New kid

[Rick Runciman]

I'm Rick Runciman. A lifer old school machinist. 42 years in the trade, my journeyman ticket is getting pretty faded. I'm semi retired with a small tool and die shop in my garage that was originally set up to build some real big kick ass rc helicopters, and hand made knives,, all the things I really want to do. I love machining and hobby machining is a passion. Looking forward to meeting you all, and it would be my pleasure to pass on a lifetime of machining skills, to some people who deserve it.

 

[PeterT]

Welcome Rick. Wow, that's a lot of machining experience. And that makes 3 (RC-ers) in this group I'm aware of including myself. I'm a long time planker but started messing with heli's couple years ago. I enjoy the mechanical tinkering & the flying is (slowly) coming along. I just try & avoid mixing them the same day now because engrained 'airplane brain' likes to dominate the left stick in panic mode, usually with undesirable consequences. I'm interested to hear what you are considering by kickass .... Turbines? Scale-ish old skool metal tube frame?

The knife making sounds very cool. I don't do it myself, but certainly appreciate the craft. Coincidentally I just posted a 'potential connection' on the heat treating side. Maybe you can give me some guidance when the time comes. Beer's on me

 

[Rick Runciman]

Thanks Peter, nice meeting you. LOL, yep helis are hard to fly. LOL. I'm dreaming of an ultra light coaxial with 2 seats. Thinking of a 1/5 scale model of it, but the dream stuff has to go on the back burner as I was recently forced to press my shop into the small parts business. Low oil prices have really taken a toll. Got laid off from a conventional prototyping shop a month ago, and figured I could do better than the noob manager there. Things are hectic these days, but way better. When things settle down, I would enjoy you guys dropping over to my garage to shoot the breeze,, shop talk,, it's a guy thing.

 

[Jwest7788]

Hey Rick. Glad to have you as a member! That is a very impressive experience set!

Hope to see you at the next meet up! (And would love to see your shop when things calm down!)

JW.

 

[Rick Runciman]

Thanks Jwest, very cool site you have here. Looking forward to meeting you at your next meet up. I checked out Protospace,, totally awesome, gotta check that out too.

 

[jbrownslms]

Welcome rick,
Glad to see another rc'r and knife maker. I am in the slow process of building a 64" wing spit fire from balsa, I also have a hilo in parts in a box lol witch will be re assembled some day. I have built a knife or too, great fun!

Jamie

 

[PeterT]

Nice knife. What type of steel is the blade?

Q1) I assume you knife-maker dudes have your own belt sanding rigs? If so, that will be good conversation when we meet one day. Interested to know what model, or if you made your own, belt types etc. At some point I'd like to make something like that, not so much for knives but general profile sanding & de-burring, so slightly different assembly & jigs. Some of the homebrew belt sanders I've seen on websites & YouTube certainly run the range - anywhere from simple frames & wheels stripped off the kids wagon to polished multi-adjustable balanced, VFD'd bling machines that crossed the line from functional tool to work of art.

Q2) Do you send your blades out for heat treating?

 

[jbrownslms]

The blade is ss 56rc.

My neighbor is the real knife maker, he has all the fancy rigs for sanding and polishing. For one off knifes it doesnt really pay to send one blade out, he has hundreds of heat treated blanks to choose from. But I guess to answer your question about heat treating yes a bulk batch of blanks do get sent out

 

[Rick Runciman]

Here's one I made for myself some time ago.

 

[jbrownslms]

Thats a very nice knife, did you get the blade heat treated or just use a high carbon steel

 

[Rick Runciman]

it's 440C stainless, and had to be heat treated.