Making a clicker knife

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Hello all - Just thought some of you might get a kick out of this. I'm making a few of these for gifts.  I find that making tools is a fun way to pass the time between leather projects.  

If you get inspired to make one yourself make sure you wear eye protection and a respirator!  Cutting metal is nasty work and brass dust will get everywhere.  I wore a full face respirator for most of the work after losing a few years of my life breathing in some nasty metal dust.  Also clamp the metal down whenever exposing the metal to any bit of torque when cutting, sanding, etc.  Safety first!

I started off with a piece of brass from the junkyard.  20 bucks for a nice long piece of 360 Brass.  You can also buy some pre cut pieces from MSCDirect at a fair price.  Note that most brass cannot be heat hardened only work hardened.  I found this to be a blessing and a curse.  On one hand it's an easy metal to work with but will scratch if you look at it wrong.  

Using a miter saw I cut the brass down to length using a 80 TPI carbide tipped saw blade.  Slow and steady here. 

I then clamped a pneumatic cut off saw (Husky from Home Depot) perpendicular to a 6" cross slide vice (Harbor Freight with coupon) and was able to mill the piece down to the correct width.  While I was at it, I also milled the channel that the blade will eventually sit in.  At this point I was covered in brass dust and seriously thinking of buying a Bridgeport mill (added to the long list of equipment wanted but can't afford). 

I clamped the piece into a vice and heated the back spine of the brass handle with a propane torch.  While heating, I slowly pinched the bottom of the brass handle together.  No need to get it too hot.  Its a soft metal and easy to work with. 

Using a file I shaped the handle to fit nicely in my hand and using sand paper from 320-1000 grit I smoothed everything out.   I also had to use some small files to open up the hole in the front to accommodate the blade. 

From here I drilled and tapped the holes (1/4"x20) using a bottoming tap and secured the blade using slotted set screws purchased from Amazon. You will have to grind down the height of the screws to fit.  

Cuts like a champ using Blanchard blades from Rocky Mountain Leather Supply (I had to regrind and strop the cutting edge though).

If anyone has questions on any part of the process let me know.  

Thanks!

 

[fredk]

Looks a beautiful job

No critiscm of you work; are the screws countersunk? from an aesthetics point - can you turn the screws so they are in the same alignment? ie, both --- --- or / / or I I  Will you use a metal polish to remove the last of the fabrication marks?

 

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Thanks Fred - Lol -  I’ve been trying to get the screw heads to line up! I already ruined a screw trying to get it right.  

Yes. Will get some polish to clean it up before sending them out.  Brass is great to work with but takes on scratches VERY easily.