- Joined
- Apr 19, 2011
- Messages
- 6,901
This is my official wood handle mod thread, look for my stuff on the next few pages there are tons of pics. comments are always welcome and so is criticism. Thanks for looking
my bk2 is on page 1 and 2
bk14 on 2,3 and finished shots on 4
bk11 pg 4 (no handles pics yet but jimping and patina pics up)
As you guys saw over the course of this thread, ive been doing my very first permanent scale mod to my bk2. I figured id edit this thread to outline what i did along with the putting all the pics in one convenient post. This was one hell of a mod and i hafta say i am extremely proud of myself. So here goes the step by step as i did it for anyone who may give it a shot. If anyone has done this before and notices a step i missed, or you have tips please add them to help others. This was my first time so i kinda took a couple of tutorials i found on the net and rolled them all into this mod. It wasnt hard, but boy was it intimidating.
Ok first of i got extremely lucky and took a gamble on $8 honduran rosewood burl scales that they seller on the autcion site had not a clue about. not the size, the drying time, and whether or not they were stabilized. They showed up and they were rock hard and impregnated with my guess epoxy. But i dont think id take the same risk again so make sure what you buy is stabilized. My first step was to out line the factory grivory in order to get the shape i and location of the screw holes and lanyard hole correct. Next i cut out the shape leaving about 1/8 inch extra on my rough outline, since you can always take more off but slip up with the saw right on the line and you just ruined your whole scale.
After they were cut out i used a 1/8 drill press to make the pin holes and to ensure they were straight and perpendicular to the scale. Next step is sanding the scales down to a the basic size with a coarse sanding drum on a dremel and 80 grit sanding belt on my 1x30 belt sander. I do this by securing the two scales together with pieces of a metal clothes hanger (if i was cutting holes for the hardware id secure them together with the bolts). I do this so that sanding makes both pieces equal to each other (note that doesnt mean they will be the perfect fit just yet but they will match each other). Next, i shape them to for comfort with a rasp and a dremel, the dremel does the cuts real fast, then finish with the rasp and fnially smooth on the belt sander.Next i do a dry run, i push the pins through one scale and through the holes on the tang, this shows me any high spots and also if anywhere on the wood is too wide and need to be sanded down. I only do one at a time since if i push the pins through both, i may not get em out with out ruining them or the scales.
After each test fitting i sand them down again with a dremel, by this time they should be pretty much where you want them to be (i also hold both scales on the tang to make sure the fit is good in my hand) Finally before pinning I hand sand 50 to remove high spots, then 110 and finally 220 so that they are nice and smooth and uniform. Now its time for pinning. I got 3, 1/8 stainless steel pins, that are 6 inches long. I used 24 hour two part epoxy. For this step i mix the epoxy, covered the inside one scale and attached to the tang, then i twisted the pins through, I twist so that the epoxy covers the pins as it travels through. Next coat the inside on the other scale and slide it on the pins and press it down to the tang. Clamp it and let it sit overnight. The next day I cut off the pins with the cut off tool on the dremel, now heres where ya gotta be careful. Stainless holds and transfers heat like crazy, so if you cut/sand to early the heat will melt your epoxy. This pins heated up FAST. My advise is to work on 3 pins at a time when sanding them down, do one for a second, then switch it up so that it doesnt get too too hot. so I cut em down as close to the handle as possible, then used the sanding drum on the dremel again to sand em down to just about flush with the handles. when they were just about flush i finished it off on the belt sander (plus you WILL get epoxy on the wood and this step removes it after its hard). this also allowed for my last shaping on the handle, while making the pins flush and shiny.
Finally its time to finish em with some poly. I used high gloss clear and im happy with the results. I was going to use a wipe on but a painter friend of mine said the finish i was attempting to get was impossible with wipe on so i should get some paint on stuff since it smooths easier. This stuff i used was applied, wait until its not tacky (which varies depending on coat thickness but my wait time was about 2 hours), light sand with 220 and reapply 2x. Also worth noting that as you sand and sand and sand somemore, you bound the scratch up whatever finish you got (gun blue for me) so one you get all the coats of poly on, you will prob need to go back and refinish a few spots around the scales that the sand paper slipped/overlapped. Hope this helps out anyone who was considering this type of mod. thanks for looking guys
Finished product PICS DO NOT DO THIS THIS JUSTICE! only down side is now nicks sheath doesnt close, it fits in just fine but the snap retention strap doesnt reach
my bk2 is on page 1 and 2
bk14 on 2,3 and finished shots on 4
bk11 pg 4 (no handles pics yet but jimping and patina pics up)
As you guys saw over the course of this thread, ive been doing my very first permanent scale mod to my bk2. I figured id edit this thread to outline what i did along with the putting all the pics in one convenient post. This was one hell of a mod and i hafta say i am extremely proud of myself. So here goes the step by step as i did it for anyone who may give it a shot. If anyone has done this before and notices a step i missed, or you have tips please add them to help others. This was my first time so i kinda took a couple of tutorials i found on the net and rolled them all into this mod. It wasnt hard, but boy was it intimidating.
