Broken bit in Bowie handle block

Matt Rochester

Matt Rochester

Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
1,864
So I finally got back on my Bowie knife and was drilling out the tang hole when I broke a drill bit off in it. Any tips on getting it out? It's ironwood.
 
If there is any sticking out you can tack weld a small bolt onto it. If not the onley thing is to drill from the other side and push it out
 
Its about 3/8" deep and none sticking out. I will see if I can get some pics in the morning. If I cant get it out i guess I will split it and make 2 scales.

On a side note, the next bowie I do I will use thicker stock. At 1/8" my files are too thick, the slot isn't big enough for needle nose, it just seems like things would be easier with thicker stock. Thanks guys.
 
can you drill on either side of it and snag it with a pair of needle nose? Is there any allowance to trim any wood off the top where the hole is? Maybe cut the top 1/4" off or so around the bit and perhaps you'll expose enough to grab it.
 
I have already drilled on both sides. I can grind it down where a little is sticking out but it's a really nice piece of ironwood with some burl in it that I'm trying to keep.
knife to a gunfight said:
can you drill on either side of it and snag it with a pair of needle nose? Is there any allowance to trim any wood off the top where the hole is? Maybe cut the top 1/4" off or so around the bit and perhaps you'll expose enough to grab it.
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Would you be able to cut around the bit with a hole saw and give the bit clearance?
As long as you have a mosiac pin large enough to fill the hole, it shouldn't stand out as unintended if the handle is big enough for it to not look "off".

If this would run too deep or too near the edges, you would be risking breakage of the slab.
 
Its broken off in the top where it meets the guard.
NJBillK said:
Would you be able to cut around the bit with a hole saw and give the bit clearance?
As long as you have a mosiac pin large enough to fill the hole, it shouldn't stand out as unintended if the handle is big enough for it to not look "off".

If this would run too deep or too near the edges, you would be risking breakage of the slab.
Click to expand...
 
Hrm... do you have any other knives in the works?
If so could you split the slab and make a book matched set from it and start anew?

I don't know if you are selling this, and if you are, how much time it is worth it for this one particular scale to be on this knife.
I know some just "look right" but where is that line for you vs getting a new piece shipped in?
 
Can you drill a small hole in the end of the bit and use a screw extractor bit to back it out?
 
if nothing else works, you could try a sleeve of tubing with jb weld in it in it. put jb weld in the tube, slide it over the broken bit, and try to pull itout tomorrow.
 
If needle nose pliers are too thick, what about getting a cheap pair at Harbor Freight (or equivalent) and grinding the sides narrower? You'd be sacrificing the pliers, but it would be a lot cheaper than a new block of decent ironwood.
 
Dupe, I was out of service area. As to why it took so long for the repost...
 
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Or long Medical forceps?

Re: ferric chloride, would damage to the wood or anything that was used to process it (if stabilized) be any cause for concern?
- Also, would the remains of the metal/acid cause any issues with further steel inside the handle?

I am not very familiar with Ferric Chloride and it's reactivity in the presence of woods and woods that are metal encased within.
 
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Depends on how bad you want it out of there. If you tried everything else then what have you got to lose. Mask anything you don't want harmed with nail polish.
 
If it is only stuck in 3/8" deep why dont you just shorten the block by 3/8 or 1/2" or so? Use some other material as a spacer between the ironwood and the guard.
 
woodster said:
if nothing else works, you could try a sleeve of tubing with jb weld in it in it. put jb weld in the tube, slide it over the broken bit, and try to pull itout tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I like this idea, never thought about that.

I was also thinking Ferric chloride yesterday but don't know how it would react with the wood. If it was an oily wood like cocobolo I would say no problem. The only harm I can see is if the wood trys to absorb it. Is the wood stabilized, if so then I would use a scrap chunk and soak it in ferric chloride and see if it trys yo eat it. If everything looks good after a day of soaking then you might be ok. But you MUST get it all out of the tang hole befor final fit. You don't want that on your tang of extended periods of time. Even if it drys out it will just turn back into its crystal forum and any moisture will set it off agian.
 
Thanks fellas. At this point I have chalked it up to a learning experience. So, I will try a few of these ideas. If they work, great. If not, oh well. I did get half of it out. Problem is it was the top half. Now its even deeper.
 
Once the ferric chloride works on it, you won't have to worry about the drill bit OR the handle!
 
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