Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
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- muskrat man
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:08 am
- Location: Ohio
- Contact:
Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
I was sent a Camillus paratrooper automatic by a customer, his requests were simple, to turn a plain working knife into a thing of beauty (what most of my jobs consist of).
He Requested:
-Single blade auto, remove cord cutter and all affiliated parts
-remove bail
-rat tailed front bolster of Nickel silver
-vine filework on backspacer
-stabalized handles of burl
The first step was to grind off the heads of the pins with a dremel ball cutter and carefully drift them out with the correct size punches.
After the bail and handles were removed you could see the bare knife
then remove the cord cutter, spring and liner
The basic knife with removed parts above it. Power went out for about 14 hours after this pic was taken, it's back up now in some parts of town a terrible windstorm swept through and leved alot of trees, telephone poles and power lines with them. many houses are free of roofs now too. There are/was few roads that were not blocked off from busted or uprooted trees or large limbs that had been ripped off.
Whenever I work on a knife that is unframiliar to me, or is build oddly I blueprint the entire knife with actual size drawings on 1/4" grid paper and take notes on construction, and the relationship between parts. This aids in troubleshooting and reassembling the knife after repair and/or customizing.
Will be heading out to the shop to progress on this project, next step is to file the backspacer and tack on the bolsters.
sorry, internet service is patchy here is an update.
bolster attached a drilled
left handle started holes for saftey and button inletted
underside of inlett, not my finest inletting job but amboyna burl isn't too forgiving with the end mill
everything together
view of handle tacked on
handles trimmed for thickness
fileworked backspacer
everything starting to shape up
ready for bolster groove and final sanding then polish
He Requested:
-Single blade auto, remove cord cutter and all affiliated parts
-remove bail
-rat tailed front bolster of Nickel silver
-vine filework on backspacer
-stabalized handles of burl
The first step was to grind off the heads of the pins with a dremel ball cutter and carefully drift them out with the correct size punches.
After the bail and handles were removed you could see the bare knife
then remove the cord cutter, spring and liner
The basic knife with removed parts above it. Power went out for about 14 hours after this pic was taken, it's back up now in some parts of town a terrible windstorm swept through and leved alot of trees, telephone poles and power lines with them. many houses are free of roofs now too. There are/was few roads that were not blocked off from busted or uprooted trees or large limbs that had been ripped off.
Whenever I work on a knife that is unframiliar to me, or is build oddly I blueprint the entire knife with actual size drawings on 1/4" grid paper and take notes on construction, and the relationship between parts. This aids in troubleshooting and reassembling the knife after repair and/or customizing.
Will be heading out to the shop to progress on this project, next step is to file the backspacer and tack on the bolsters.
sorry, internet service is patchy here is an update.
bolster attached a drilled
left handle started holes for saftey and button inletted
underside of inlett, not my finest inletting job but amboyna burl isn't too forgiving with the end mill
everything together
view of handle tacked on
handles trimmed for thickness
fileworked backspacer
everything starting to shape up
ready for bolster groove and final sanding then polish
- Bill DeShivs
- Yes.
- Posts: 7358
- Joined: Sat May 25, 2002 2:50 pm
- Location: In de lan o' cotton
- Contact:
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
Very nice work.
There is a problem, though. The wooden scales will crack near the button/safety holes. I would recommend scales of a synthetic material. If you taper the handle toward the blade end, and shorten it at the rear, the knife will look more proportionate.
There is a problem, though. The wooden scales will crack near the button/safety holes. I would recommend scales of a synthetic material. If you taper the handle toward the blade end, and shorten it at the rear, the knife will look more proportionate.
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
http://www.billdeshivs.com
Factory authorized repairs for:
Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
http://www.billdeshivs.com
Factory authorized repairs for:
Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
- whippersnapper
- Posts: 8388
- Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:39 pm
- Location: Michigan
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
I got to say it is a big improvement. Nice job.
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
looks great
tryker
tryker
- redeye
- Posts: 1876
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 3:10 pm
- Location: STARKE FL. REDNECK CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
WOW i really like the change[and that is from a guy that owns or has owned over 50 og these}
I am the KING of LATAMA collectors HAHAHAHAHAHAHA {EVIL LAUGH}
- muskrat man
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:08 am
- Location: Ohio
- Contact:
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
I do not forsee the handle cracking as the wood is stabalized. I have done others like this with stabalized wood without problem. The knife was an equal end to start with and the knife wouldn't lend itself to a sleeveboard shape without making new liners (I don't have the equipment) so it sayed an equal end just like it was to start with.
- Bill DeShivs
- Yes.
- Posts: 7358
- Joined: Sat May 25, 2002 2:50 pm
- Location: In de lan o' cotton
- Contact:
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
I do think it's very nice and I like the pinched bolsters. Just offering suggestions.
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
http://www.billdeshivs.com
Factory authorized repairs for:
Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
http://www.billdeshivs.com
Factory authorized repairs for:
Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
Outstanding! Looks great!
Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade.
- muskrat man
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:08 am
- Location: Ohio
- Contact:
- Dick Carroll
- Posts: 1309
- Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:15 pm
- Location: Florida
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
That looks great!!!
All who enter here bring happiness, some by staying, some by leaving...
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
I think thats fantastic! Its great to see the step by step proccess of the work too. Beneficial for learners like me
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
I gotta tell ya I never liked the looks of these paratrooper knives but you transformed this one into a very nice looking piece,nice work!
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
totally agree that is one fine looking pocket knife..like to see it in red bone or maybe mamouth ivory
Re: Rebuilding the Camillus Paratrooper
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Last edited by --J on Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.