Ok first of i got extremely lucky and took a gamble on $8 honduran rosewood burl scales that they seller on the autcion site had not a clue about. not the size, the drying time, and whether or not they were stabilized. They showed up and they were rock hard and impregnated with my guess epoxy. But i dont think id take the same risk again so make sure what you buy is stabilized. My first step was to out line the factory grivory in order to get the shape i and location of the screw holes and lanyard hole correct. Next i cut out the shape leaving about 1/8 inch extra on my rough outline, since you can always take more off but slip up with the saw right on the line and you just ruined your whole scale.
After they were cut out i used a 1/8 drill press to make the pin holes and to ensure they were straight and perpendicular to the scale. Next step is sanding the scales down to a the basic size with a coarse sanding drum on a dremel and 80 grit sanding belt on my 1x30 belt sander. I do this by securing the two scales together with pieces of a metal clothes hanger (if i was cutting holes for the hardware id secure them together with the bolts). I do this so that sanding makes both pieces equal to each other (note that doesnt mean they will be the perfect fit just yet but they will match each other). Next, i shape them to for comfort with a rasp and a dremel, the dremel does the cuts real fast, then finish with the rasp and fnially smooth on the belt sander.Next i do a dry run, i push the pins through one scale and through the holes on the tang, this shows me any high spots and also if anywhere on the wood is too wide and need to be sanded down. I only do one at a time since if i push the pins through both, i may not get em out with out ruining them or the scales.
After each test fitting i sand them down again with a dremel, by this time they should be pretty much where you want them to be (i also hold both scales on the tang to make sure the fit is good in my hand) Finally before pinning I hand sand 50 to remove high spots, then 110 and finally 220 so that they are nice and smooth and uniform. Now its time for pinning. I got 3, 1/8 stainless steel pins, that are 6 inches long. I used 24 hour two part epoxy. For this step i mix the epoxy, covered the inside one scale and attached to the tang, then i twisted the pins through, I twist so that the epoxy covers the pins as it travels through. Next coat the inside on the other scale and slide it on the pins and press it down to the tang. Clamp it and let it sit overnight. The next day I cut off the pins with the cut off tool on the dremel, now heres where ya gotta be careful. Stainless holds and transfers heat like crazy, so if you cut/sand to early the heat will melt your epoxy. This pins heated up FAST. My advise is to work on 3 pins at a time when sanding them down, do one for a second, then switch it up so that it doesnt get too too hot. so I cut em down as close to the handle as possible, then used the sanding drum on the dremel again to sand em down to just about flush with the handles. when they were just about flush i finished it off on the belt sander (plus you WILL get epoxy on the wood and this step removes it after its hard). this also allowed for my last shaping on the handle, while making the pins flush and shiny.
Finally its time to finish em with some poly. I used high gloss clear and im happy with the results. I was going to use a wipe on but a painter friend of mine said the finish i was attempting to get was impossible with wipe on so i should get some paint on stuff since it smooths easier. This stuff i used was applied, wait until its not tacky (which varies depending on coat thickness but my wait time was about 2 hours), light sand with 220 and reapply 2x. Also worth noting that as you sand and sand and sand somemore, you bound the scratch up whatever finish you got (gun blue for me) so one you get all the coats of poly on, you will prob need to go back and refinish a few spots around the scales that the sand paper slipped/overlapped. Hope this helps out anyone who was considering this type of mod. thanks for looking guys
Finished product PICS DO NOT DO THIS THIS JUSTICE! only down side is now nicks sheath doesnt close, it fits in just fine but the snap retention strap doesnt reach
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and use a set of chicago screws on the scales. A simple counter sync drill bit and those will sit extremely flat on the scales and if you get them in brass will look very similar to the bacote and be almost invisible.
