How To advice on a complex handle fit with mammoth

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Nov 7, 2012
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A customer wants a complex handle on a slipjoint
the angled bolster was stressful enough for my first time!

anyway I milled this mammoth down, you can see the cracks.
any suggestions as to how to approach the fastening of the mammoth?

I was thinking speed bonder 324 2-part which I Iike

EDWkkDy.jpg


0oWjiug.jpg
 
Well, at a minimum, you really need to get lots of ultra-thin CA glue liberally down into those cracks, even if you want to leave the cracks "open" at the top, although, honest answer, that piece, and the way you're cutting it, is very risky to build that way. There's a high chance you'll blow it apart grinding it down, and it really should have a backer when you work it. There's also a good chance, if it's dropped and lands the wrong way, you could blow out pieces.


I'd get it all put together and get more thin CA down in those cracks after you're done shaping it. It's going to be structurally weak, without any pins, dovetails or anything to lock it together but the glue.

As far as gluing it down and on the edges, yeah, speedbonder should be good, but be very careful with prep. I personally, would steer the customer away from this though (well, I'd flat out refuse, but I'm that way), at a very minimum, I'd glue the mammoth (before you shape the bolster side) the middle spacer, and the wood to a g10 backer/spacer, then, cut/grind the front edge, and maybe eliminate that front spacer. At least at this point you've got it all anchored down to a solid piece, other than the actual metal liners, which will move differently based on environmental factors, and are the weak adhesion point anyway. That way you've also got an entirely self contained "scale" to work with, instead of little strips with cracks running all through them.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some fucked up cracked to hell and back ivory, but I'm careful to make sure there's a solid foundation below those features, and I buy ultra thin CA glue in bulk. ;)
 
When I do a similar scale in mammoth, I set it on a very thin liner. Super thing cream color G-10 is great, but it can even be a piece of heavy paper. Then I arrange all the parts and use pins to hold everything right (set the assembly on waxed paper sitting on a piece of corrugated cardboard). I flood everything with thin CA and let it dry overnight. Don't use accelerator to speed it up. If still tacky the next day, then you can give it a spray of accelerator. Apply more CA if there are still visible cracks.

Once done, clean up the back, sand the back down flat, bevel the end to an exact fit if needed, and assemble.
 
Was just sanding some handles and for some reason I started to think about this knife ... The drawing is terrible but could give you an option for next time. Red is mammoth. and would be mechanically locked

slipinlay.png
 
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