand...

That's a lot of work with hacksaw and files. I started making a scorp ages ago, it is still waiting. I need some new files !

The handles traditionally have a through tang riveted over a washer at the end of the handle. I would guess the Sorby one has had its handles replaced. It's worth being wary of drawknives with split wooden handles, usually it means it has been damp, the tangs have rusted and split the handles, possibly leaving you with not enough tang to rivet again. Welding a bit on to the tangs is a bit fraught with tool steel. We do have epoxy now though.

Looking forward to seeing how the heat treatment is done. Looks a bit big for the "blowlamp in each hand" approach :D
 
Very impressive work. I especially like the accuracy of your initial shaping.
 
Mike G":3eb7sm92 said:
I'm amazed you can bend that size of tool steel cold.

Some draw knives are flat and straight, and some are curved and hollow. Some are flat and hollow, some are curved and flat. What are you going for?
Click to expand...
Mike, I was surprised too - I don't think I am all that strong. It is a flat and straight shape as I thought that would be easiest for a first attempt.
 
Sheffield Tony":1n460tyu said:
AJB Temple":1n460tyu said:
looking forward to seeing how you make the blade. And stop the handles pulling off in use.
Click to expand...

That's a lot of work with hacksaw and files. I started making a scorp ages ago, it is still waiting. I need some new files !

The handles traditionally have a through tang riveted over a washer at the end of the handle. I would guess the Sorby one has had its handles replaced. It's worth being wary of drawknives with split wooden handles, usually it means it has been damp, the tangs have rusted and split the handles, possibly leaving you with not enough tang to rivet again. Welding a bit on to the tangs is a bit fraught with tool steel. We do have epoxy now though.

Looking forward to seeing how the heat treatment is done. Looks a bit big for the "blowlamp in each hand" approach :D
Click to expand...
Yes Tony, it was a fair amount of filing - a 14" båstard file was useful for doing the "spadework".
The tangs of the Sorby that I used as a "go-by" look like ordinary ones as found on chisels and, being new to drawknives, I copied their shape. Its handles were of different shapes and were in poor condition so I replaced them a while ago and they have stayed on so far. If I make some more drawknives I shall seriously consider the rivetted method. For the new drawknives I used very well seasoned wood for the handles, "step-drilled" them" and hammered them on well.
Information on the heat treatment and photo to follow shortly.
 
Pete Maddex":uxpq1qgz said:
I to am looking forward to the hardening, my guess is barbque hairdryer.

Pete
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Pete, you are nearly correct but I used a hot air gun rather than a hairdryer. I made a "barbeque" small enough to allow the ends to be outside it to avoid them getting red hot. I heated the cutting area to red heat and quenched in cooking oil, then tempered in the domestic oven.

Then I clamped the cutting area between two blocks of metal to act as heat sinks. I heated the bend and tang areas with a gas blowlamp and allowed them to cool, the aim being to soften those areas and relieve any trapped stresses in the bends.20201112_132011A.jpg
 
AndyT":37nhylac said:
Very impressive work. I especially like the accuracy of your initial shaping.
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Thanks Andy - I don't think that a proper smith would do it like this :)
 
Woodster":1io4v1le said:
The bends are very sharp and I would have heated the steel to put the bends in rather than bending it cold.

https://youtu.be/MXzR5p5AMnM
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Yes, I think I would apply heat before making more bends like this.

Thanks for the link - I enjoyed watching that.
 
20201117_120218A.jpgI finished by cleaning up with abrasive paper, grinding on a wet wheel, then sharpening with a diamond plate followed by an oilstone. I hammered the handles well on, cut off the waste, cleaned them up and finished with Tru-Oil. The photo shows a diamond plate in use.
 
My goodness, that is a thing of real beauty. I hope you've got a shave horse and a good use for it!! :)
 
Hornbeam does make rather nice tool handles doesn't it. Is your RXH stamped with letter punches or ...? It looks good.

