Bedding a Take Down

bobbywett

bobbywett

Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
1,231
Hey Folks,

I'm interested in trying to make a take down style knife, what are some good techniques to bed the handle?
I tried my hand at bedding with G Flex epoxy and it hardened so tight ... That piece is never coming apart.

I used vassilyn jelly to coat all of the areas that I wanted to break free ... No good ... G flex permeated the jelly and seal crazy tight.

What do you guys use for the bedding epoxy, glue, compound ... Etc

Any special techniques?

Thanks,

Bobby
 
AcraGlas is made for bedding stocks... ought to work for bedding knives. Your method with epoxy and vaseline should work. Often times takes a sharp rap to break the bond, even with a release agent. Another thing to check is that there are no places where there can be a mechanical lock with the epoxy. Use clay to fill in pin holes, etc in the tang.
 
I find that a carnuba car wax works best. You only need a very thin coating and it produces a nice tight fit.
 
I have found that while spray on release agents work...... a few coats of plain old hard shell car wax works even better.

Make sure all tapers are in the right direction for removal and there are no holes or notches. Sand to 400 grit or finer ( the smoother it is the easier it releases). Once the epoxy has set, place the blade between the jaws of a vise that is just open enough for clearance. If the tang is already threaded, screw on the pommel leaving about 1/8-1/4 inch gap. Give the tang a tap or two with a wooden or brass mallet. As Jason said, it can take a good firm rap to release the blade.

Vaseline and oils can be dispersed by the heat in the resin curing, but the wax seems to stay in place better. Some guys dip the warmed tang in melted wax. Buff with a cloth to remove any excess and it is ready to imbed.
 
Thanks Andy,

I just went through that thread from last year. Nick Wheeler ... Not a surprise he has a tried and true procedure for bedding tangs ... He's got a procedure for everything.

I'll be trying his method soon.
 
Stacy, it make sense that you want everything to be smooth and have no notches or holes. It's also probably best to bed the handle material before any real shaping or rounding is done to the handle. That way she'll still be flat when you drummer your pin holes.
 
I've only bedded one knife and I used Minwax Paste Finishing Wax on the tang with G-Flex epoxy. I applied a medium thick coat of wax all over the tang, letting it harden, buffed it lightly with a rag, and then repeating for a second coat. The layer of wax filled in all of the inconsistences and gave a nice smooth surface. The tang was still hard to pull out but did not stick.
 
Different waxes work for different things. Google "mold release wax" and buy one of them. They are specifically formulated to release epoxy and polyester resins. Rule of thumb is 5 coats of wax, buffing by hand (never electric buffer) between each coat.

Tim
 
I have never had a problem with just one coat of good old Johnson's paste wax. I followed Nicks lead and it has worked for me. I do almost all of mine that way.
 
If I'm understanding this correctly, make sure everything is sanded to a 400 or higher grit. Keep the grit strokes in line flowing with the tang (ricaso toward finale). Use carnauba or johnsons paste wax 2 to 5 coats, drying and buffing by hand in between each coat. Experiment with with release agents? Have no pin holes drilled before bedding, if they are drilled, fill them with putty to prevent epoxy from seeping into them. Once cured, place protected blade in a vice and give a firm rap on the guard with a block of wood and mallet to release the Newley bedded handle. If it's a through tang place the finale on the end of the tang loosely, leaving a bit of clearance for the handle to move upon striking. If it's a hidden tang have a soft landing spot below the vice to catch the handle should it fall upon striking.

Hopefully, I now comprehend.

I do however have a few more questions if I may:

1) When clamping the piece together, how do I protect the alignment pins, spacers, and guard, from the epoxy?

2) Is it ok to use my beloved G flex Epoxy? Or is just to darned invincible to succumb to the paste/wax? Should I purchase Acraglas?

3) This last question confounds me the most, how do you keep all that epoxy in there? Let me elaborate. When you fill the cavity with epoxy, it is quite apparent that you just don't fill it to the rim. All of that grippy stuff will just ooze out once the tang is inserted. And, according to the talented Mr. Wheeler, you gotta leave a little head space in there 1/8". - 1/4" especially if the final assembly will be a non-take down. How do you achieve that feat? I've seen tutorials where there is a small hole drilled into the underside of the handle to allow for the epoxy to push out. I'm not a big fan of this method though ...
 
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