I stumbled across an article on a special type of a traditional japanese hatchet, the “Nata“. It derives from the use as a garden tool, but it seems to also gain increasing popularity in the bushcraft and knifemaker scene. I liked the form and the unpretentious design and wanted to try my own version.
Rotary Tumbler Contraption
I made a rotary tumbler device for metal cleaning (mainly knife blanks) from stuff I had in the shop. The goal is to somewhat “polish” the metal before further treatment. It’s made of a 12V-Motor, some scrap wood and a wine bottle tube.
Even more Micarta
I made another plate of homegrown micarta. This time in red – afaik, the fabric was a window curtain in its former life. Since it says „back to the grindstone“ for me these days, I wonder when I might be able to put it to use 🙁
Making Micarta – Test II
So after another test fabricating micarta I grabbed the first one again and lo and behold: After 48 hrs more curing time it has become hard and durable! Mental note: The thicker the material the more time needed to cure (who would have thought?) and the specification on the package was just plain wrong.
Making Micarta – Test I
I’m trying to make my own Micarta at the moment because I want to use it for a new knife project. I made a simple press, took an old t-shirt and some epoxy and started.
New Bevel Grinding Jig DIY
Without further a do, my bevel grinding jig for knife making just … disappeared … (somehow, things in my shop seem to have a tendency for that when I’m around…). So I made a new one, this time from aluminium, since it’s simply easier to work on for me.