Seeing your BBQ reminds me we have had a couple of disposable "barbecues" lurking in the garage for ages. This could be the ideal use. My friend Jim improvised a forge with a vehicle wheel hub, a length of pipe and a hot air paint stripper. The beauty is you don't have to light it - the paint stripper is hot enough to light the charcoal on its own.
 
Mike G":iecih6md said:
My goodness, that is a thing of real beauty. I hope you've got a shave horse and a good use for it!! :)
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike - making a shave horse is the next project :)
 
Sheffield Tony":7rm03zwo said:
Hornbeam does make rather nice tool handles doesn't it. Is your RXH stamped with letter punches or ...? It looks good.

Seeing your BBQ reminds me we have had a couple of disposable "barbecues" lurking in the garage for ages. This could be the ideal use. My friend Jim improvised a forge with a vehicle wheel hub, a length of pipe and a hot air paint stripper. The beauty is you don't have to light it - the paint stripper is hot enough to light the charcoal on its own.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tony - yes, I like the rather subtle markings of hornbeam. I did indeed use individual letter punches - I wasn't sure if they would work well on the tool steel so I practised on some scrap first.

Yes, disposable barbecues should be fine. I use the hot air gun to get the fire going and also to urge it on to produce a fierce heat. I'm on the lookout for something like a wheel hub to make an improved forge.
 
Just watch for overheating the aluminium base on disposable barbeques as all the coals can fall out. :oops:

Pete
 
Superb, your a real craftsman!

My 8 year old son has just asked for a draw knife for Christmas.....like his Dad he's been watching to many craftsmen on YouTube.



Sent from my Redmi Note 9S using Tapatalk
 
Wonderful workmanship as always RXH, my only niggle is that traditionally the tangs would traditionally go all the way through the handles and then would be peined over with a washer at the base of the handle to keep them from coming off in use, but that would only ever really happen with quite heavy use! You should be very proud of it, there's no feeling better than using tools that you made for a particular task.

I made this a few years ago out of an old file, it's a simple prying tool to get glue out of draught seal grooves in window and door frames and it gets used very regularly and I always think to myself "Yeah, I made that!" :D

pCKyb7Q.png

qqUFQ4S.png

Jonathan":2kd8vq4k said:
My 8 year old son has just asked for a draw knife for Christmas.....like his Dad he's been watching to many craftsmen on YouTube.
Click to expand...

Please tell me you are going to! You need to nurture that if he has an interest in something beyond holding a game controller and looking at a screen at such a young age :)
 
No worries there, my boys won't be getting games consoles... we don't even have TV.

My wife has actually ordered carving chisels so a draw knife can wait for another time.

Nice chisel you made there!


Sent from my Redmi Note 9S using Tapatalk
 
Wow, that’s really something, I wouldn’t have dreamt it was something you could make at home. I await the shave horse with great interest, I have wanted to make one for quite a while and this should give me the impetus needed . Ian
 
There's a can of worms. There are more designs of shavehorse than there are ways of sharpening a chisel. A much better quality of discussion on the relative merits though.

I shall have to try and coax some of you lot to the APTGW Bodgers ball. Where better to see lots of shavehorses, buy loads of tools you don't really need from tools for self reliance, and drink the bar dry. Which happens every year, no matter how much beer is ordered :lol:
 
Association of pole – turner’s and Greenwood workers, I must admit to have never heard of them but glad I have thank you very much. So much to learn in this life and an uncertain amount of time to do it in. Ian
Any idea when and where it may (underline may) be in 2021? Couldn’t see much online about it.
 
I think it will be where the 2020 one should have been - Ruthin, Denbighshire, North Wales. Almost certain 2nd weekend in May. It always clashes with the SPAB National Mills Weekend.

It is generally a members/family/guests only event (excepting when held at a National Trust property e.g.) but membership isn't expensive.
 
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