Hey gang! It’s the best time of year again and I’ve been working on a replica W.R. Case & Sons 102-12" like the one used in H1. I modeled the knife using photo reference in Fusion 360. I altered the design a bit to make 3D printing/assembly easier as well as to avoid having an actual sharp edge.
Here’s my model:
And an exploded view of the separate parts (for printing):
And here are the printed parts sanded and primed:
I’m going to give it one last sanding pass with 400 grit sandpaper, a final primer pass, and then it will be ready for paint .
Once this one is done, I have some design improvements planned for a v2. Only this time I will be constructing it from a laser cut aluminum blade, a CNC aluminum bolster, and resin cast grips.
Hi everyone, thanks for checking out my thread. I spent a bit of time sanding the parts this morning. I washed them all off and I’m just waiting for them to dry a bit more before I lay down the final primer coat. I’ve had a few questions asked regarding offering this item to others. I just want to post that I’m not officially offering anything at this time. As per the rules here I’m also not allowed to sell items YET. So just keep watching this thread and follow along to see where this project goes. I hope to keep it interesting to anyone interested in this particular knife.
I also wanted to clarify that this particular prototype is intentionally not beveled like a real knife. It was for 3D printing/finishing ease, strength, and safety when carrying in public, The metal version I will attempt after this one will have a blade-like grind without a sharpened edge. It will also include alterations and improvements that some of you also spotted that will make it more accurate. Stay tuned and thanks again for the encouragement!
Amazing work Dana, glad to see more fans are making an effort… I was playing with this in Solidworks over the summer, but don’t have access to 3D printing first hand.
Sorry, I don’t plan to release these files. I have other plans for them that require protecting my investment.
Hey there! That model looks good. Nice work. Did you just choose this as an object to practice on?
Maybe one day
I don’t mind sharing files for designs I’ve made where I have no future plans to produce copies. In this case, I’m not done and I’m actively working toward a replica that may be available in the future. I do appreciate the interest.
Hey again, I managed to get some more work done this weekend! Saturday I sprayed the blade with a several coats of gloss black and waited 24 hours for it to dry. Sunday I broke out the airbrush and Spaz Stix to give it the metal treatment:
After the metallic finish dried, I buffed the blade with some cotton balls. By buffing it directionally down the blade, I gave it a subtle grain and some faint spots/streaks that actually look appropriate. However, it’s a bit too clean for a high-carbon steel knife so I’m going to give it some additional light weathering next. Not as heavy as vintage knives look today, but just some more character so it feels less perfect.
After I do that pass, I’ll glue it all together and do some final touch ups and that should wrap this up.
.
