Best adhesives

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ARTIST

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Feb 13, 2019
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Prolly been asked a million times. What are some of the best adhesives for gluing horn to steel. Gap filling is one of the important considerations as well as adhesive qualities. I've got a pair of Bighorn sheep scales I want to fasten to a smaller bowie style blade. I'm a hobbyist who likes to tinker with knives for enjoyment.
 
I would think any good shock resistant epoxy would do the trick. I usually use 2 part epoxy that comes in a helix syringe for most of my gluing needs.

I think have also used a little bit of colored super glue to fill in the gaps between the horn and the tang. The trick is to mix a bit of charcoal with some think glue and apply it with a toothpick.

Others probably have better answers.
 
Read these threads:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...-stick-and-stay-stuck-on-blade-tangs.1672342/

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/how-do-you-measure-2-part-epoxy.1705542/

2 part epoxy is a must. Prep is more important than epoxy used. I like the Bob Smith 30 minute the best. The general consensus here seems to be West Systems epoxy is as good as it gets, although the cure time is extremely long. In general, the longer the cure time = the stronger the bond.

Post pics when you get it done!!
 
ARTIST said:
Prolly been asked a million times. What are some of the best adhesives for gluing horn to steel. Gap filling is one of the important considerations as well as adhesive qualities. I've got a pair of Bighorn sheep scales I want to fasten to a smaller bowie style blade. I'm a hobbyist who likes to tinker with knives for enjoyment.
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Im in Europe so which epoxy I use is irrelevant to you .......if you are in USA :)
If you think on knife with hidden tang in horn , epoxy will be ten time stronger if you mix it with something . Like short cut strands of fiberglass , carbon fiber , steel sawdust/chips from file filing ......This one knife is done that way , big gap inside so I needed lot of epoxy to fill it.I used stainless chips for mix in this one .....
mtigjiQ.jpg
 
West systems epoxy is my go to. I use JB Kwik for black g-10 guards. I like gorilla glue for gluing liners to scales.
 
Thanks for the information. That gives me something to go on. The scales will be pinned on as well.
 
Willie71 said:
West systems epoxy is my go to. I use JB Kwik for black g-10 guards. I like gorilla glue for gluing liners to scales.
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What’s the rational behind using gorilla glue for liners to scales?
Will you use West system for liner to tang on the same blade?
 
3fifty7 said:
What’s the rational behind using gorilla glue for liners to scales?
Will you use West system for liner to tang on the same blade?
Click to expand...

Convenience. The gorilla glue is simple, no mixing needed, and has a thinner glue line than epoxy, but that is a minimal consideration. CA is the thinnest blue line. Gorilla sets in 2h, allowing me to work with scales I glued up that same day, where epoxy is the next day. Process, not quality considerations.
 
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