antler handle butt cap

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fetz

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i need some ideas on securing brass or other material as a butt cap
on an antler handle, i have been epoxying them on but there must be a
stronger method. any help will be appreciated!!! thanks
 
I assume it's not a through tang?

I grind the oxide off a drywall wall screw and solder it to the buttcap. drill hole and epoxy.

This provides a mechanical fastener as well as epoxy.

Through tang, thread and tap. :D :D :D
 
YES ON THE NOT A THROUGH TANG, THE SOLDERED SCREW SOUNDS GOOD, I WILL
CHECK IT OUT!!! THANKS
 
If I am using a spacer, I drill the spacer, run a screw through it and epoxy the cap to the spacer. This only works on rigid material but it is a little stronger than gluing to the handle.
 
Right on with the solder and screws,but I use #6 or #8 flathead machine screws. If the buttcap is thick enough,I drill the buttcap with a flat endmill and inset the screws,then lowtemp solder the screwheads into the drilled inset.Then,apply my Accra Glas,and assemble. I also drill out an anchor cavity at the end of the handle screw hole,using my Dremel. I have used pure silver 1 oz.undated Morgan silver dollar coins on some antler handles.I flattened the crown enough to fit the coins, and silver soldered the flat head machine screws to the coins. I used 3 screws per coin and 'glassed them on.The coins are there forever!
 
You can pin the butt caps too using regular pining material of brass of what ever material the cap is made of. The pins and Epoxy have worked well for me in the past. You can make the pins disappear or use contrasting materials so they show up. Either way it's kinda cool and won't fail. T
 
I arch weld a short stick tang to the but cap. The cap is epoxied on the antler. When it has set I drill through antler and tang and slip a pin or lanyard tube through with epoxy. It may seem a little over kill, but I figure sooner or later that but cap is going to be used as a hammer. I feel a lot better knowing I have done my best to make sure it stays on.
 
Bruce B. taught me to solder two pins of any material to the butt plate, drill two holes in the butt of the handle to receive the pins, hog out the holes as needed to do so, use jb weld (epoxy) to bond the butt plate to the handle. Works great.

I've used this method to secure a nickle silver butt plate through a turquoise spacer to cocobolo handle.

Harry
 
Sweany


Now I dont make the type of knife that needs a butt end as you talk about, But I wish to understand what you have posted, I wish to understand what you are talking about, and right now, I dont have a clue. I dont have any idea what you are talking about with the drywall screw.

So if you have time, could you go over painfully slowly what you posted and how this works?
 
It's really pretty simple. Solder a screw to the inside face of the butt cap. Drill a pilot hole in the handle and screw the screw with the attached cap in. Just pretend the battcap is a giant screw head without a slot.
 
Forget the screw. What happens if the screw hits home before the butt cap is in place. Use pins, hog out the receiving holes and epoxy (bond) in place. Keep it simple.

Harry
 
I use the csrew methode only I silver braze the screw to the buttcap.I also countersink the hole so it accepts the shape of the screw head...I used to epoxy on Indian head nickels for buttcaps but had to fix them before much use as they started falling off.I have also pined the caps on with great success.
Bruce
 
Fitzo,
You're on pf right? Check out Tai's latest project - he just did a bolt soldered on a butt cap, posted a pic and explained it pretty well. With his it's going on a wooden-core handle, but the principle is the same.

Tim
 
TimWieneke said:
Fitzo,
You're on pf right? Check out Tai's latest project - he just did a bolt soldered on a butt cap, posted a pic and explained it pretty well. With his it's going on a wooden-core handle, but the principle is the same.

Tim
Click to expand...
fetz said:
i need some ideas on securing brass or other material as a butt cap
on an antler handle, i have been epoxying them on but there must be a
stronger method. any help will be appreciated!!! thanks
Click to expand...
I'm new to knife making. I've made one so far. A rustic antler handle Bowie style.
I drilled a hole through my brass butt plate, then with little larger drill bit made a counter sink impression, slid a brass counter sink wood screw through the hole, screwed it into the antler, shaped it on the belt sander to the antler, then unscrewed it, forced epoxy down the hole in the antler and on the screw threads, then screwed it back in. After it dried, I ground the raised screw head off, and did the final last light sanding to finish it. When done it looks like a brass pin or rivet that is smooth and flush with the butt plate surface.
 
Last edited:
Welcome SKW. This is a fifteen year old thread. Always look at the date of the last few posts before resurrecting an old thread. If you want to talk about info in an old thread the best thing is to start a new thread and link the old one in it.

I am closing this thread.
 
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