Equipment I use

So, I've done my best to capture my shop on film. It seems this is a popular page for folks to check out, so I've tried to make it better.

Feel free to make any suggestions, or ask for any other images you may wish to see.

Here's an overview of the shop. I live on a half acre piece of property in Southern California. We built a 1300 square foot garage, and I'm using half of it for my shop.
By this time next year, there should be an additional 1500 square foot steel building in the back as well.

All the following photos link to larger images, so feel free to click on them and get a close up.

 

I have moved to the countryside! Look HERE for pics of the new shop.

 

Below is the old shop

 

Hardcore Grinder
Just another photo of the Hardcore.
This is a high quality machine. I never really see anybody talking about using them, so I don't think they are popular.
This should change as more people start to use them. It is built well.
There are a couple of things that need modification, but the features are there, I'm just not happy with their implementation.

Tru-Grit sells them, and they're good folks.

Tru-Grit had this on display in Vegas, and I noticed that they have fixed the couple of issues I had in the new ones.

My Bridgeport.
2 axis control, and homemade power drawbar.
This is a recent addition to the shop, and I don't know how I got by without it.
Here's my slow grinder for lack of a better term. It's a copy of one I saw recently in T.C. Collins shop. After some modifying of a 6x48 belt/disk sander, I now have a hardened O-1 plate on her. This allows me grind my bevels parallel to the cutting edge, leaving a nice, clean plunge.
Here is a really neat sharpening system.
It's a CatraSharp, designed and built by CATRA of Sheffield, England. This is the same system used by some of the big name knife manufacturers out there, and makes a knife incredibly sharp.
This is one cool gadget, and expensive too.
My new EvenHeat Kiln. Computer controlled with the Rampmaster II system, this allows me to really fine  tune my heat treating. I've also got a Nitrogen Dewar that's not in any pictures that I use to Cryo treat my steel.
And naturally, since I have an oven, I need a hardness tester.
This model, by Ames, seems to be custom designed for the knifemaker.
1944 Logan Lathe. This is a cool old WWII era machine I picked up a couple of years ago. I just put a buck chuck on it, and now this thing hold tight tolerances well.
This shot was taken a couple of days after I made the mistake of leaving an open tub of acid in the shop, and it has a bit of flash rust on it. I've cleaned that rust off, and learned a valuable lesson.
NO ACID INSIDE THE SHOP.
And here's a shot after it was cleaned up, but the lighting isn't as good.
Here's my Large drill press, and Air compressor, with a little bit of the slow grinder in there too.
My bandsaw.
An old multispeed Rockwell.
I just updated this by putting in some ball bearing guides.
A real workhorse.
Harbor Freight blasting cabinet. Well worth the money.

I use a mix of glass beads, and aluminum oxide.

   
Grinder and Buffer
Grinders, Arbor Press, and Drill Press.
This is an old photo, the shop's been rearranged since then.
Etcher and Stencil Maker (ask me about etching your name in a knife)
NEW and IMPROVED!
Anodizer, I made this puppy myself.
It's pretty easy to do.
Demagnetizer
Rock Tumbler for tumbling Blades and Liners
Handmade Punch. I make Nylatron and Bronze washers with this.

1st I punch a .375 hole for the bushing, then the spud on the large punch centers it up to punch the OD.

Miscellaneous parts I've made for my Grinder.
Wheels I made for my grinder.

There's a 2" wheel for driving my small wheel attachment, and a 4" wheel for grinding the lock face. I grind my locks with this wheel rather than use a straight angle. It should provide for better lockup.

Small wheel attachment, and an attachment I made so I can keep things perpendicular to the wheel.
An arm and a plate I made for the Hardcore
A couple of blocks I made to sand and polish bolsters and scales.
The next batch of 5 knives underway. (These are actually all done now, and in the Available  or Sold section)
New brake I designed in order to make custom pocket clips
   
   
   
   

Copyright © 2006 Brian Fellhoelter