Any way out of this mess?

Fletch Helical

Fletch Helical

Joined
Sep 29, 2009
Messages
1,614
So tonight I took my first foray into doing a set of scales on a knife. I was getting ready to drill holes for the corbys and did a dry run on a part of the scales I was going to cut off. I opted to use a stop on the bit I picked up a while back. I set the depth I wanted it to stop at drilled everything like it was the real deal and everything was fine. Then I went on to my first hole set the corby in and got ready to drill the next one and I noticed the corby wasn't super tight and I said "Oh that's probably because I need the tang in between to make up the space". Drilled the next one cut the scales out in the shape of the handle and went to see if everything fit.

What I failed to realize was as I was doing all this the stop on my bit loosened up and I wound up drilling out the shoulders on one hole entirely :mad:. And on one side of the scales. So I basically have only 1 hole that is drilled correctly.

Any way to correct this or am I basically screwed here and have to cut out another set of scales? I guess on a positive note, at least everything seemed to line up and the corbys probably would have worked if I didn't bore a hole the size of the bolt itself through the whole scale.
 
Yup. Pins or flared tubes, or even mosaic pins if you feel fancy. Turn it into a detail change instead of a screw up.
 
Alright here's the deal. I have 3/16 and 1/4 brass rod. The 3/16 fits through the hole in the tang with a bit of slop and a lot of slop in the scales (I used a 1/4" bit on the scales). The 1/4" won't fit through anything. Can I use a pin with that much slop in it?
 
You could route out an area on the inside of the scales and glue in another piece of material, then re-drill the smaller diameter part of the hole. I've never done this, but it seems possible.

Good luck!
 
I'd glue up the scales, fill up the messed up hole with epoxy half way. Drill from the pilot hole from other side and then finish with the counterbore. Or scrap em and start all over, aint learning FUN:)
 
If you buy the right wall 1/4" tube, a 3/16" pin will fit inside without too much slop. You could bore the scales out to 1/4", pass a 3/16" pin through the tang and scales, and then slip short pieces of the 1/4" tube over the ends of the pins, to fill the gap in the scales. Let epoxy hold the works together, or peen the ends of the 3/16" pin. If you do this you will want to use a good-quality epoxy but as long as you do I think it would make a pretty solid mount. I think the tube Tracy sells is the right size to accept 3/16" rod.
Alternately you might be able to use 3/16" pivot barrels, or threaded inserts, and screws with heads that are bigger than the hole you have in the scales. You would probably have to counter bore or counter sink the holes in the scales (again) to set the screw heads in flush.
 
Fletch Helical said:
Alright here's the deal. I have 3/16 and 1/4 brass rod. The 3/16 fits through the hole in the tang with a bit of slop and a lot of slop in the scales (I used a 1/4" bit on the scales). The 1/4" won't fit through anything. Can I use a pin with that much slop in it?
Click to expand...

I don't get it. You used a 1/4" bit on the scales, but your 1/4" rod won't fit? Even if you drill everything through at 1/4" (plus a little on the tang)?
 
Fletch Helical said:
Alright here's the deal. I have 3/16 and 1/4 brass rod. The 3/16 fits through the hole in the tang with a bit of slop and a lot of slop in the scales (I used a 1/4" bit on the scales). The 1/4" won't fit through anything. Can I use a pin with that much slop in it?
Click to expand...

No "slop". Drill everything again with the 1/4" bit. If it's too snug, hand file with a round file very carefully.
 
Guys,
He is using Corby Bolts. The part that shows is wider than the shank. He can't use pins or tubes without drilling out the tang ( Another reason I always recommend making the tang holes oversize).

Matt,
Just use the Corby bolts in the holes as they are drilled now. You will have to clamp the scales down to make sure there are no gaps, but once the epoxy is cured, you will be fine. The epoxy will fill in the space.Clamp firmly, but not too hard. Make sure to leave a little room between the tang and the bolt head on the improperly drilled side for the epoxy to pool in ( between a 16th and an 8th should be enough). Also, push the bolts toward the bad side to seat the shoulder snug on the good seat you cut.

Let me know if this isn't clear, but you can salvage the scales and knife with little change in handle integrity.
 
Alternately, if you choose to go with pins as some folks have suggested, and your hole was drilled at 1/4", but a 1/4" rod won't fit...your rod stock may be slightly oversized. Take a piece long enough for a pin plus a good bit, chuck it up in a cordless drill and spin it while you hold some sandpaper against it. Try to fit it. If it doesn't fit, take a little more off, etc. until it fits snugly.

-d
 
although I have no experience with corbys I would say that Stacy has the best solution. Another solution would be to make your own stepped pins using tubing that was a tight fit over you existing pin material, but that may be more work then its worth.
 
deker said:
Alternately, if you choose to go with pins as some folks have suggested, and your hole was drilled at 1/4", but a 1/4" rod won't fit...your rod stock may be slightly oversized. Take a piece long enough for a pin plus a good bit, chuck it up in a cordless drill and spin it while you hold some sandpaper against it. Try to fit it. If it doesn't fit, take a little more off, etc. until it fits snugly.

-d
Click to expand...

:thumbup: Good idea.
Never thought of that.
 
bladsmth said:
Guys,
He is using Corby Bolts. The part that shows is wider than the shank. He can't use pins or tubes without drilling out the tang ( Another reason I always recommend making the tang holes oversize).

Matt,
Just use the Corby bolts in the holes as they are drilled now. You will have to clamp the scales down to make sure there are no gaps, but once the epoxy is cured, you will be fine. The epoxy will fill in the space.Clamp firmly, but not too hard. Make sure to leave a little room between the tang and the bolt head on the improperly drilled side for the epoxy to pool in ( between a 16th and an 8th should be enough). Also, push the bolts toward the bad side to seat the shoulder snug on the good seat you cut.

Let me know if this isn't clear, but you can salvage the scales and knife with little change in handle integrity.
Click to expand...

The only problem is I only have 1 hole on 1 side of the scales that actually has a shoulder on it. So I can push the bolt to the bad side on basically one scale. The second holes for the bolt are basically drilled through. So it will still work if I do it though?

I was also thinking after I put one scale on, what about if I just gobbed a bunch of epoxy into the hole of the other one and then put the coryby in? Would that work? In other words I would put the second scale on dump some epoxy right in the hole and then stuffed the corby in behind the epoxy. Would that work?
 
Matt,

Scrap it and learn.:) Mistakes or lapses in thinking are great teachers.
Not cheap, but great teachers.

Fred
 
Have none of you, other than Stacy, read any of Matt's threads? He is a perfectionist(nothing wrong with that) and will likely not settle with changing his design nor putting a big glob of epoxy in.

Matt, go ahead and get new scales. Although, if you do what Stacy posted, consider using a dremel to score out a tiny groove about where the shoulder should have been to give the epoxy a better grip on the scales.
 
Yeah the more I thought about it the more I think the new scales are the ticket. I could see MAYBE if I had a shoulder on each side of at least one of the holes doing the epoxy trick. I have that in the hole near the ricasso, however the one near the butt of the knife has no shoulder on either side. I realize I can push one of the rivets up against the tang and whatnot but I don't like the idea of the back corbys just kind of "floating" there so to speak. It's a good trick to know should I ever need it. However there is already something I hate about the knife (plunge line again naturally) however as it was I scrapped 2 blades prior and I was going with it regardless. Not happy about it but it is what it is I guess. I was in a crunch for it and besides it's ment to be a workhorse anyway. It likely won't be the last one I make as a present so I'll make it up in the future.
 
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