Aluminum Help.

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paintfool

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Sep 7, 2004
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I need to make a handle from aluminum, problem is I don't really like the look of aluminum handles....
does anyone have any ideas that could spice this up and maybe make it a little better to look at?
I have one idea involving anodized Ti inserts, but other than that I'm brain dead for ideas...

specs: 10" dive knife, bull nosed blade with serrated back and line cutter.
full tang, and a stainless guard. I have 1/4" Aluminum to profile for handle slabs.

any ideas would be great!!

Steve.
 
Aluminum hand sanded with 400grit and brass pins looks pretty cool. Brass and saltwater probably don't get along too good though. hmmm... you could get it anodized. Maybe put some simple fluting or carving then anodize with one color sand the high spots and anodize again another color or just leave it natural. You should be able to find a shop locally that can do that.
carbon fiber pins would give good contrast and not corode. I can get carbon fiber pin stock or tube in 3 ft lengths just about any size you could want for $3-$8 depending on dia.
Just get creative :D
 
:D This is the perfect way to see an idea that I had (And gave R. Linger the heebie jeebies lol )

Get some pretty thick Alu, drill a whole bunch of holes in it (10mm or so) then get some of that thick, tough as hell, yet still 'spongy' foam and sandwich it between the tang and the scaled. Use cap heads evenly spaced (5 or so I would guess)dog them up to compress the foam and make it bulge through the holes. This way it gives you a great grip in wet conditions, its not affected by salt (just rinse in clean water) and easy to change. If you can find some of that foam in funky colours all the better.

Anything bulging over the spine is easily trimmed with a sharp knife.
 
Jason, don't mix copper alloys with aluminum especially with salt water ,you get galvanic corrosion. Some of the bronzes do very well with salt water....As far as the aluminum , you could get it anodized in various colors.
 
thanks for the ideas guys!
I can kind of see what u mean with the foam, I'm just not sure if he'll go for that, I tried my hardest to change his mind about an Alum handle but he's set pretty hard on the idea...
what I was thinking about was making the slabs flat and then using a layer of Ti that I could anodize in crazy colors, then as I contour the handle it would almost look like an inlay if u were looking straight on. maybe I could even inlay the Ti...

I have to come up with something to justify using the aluminum for handle material in my own mind.... I just really don't want to use it, I personnaly don't like that look :rolleyes: :p
 
sorry to interupt, but you you have CF with an OD of 1"? TIA.

Kenny

=Jason Magruder
carbon fiber pins would give good contrast and not corode. I can get carbon fiber pin stock or tube in 3 ft lengths just about any size you could want for $3-$8 depending on dia.
Just get creative :D
Click to expand...
 
A few radial lines cut into the aluminium at 90 degrees to the spine, or any other angle you like. Then black powder coat like on the maglight torches. 2 or 3 stainless cutlers screw rivits to hold it in place.
 
that would be a good idea, but the problem is, he wants the aluminum polished, the lines are a good idea for sure, I wouldn't mind making the handles from aluminum if I could powder coat them.

the cool thing is I think I talked him out of it! so now I might go with g-10.

the more I think about the aluminum with a coat and the milled lines, the better it sounds.... :confused:

you just had to bring that up didn't you!!!!grrrrr hahahaha
 
Sorry Kenny, but the store I get it from only has up to I think 3/8". Halpern titanium used to carry a 1 inch rod but I don't see it on the website anymore. They might still be able to aquire some for you.
This place has rods to 3/4" and tubes to 2" http://www.acp-composites.com
 
Actually Jason, brass does pretty well in a salt environment. All the old wood ocean going yachts had brass hardware. Yeah, it had to be polished a lot but it never lost its integrity. I could be a boat bum easy, if I weren't already a knife maker or have all these books or be scared to death of blue water...

But man is Mete ever right about mixing some metals! You don't need to ask how I know. :rolleyes:

Steve, I think you did well to talk your customer out of the aluminum handle. I know there's a kind of tradition of aluminum from some of the theater knives and such but it sure is ugly. Reg and others had some good ideas how to make it almost bearable, but ... yuck.

G10 sounds like the ticket. Since I've never been diving I don't know what color is like underwater, but you might ask your customer. You'd hate to build a knife whose handle became camoflage... :D
 
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