Let's see what I can do to my Rift...
Finally got some Cherry Red RIT dye, so the scales are simmering for quite a while. So far it isn't coming out as well as the denim blue. It's not pink, but more of a realy faded red. We'll see what it's like after a couple hours. I hope I didn't dilute it too much.
In the meantime, I'm polishing the washers, pivot, pivot hole, and tang.
On the left is a washer before polishing, on the right, after polishing. The tang has plenty of wear marks to polish out.
In the meantime, I'm polishing the washers, pivot, pivot hole, and tang.
On the left is a washer before polishing, on the right, after polishing. The tang has plenty of wear marks to polish out.
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So, while the scales simmered in Cherry Red RIT for over two hours (yeah, it took that long with the red), I took my Dremel, a felt polishing wheel, and some Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish and polished the pivot and the tang of the knife. I used a wood Q-tip and some of the Mother's to polish the pivot hole -- and boy is it shiny! Unfortunately I couldn't get a good pic of it. I also did a little more work on the washers using some Mother's on a microfiber cloth that was used up.
After "cooking" for what seemed like forever, I finally decided the scales were done. OK, in reality, I was done because it was after 1:30am. They didn't come out looking like the brick red I was hoping for, but instead looks more like the maroon/black G10 that the Ares had. In the right light it looks reddish. It wasn't what I was shooting for, but it looks pretty nice. I think I needed yo add some brown to the red to get the darker brick color I was shooting for. My boys, however, really like the color. My 2nd son will receive this knife if I win the KnifeThursday giveaway (although he doesn't know it), as he loves the Rift, needs a larger knife for Boy Scouts, and neither he nor I can afford to buy one for him. He even likes the idea of putting our clan crest on the blade, which it will receive no matter what.
After working on the washers and pivot, the knife opens as smoothly as my Presidio, which is as smooth as glass. In all, I'm happy with how this turned out. If I get tired of the color, I can always try to trade them for some fresh ones and either try again for red or "go green" with the new ones.0 -
Nice work, looks really good in Red 0 -
Nice job, Loonybin. That Mothers polish works great!
It looks like your dye job came out very even. I like it.0 -
quote:Originally posted by fastjan:
Nice job, Loonybin. That Mothers polish works great!
It looks like your dye job came out very even. I like it.
Thanks! The key with the washers is to put the microfiber cloth on a hard flat surface like a glass plate and just use light pressure on the washers. No power tools on those! I used the felt wheel on the pivot and tang instead of ultra-fine grit sandpaper (2500 and 3000) in order to make sure I didn't remove too much. It took a while, actually.
The dye job took longer than usual, I think in part because it was red dye and I forgot to add the salt to bump up the boiling point of the water. I was hoping the red and grey would give me a darker red, but I got maroon-ish instead. I should have added some cocoa brown to it to make it darker.0 -
Very nice. The red looks nice, brick red might have been too much. 0 -
Loonybin, it would be great to know how to sculpt G-10 like that wavy pattern shown on your second example above. It must be a dremel tool tip of some kind, coupled with the courage to start tearing into your handles. Heck maybe I can find some low-dollar handles to start learning on. I think someone once said the req'd Dremel tip is "round"...and to wear a mask so you aren't breathing in the G-10 dust.
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I think it looks great. Would have never guessed that you could boil the scales in dye and have that result. 0 -
That really is incredible, you could call it the ultimate Benchmade Cooking Show, I wish there where before and after pictures.
But I do love the new look...0 -
quote:Originally posted by Who Dares Wins:
That really is incredible, you could call it the ultimate Benchmade Cooking Show, I wish there where before and after pictures.
But I do love the new look...
Well, it was a standard 950, so those are your before pics. The first pic shows the "before" for the tang and washers.0 -
very interesting color.... I think a color like the first g10 link you put up would be really nice. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by different:
very interesting color.... I think a color like the first g10 link you put up would be really nice.
I agree, but it won't happen with dye due to the grey in the G10, which is why I was shooting for something darker.
I voted for red/black G10 in that first link for the Forum Knife. If that had been on the knife, I would be using the heck out of it instead of having sold it because I couldn't bear to mess up such a classy knife by using it the way a Rift is intended to be used.0
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