bedding tangs

Michael Black · Sep 15, 2021

How long do you guys usually let the tang stay in before removing it? I just tried my first attempt at it, and removed it after 2.5 hours but then it must have still been too soft because it wouldn't fit all the way in after fully curing. I managed to fix it okay, but want to do it better next time. I'm using GFlex epoxy in a climate controlled environment around 70 degrees F. I could use a small space heater on it to speed up the curing process, but I'd like to hear how other makers do it before I introduce another variable.

Michael Black · Sep 15, 2021

Oh, and a follow on question: do I need to clean the petroleum jelly out of the hole somehow after the epoxy has cured?

imill3567 · Sep 15, 2021

Here's what I have been doing last half dozen or so. I put the tang in with nothing on it. After maybe 2 hours I go and remove the blade, clean the tang off, reinsert, do that a couple times and before the final reinsertion I cover it in carnuba wax. I let the handle fully cure. The next day I can go and pop the blade out with some taps on the handle with the blade in a soft jaw vise (blade is taped up). Before final glue up I do clean out the slot with a popsicle stick with a little felt super glued to it with alcohol on the felt. I just used felt cause I had it around anything thin enough and absorbent.

Skiller1nc · Sep 15, 2021

I coat blade with wax and leave it in until the epoxy is set. Usually overnight, then a few good taps and it comes out. I've never got as good a fit when I pull it out before a full cure

Pinoy Knife · Sep 16, 2021

never use petroleum jelly on a epoxy job.. why not use acriglass release agent?? it is made for releasing after the parts are bedded gun actions..

Michael Black · Sep 16, 2021

Skiller1nc said:
I coat blade with wax and leave it in until the epoxy is set. Usually overnight, then a few good taps and it comes out. I've never got as good a fit when I pull it out before a full cure

Oh really? You let it cure all the way? Interesting. Do you have to clean out the wax before the final glue up?

Pinoy Knife said:
never use petroleum jelly on a epoxy job.. why not use acriglass release agent?? it is made for releasing after the parts are bedded gun actions..

I just heard Kyle Royer and another knifemaker use it, and I already had some in the house, so it seemed like a no brainer. I don't like buying extra stuff if it's not perfectly necessary. The petroleum jelly seemed to work fine at releasing it, the problem was in the timing with the epoxy curing.

imill3567 said:
Here's what I have been doing last half dozen or so. I put the tang in with nothing on it. After maybe 2 hours I go and remove the blade, clean the tang off, reinsert, do that a couple times and before the final reinsertion I cover it in carnuba wax. I let the handle fully cure. The next day I can go and pop the blade out with some taps on the handle with the blade in a soft jaw vise (blade is taped up). Before final glue up I do clean out the slot with a popsicle stick with a little felt super glued to it with alcohol on the felt. I just used felt cause I had it around anything thin enough and absorbent.

I'm noticing a trend here, to let it cure all the way. Thanks for the tips folks!

Pinoy Knife · Sep 16, 2021

yes you let the glue full cure..
the release agent is like a liquid cellophane.. yea again knowing about this i will never bother trying to, wax or vaseline anything.. hoping it comes free ..

john april · Sep 17, 2021

Pinoy Knife said:
never use petroleum jelly on a epoxy job.. why not use acriglass release agent?? it is made for releasing after the parts are bedded gun actions..

hmmm, kyle royer uses it. for me it works better than mineral oil, but i have not tried wax yet. how long you wait depends on the cure speed of the epoxy. i mix up a little extra epoxy so there will be some left in the paper cup. about 2 hours later, i poke at the epoxy in the cup with a toothpick. if i can poke into the epoxy its too soon. when i wont poke in and seems kinda firm i pull the handle off, and wipe a thin layer of vaseline over the tang with my finger to make sure it all is coated. if you put a new blob of vaseline on, it may be hard to reinsert it fully. i repeat that twice in 2 hour increments and then leave it on to cure.

FredyCro · Sep 17, 2021

I put wax and let epoxy cure completly. To remove the handle from the tang, I use a technique I saw on YT to remove a WA handle. Grip the knife spine and a piece of wood together and remove the handle by hammering on the wood against the top of the handle.

Michael Black · Sep 18, 2021

john april said:
hmmm, kyle royer uses it. for me it works better than mineral oil, but i have not tried wax yet. how long you wait depends on the cure speed of the epoxy. i mix up a little extra epoxy so there will be some left in the paper cup. about 2 hours later, i poke at the epoxy in the cup with a toothpick. if i can poke into the epoxy its too soon. when i wont poke in and seems kinda firm i pull the handle off, and wipe a thin layer of vaseline over the tang with my finger to make sure it all is coated. if you put a new blob of vaseline on, it may be hard to reinsert it fully. i repeat that twice in 2 hour increments and then leave it on to cure.

Okay that's brilliant. I always have that little extra epoxy left in a mixing cup anyway, so that sounds super easy. Thanks!

REK Knives · Sep 18, 2021

Yeah I was wondering how Kyle cleans out all the Vaseline from such a deep pocket... I actually asked if he did on their youtube channel and dad said yes but didn't elaborate and Kyle never mentions how to actually clean it out.

So the acraglass release agent doesn't leave any residue?

Pinoy Knife · Sep 18, 2021

REK Knives said:
Yeah I was wondering how Kyle cleans out all the Vaseline from such a deep pocket... I actually asked if he did on their youtube channel and dad said yes but didn't elaborate and Kyle never mentions how to actually clean it out.

So the acraglass release agent doesn't leave any residue?

correct.. the release agent gets brushed on and cures in a few hours.. use several 3 or so coatings...
mix up your epoxy ,glue everything together.. do not install the cross pin .. and tomorrow put the blade in the vise and gently tap the handle off..
any leftover release agent is either on the tang or can be pulled out using tweezers.. it literally is a liquid cellophane.. very thin ..
this is how you marry a gun action to the stock.. i figured out to use this when i built 1 of my hunting rifles.. i had a little leftover so i used it on a few knives
it works so well there will never be a better way (for me).. and you can take the tang out if you ever wanted to ..(Handy for a take apart bowie type of thing..
JUST TRY IT !!!

john april · Sep 18, 2021

all of my hidden tangs are pinned thru the handle, so i was never concerned with getting all the vaseline out. i dont depend on the epoxy for a mechanical bond or strength. its just a spacer. i consider the epoxy i put between the guard and handle during final assembly enough of a sealant to keep moisture out. you could wet a piece of paper towel with acetone and wipe the inside of the hole with a piece of wire coathanger, or maybe q tips
if you wanted it really clean.

Michael Black · Sep 18, 2021

john april said:
all of my hidden tangs are pinned thru the handle, so i was never concerned with getting all the vaseline out. i dont depend on the epoxy for a mechanical bond or strength. its just a spacer. i consider the epoxy i put between the guard and handle during final assembly enough of a sealant to keep moisture out. you could wet a piece of paper towel with acetone and wipe the inside of the hole with a piece of wire coathanger, or maybe q tips
if you wanted it really clean.

Yeah that's what I did for cleanup on this first attempt, and I did the same thing with the pin. Thanks!

Storm W · Sep 20, 2021

Someone told me about Apoxie putty. It's for sculpting. Since it's already firm if I remember correctly it only took about an hour to set up and I could pull the blade.