Bending hidden tang

calharkins

calharkins

Joined
Aug 17, 2008
Messages
184
I am trying, emphasis on trying, to make a knife similar to the picture below. What would be the best way to bend the tang to fit inside the handle?

Thanks everyone for your kindness and help.

drop point.jpg
 
You could grind it curved. Or heat it up and pound on it! Never done a curved tang though. Good luck.
 
Hello Carl. Basically just what Dustin states. If you do stock removal, cut it out that way and then grind to refine it. If you forge, just heat it and bend it to meet your needs. I usually adjust mine while forging the blade then refine with the grinder.

Brion
 
It is Cal not Carl, but that's not a problem. I answer to anything about supper time <grin>. The blade is already profiled and ground. So, I guess I will heat and bend it. Just trying to figure out how to get the bed just right. Hammer it over a pice of pipe maybe??
 
My dad used to say, "You can call me anything but late for supper" :)

I imagine a pipe would work, sure. Cutting the curved hole in the handle block might be more tricky. If you use a mortised handle, it's no big deal.
 
Cal- Draw the tang on your paper pattern, then cut the handle part away so you've got a pattern with the tang profile. Trace that onto a piece of steel, aluminum, etc.

Heat the tang with a torch, and have the jaws of your vise opened up about 1/2" wider than your tang. Once the tang is hot, put the tang between the jaws with the point of the blade pointing up toward your ceiling. Pull it toward you, move it up a little, and pull it toward you. Keep doing that, and laying it on your steel plate to check the profile.

Make sure to get it lined up in the jaws of the vise and pull it in line with itself, so that you won't bend the tang off to one side.

:)
 
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The hole in the handle was not a problem. I cut the block to the pattern. I marked the center on each end of the curved block. I put the block in a drill press vice and drilled a little over half way. I turned the block around and drilled until I met the hole from the other end. Guys I appreciate your help. I will try Nick's idea and if that doesn't work, then I will try the pipe.
 
Sorry Cal, the fumble fingers of fate are at it again. I agree with the late for supper, us Okies always got to eat. Nick sounds right on the money, of course if you have arms like Nick you could probably bend it with just a finger. He says he lifts cows with one arm just for fun.
And if you can make it the KGA is having a shop tour in Yukon at Bill Kennedy's place March 14th and of course food will be involved. You can e-mail for the particulars.
Have a good one.
Brion
 
if you heat the tang up watch the blue going up the tang, dont get the blue into the blade, cover the blade with a folded piece of brass or copper to act as a heat sink to absorb some of the heat so the temper is not affected, this is what I do, after the tang is cooled it should be softer for drilling or tapping into whatever shape, if the shape is alot off from baseline, tap the sucker while hot.
 
Well, I hammered the tang in the vice. Didn't have to heat it it is 440C. Tang wouldn't go through, so I drilled a little deeper. Drill bit came out the top of the handle. Bummer!!!! I straightened the tang and cut another piece of wood. Ran the tang straight through and cut the wood in an arc. More than one way to skin a cat.
 
Cal.
I hope this makes sense.
I cut the tang about 1" long and drill a hole in it, I do 1/8". Take a piece of old chainsaw chain and grind the teeth off (about 2"). Take the 2" of chain and remove the pins on each end . connect one end with a 1/8" pin to the tang. Now useing a 1/4" carriage bolt grind off the head leave the square part of the bolt. Now grind the square part to half its thicknes ( You should have a 1/4" bolt with an 1/8" ear sticking up. Now drill a hole in the ear 1/8" and connect it to the other end of the chain. You should now have a blade with a 1" tang connected to a 2 or 3" chain with a threaded rod on the end.
Now mount your guard on the blade.
Drill your handle as you did above. If you draw your handle on a piece of paper and map your drill lines you will notice you have a sharp corner where the two lines meet. Make a straight line from one hole to the other now you have a triangle. Drill that out. You just widened the curve.
Now comes the fun part, slide the handle onto the tang assembly. Assure a tight fit.Now superglue the handle to the guard so it seals the handle to the guard. Fill the handle hole half full of acra-glas (recomended) or epoxy. Be care to keep it off the threads and only halfway up the chain. Alaign your buttcap or washer and nut let it dry overnight. I put the blade in a padded vise handle up. Do not tighten the nut just light pressure to hold it in place. Now after acra-glas is dry remove nut and buttcap (adjust so butt is level) fill with acra-glas install buttcap and nut and tighten let dry overnight and use it like you stole it.
I do so hope this makes sense. I'm guessing thats what your after the pics are gone.
 
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Drill a hole in the end of the tang and use chain, bicycle, Chain saw(with the teeth and rakers ground off)
Sorry its already posted.
Ken
 
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