newbie questions

[bowur]

I can make knife handles and cut the shape out for the knife, but I was wondering how to put the angle on the blade and get it so its sharp? Ive heard that you can sharpen it on a belt sander. also is the metal normally around 1/8" thick?   :p    :(

[gables]

Look at the top of the forum and you will see a sharpening thread that has been saved. Putting the angle on the knide is done through flat or hollow grinding. Flat grinding can be done on a belt sander. Here is a link for some online teaching videos:
http://www.howtomakeaknife.net/

The flat grinding and sharpening one might help you.You can also search this forum.

Blade thickness seems to range from 1/8 to 1/4 depending on the size of the knife and purpose of the blade.

Use the search function of this forum. Wayne Goddard's book the $50 knife shop is a good start in addition to the videos on the above listed link.

[bowur]

ok thanks, i just wore out a table saw blade and do you think that would be good enough to make a knife out of, or what about chisels

[gables]

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=110;t=000665;p=1

The above link is a good tutorial for starting. I am very new to this as well but have been studying hard and fast. Servicable knives can be made from saw blades, files and the like. I have quickly learned that working on these found materials seems to take far more effort than using straight bar stock that isn't very expensive. There is, however, an appeal to turning a file or leaf spring into a blade.

[gables]

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=110;t=000665;p=1

The above link is a good tutorial for starting. I am very new to this as well but have been studying hard and fast. Servicable knives can be made from saw blades, files and the like. I have quickly learned that working on these found materials seems to take far more effort than using straight bar stock that isn't very expensive. There is, however, an appeal to turning a file or leaf spring into a blade.