Bob Finlay's vertical knife holding system

[Sam]

The subject recently came up about how to hold a knife vertically for engraving the butt end. I'd remembered that Bob Finlay in Emporia, KS had a system so I dropped him an email and he was gracious enough to take some photos and write a short explanation. Obviously this isn't a simple thing to make, but definitely worth having if you do much of this type of work. I'm also including Bob's email to me. / ~Sam

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I'll try to explain the best that I can.

Sam,

I used a junk shelf and cut a hole through to allow the blade to extend through. Making sure it is large enough to allow the knife to be tilted some. I took a junk vise base and and bored a hole though it and then took the lead screw out of the jaws and drilled down through one jaw and threaded it to take a 3/8" bolt.so when you screwed it down it would lockthat jaw solid.(shown on picture named lock) on the other jaw I drilled 2 holes horizontal through both jaws and threaded the holes in the locked jaw with relief holes in the movable jaw thus the movable jaw could be tighened against the stationary jaw to clamp the knife in between. I'm not good with a camera but I think the pictures are good enough to understand how it works. Just look at the vise and not the mess around the area. It needs a good cleaning. no excuse. Look for 2 seperate emails for the pictures. Let me know if this helps any.

Bob

 

[Beathard]

Probably needs a shield on the bottom to keep from accidentally cutting any of your parts dangling below the shelf.

 

[Ray Cover]

Thanks Sam and Bob.

Great Idea. I have used a similar set up in the past but mine didn't tilt. This is a good idea. I can see I am going to have to find me a junker vise and fire up the machines.

Ray

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Bench vise. mike

 

[Marrinan]

Thanks to Sam and epecially Bob for the sharing-Fred

 

[monk]

too cool for words !

 

[Willem Parel]

Great idea, this is one for the Tips Archive Sam !!!

Oh, I see it's already there.....:beatup:

 

[Mike Fennell]

Very nice, but I would probably knee-cap myself on the blade.

Mike Fennell

 

[Willem Parel]

I have been thinking about this and perhaps this might also be a solution for this problem ( i didn't try !!!)
When you have a conical bearing and a steel round bracelet mandrel
http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Steel-Round-Bracelet-Mandrel/112113?pos=21
And you will fit this bearing in the desk of your working bench, and you stick the mandrel into the bearing, you should be able to put a knife in there with Thermoloc.
Now you can turn and tilt the knife to engrave, would this be an easyer solution ???

 

[Sam]

That's an interesting solution to the problem, Willem. I think it would work just fine. The only thing it lacks is a tilting function, but it's certainly easier than making something from a ball vise. Very smart thinking on your part

 

[Willem Parel]

About that tilting Sam, I was thinking the same, but it's only to engrave butplates and they are never posioned in such an angle that tilting should be a big problem.
But I haven't seen that much knifes so maybe I am wrong.
And I will keep on thinking ....

 

[Willem Parel]

Maybe the combination with a bearing like this will solve that problem.
http://www.skf.com/skf/productcatal...jsp?tableName=3_1_d01&maincatalogue=1&lang=en

 

[Douglas]

I think you guys are on to something here, with these soultions. Synergy got o love it.

 

[mitch]

Maybe the combination with a bearing like this will solve that problem.
http://www.skf.com/skf/productcatal...jsp?tableName=3_1_d01&maincatalogue=1&lang=en

now THAT looks like the way to go!

 

[ED DELORGE]

That is all very interesting, Bob's idea is the concept. Maybe we could find a large round PVC, or plastic fitting that we could machine and fit the bearing into would make this easy. Help me think of a large plastic ball fitting, maybe used in pluming or as a ball valve, we could buy cheap.

Ed

 

[JJ Roberts]

Willem, Thats a great idea,your a tinker and a thinker. J.J.

 

[Sam]

You got it, Willem! I think that's the solution

 

[Willem Parel]

Thank you all for the positive comments, I was strugling with this problem because i bought a ......shame shame shame...Ikea knife with a nice butplate to engrave.
But I had a problem with clamping it, so when this thread came up it had my interest.
And I start thinking because I noticed it was a problem that more engravers had to deal with.
Because I don´t have a heavy lathe I couldn´t make the vise Bob made and searched for a solution that would fit to my ability...
I haven´t searched for the bearings I need, but I will keep on looking around and will find them to try this method.
I hope it will be a help for others !!!
Willem

 

[TyG]

"Caron, Where did I put that ol bowling ball and go start the chainsaw, I have an idea."