Any tips for removing a hidden tang from the epoxy?

[iticam92]

Making my first hidden tang and I am in the process of bedding the tang. I put what I thought was a thick layer of petroleum jelly on the tang before glue up. Using g- flex. I’m now having a really hard time getting the knife out of the handle. Wondering if anyone has advice.

 

[Dawkind]

Heat loosens most anything using a judicious application

 

[iticam92]

Heat loosens most anything using a judicious application

Thanks for the reply. I hope it doesn’t come to that. This is a chef knife, pretty thin, already hardened and the handle is stabilized Koa and mango. Pricey handle. So I lose a lot if this thing doesn’t let go. Heat will be last resort

 

[TK Steingass]

I use heat all the time - I put Johnson's Paste wax on all the parts, glue together with G/FLEX, shape everything on the knife tang, put the knife in my toaster oven at 250 F for awhile. Then I wrap the blade, put the blade in a leather covered vise, tap on the guard with a piece of wood, and the whole shebang comes apart. Then I'll do the file work on the spacers and reassemble. Two things to watch out for: when you tap off the handle, it may come off like a bullet and bounce off your lathe, so be prepared to capture the handle; during final assembly you may need to open up the mortise a bit when putting a bit more of G/Flex on the tang.

 

[Dawkind]

It takes over 400° to ignite paper….250° or so won’t hurt a thing, not even close to changing the temper or scorching the handle material

 

[iticam92]

Thanks everyone for the replies- when heat was mentioned I was thinking torch, but a toaster seems like a great move. I know for next time.

Any issues with heating certain handle materials? Like raw wood would probably dry out and maybe crack.

Update: I brute forced the handle off by clamping the handle to a fence post and using a crank strap around another fence post and securing behind the heal of the blade. After cranking the rig way too tight, I wiggled the blade a bit and she popped right out. No heat necessary.

I will post some pictures when I’m done.

 

[Ebbtide]

FWIW & I’m no knife maker….
But I did mess up an epoxy job on a kit blade.
I put the handle in a pot of boiling water for a couple minutes.
Loosened right up with no damage.