Since the Friction Folder group opened .. I've been reminded of how much I appreciate their simplicity & functionality. I even prototyped one last week. Didn't document much of it though. So .. decided to do another & post the process here .. in hopes it spurs another to try the same.

This is the one I prototyped last week. Used a Buck smidgen clone as the parent blade. 

The laminated wood of the cigar box lid I used is clearly evident in this pic. It was easy to work with (relatively soft) and strong at the same time (plywood).

This time I'm documenting the process .. and this was the beginning.

I am again using a buck smidgen clone as the parent knife. It's been drilled & blanking process started .. by sawing roughly in half. The drills I used are carbide drills used for glass & tile. Available @ Menard's .. Harbor freight .. etc. Drill @ low RPM's & use a cutting fluid.

I've some local Osage Orange for scale material. Should look pretty good.

I made 3 sets of scales during the prototyping. Set # 2 is being implemented as a pattern. I've transferred that pattern to the Osage Orange plank.

The scales have been blanked & the pivot hole drilled. The blade has had some further blanking also.

Also .. the leftover material from the parent blade is just the right thickness to serve as the spacer in the friction folder. I'm going to anneal it first though .. to facilitate drilling with standard HSS drill bits.

I believe I may end up with something not only functional ..but.. pretty too.

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.... NOTE: The progress pics for between the last step & the next step are in the comments below. ....

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I have the pivot pin epoxied in place. I saved some of the sawdust from processing the osage orange .. with the intent of dyeing the epoxy.

I processed the sawdust through successively finer screens until I had a dust akin to Ritz dye powder. I then mixed that into both parts of the two part epoxy. What resulted was a dark brown.

This epoxy needs to cure before I sand anything.

After the epoxy cured .. did some sanding.

I put a brass pin inside an aluminum tube inside a copper tube inside a brass tube for the pivot pin.

I'll radius some of the edges of the scales .. will polish a few surfaces .. it's all but finished.

Got a nice little user out of this project.

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The osage orange is some pretty wood ..and.. it just gets darker with age. In the closed position, the sharpened edge is free from contact with anything. In the open position, the tab & spine of the blade are flush with the wooden frame.

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I couldn't be more pleased with this build.