Contouring the handle on full tang knife?

Hawk45

Hawk45

Joined
Jan 28, 2005
Messages
2,154
Just got a 2x42 grinder and was working on a few blanks. Before the grinder I did all handle contouring with with files (well actually the whole knife). How do you guys contour your handle and grips on a grinder? Do you remove the platen and run slacked? Or is a 1" belt grinder on the list of things I need?

Thanks,
John
 
Depends on what contouring. If you don't have negative (hollow, whatever you want to call it) contouring like a simple palm swell, it can be done against the platen or on the slack.

For negative contouring, I use the contact wheels on the KMG, but you don't have them on the Craftsman. You can use the wheels on the 2x42 as contact wheels, but since they're metal they're kind of PITA to use that way.

I would probably get the handle to the shape you want without the negative contours and then go to town with some wood rasps/files to dig out the negative areas. I like the Microplane rasps for serious wood removal. Then handsand to smooth everything out.

Otherwise, hand sanding with dowels wrapped in sandpaper with work.
 
I usually rough shape it with the grinder but I always finish it with files and sand paper. Probably always will too. I like a very organic, natural feeling handle that has no sharp edges or hot spots.
 
I bought an oscillating sander table from Grizzly that is making that part much easier. You could also get drums for a drill press.
 
I remove what I can on the grinder. Then I go to hand tools.

I use one of these:
half_round_file_2.jpg


One of these:
round_file.jpg


And one of these:
06P21_400.jpg


And a whole lot of this: ;)
04-10.jpg
 
I have a half round rasp I use and a dremel, but do need a few round files. Thanks guys!
 
Yep, the Craftsman is going to be tough to use for heavy contouring. I use my spindle sander a lot when contouring handles, but you have to have a steady hand and keep your angles consistent. It takes some practice but I get good results. I use the 3/4 inch spindle almost exclusively and sleeves are pretty cheap from supergrit. I can usually get two knives per sleeve and spindle sanders are not that expensive, check out Grizzly.com. I also use the 8 inch wheel on my KMG for a lot of the rough handle shaping. Again, it's something that takes practice but works for me.

Between the 8 inch wheel on the KMG and the spindle sander I can get my handles contoured pretty much to their final shape. I then go right to the paper and my own mix of sanding blocks/rods/etc. to get 'em to the desired grit. Rhynowet paper all the way for finishing. For the more coarse grits, like 100, 150, or 180 I use the Deer brand silicon carbide sheets from supergrit, but after that it's all Rhyno.

For reference, this is the kind of contouring I'm typically doing with a spindle sander and and 8 inch wheel...

2-26-2012MiniFighterstabbymod16.jpg


5-21-2-12MiniDropPointXLCPM154andTwofingerWharnieCPM3V30.jpg
 
Before I got a KMG with a small wheel attachment I used a craftsman 3 x 21 belt sander with the small wheel. It worked great for profiling, shaping, and contouring. The belt speed was a lot slower than my 2 x 42 which kept me from burning my hadles.
 
Thanks Jonny... which spindle sander would you recommend? Oscillating? I see they have a few. Also, will the spindle sander do a good job on steel as well as handle material (micarta/G10) for mating the two together?

Edited: I guess I should ask if the 1/3 HP version would be powerful enough for the above. Obviously more power is better, but saving for KMG down the road. On the other end, you can never go wrong with quality machinery. Loan officers.. buzz kills!
 
Last edited:
Hawk45 said:
Thanks Jonny... which spindle sander would you recommend? Oscillating? I see they have a few. Also, will the spindle sander do a good job on steel as well as handle material (micarta/G10) for mating the two together?

Edited: I guess I should ask if the 1/3 HP version would be powerful enough for the above. Obviously more power is better, but saving for KMG down the road. On the other end, you can never go wrong with quality machinery. Loan officers.. buzz kills!
Click to expand...

That's the one I have. The power for me isn't the issue when it comes to steel it's that I burn through sleeves because I can't find anything other than AO. I wish there were ceramic sleeves somewhere.
I have a Craftsman 2x42 and so I'm limited like you on contouring which is why I got this. It works pretty well. I've found I just need to cut or drill as close to the contour as I possibly can before going to the spindle sander with the steel. You also have to get a little creative to use the whole length of spindle. I hold mine freehand for the top two thirds of the spindle and then use the bottom to square up the contour.
 
TLR, thanks for the reply. I'll order one up from either Grizzly or Harbor Freight.. seem to be the same thing.. just depends on the best deal. What about using sheets of plywood or tile with a hole drilled out to get access to the whole spindle w/o having to freehand? You could make a few and stack them as needed and clamp them down.. just a thought.
 
Hawk45 said:
TLR, thanks for the reply. I'll order one up from either Grizzly or Harbor Freight.. seem to be the same thing.. just depends on the best deal. What about using sheets of plywood or tile with a hole drilled out to get access to the whole spindle w/o having to freehand? You could make a few and stack them as needed and clamp them down.. just a thought.
Click to expand...

I think you're right in that Grizzly and HF seem to use the same supplier.

The plywood idea is something I've done but most of the time I've found it's just as easy to hold it. Of course most of my relief contours are a spindle diameter so when I'm shaping I don't have to move the blade much until I'm cleaning everything up.

I've seen some spindles that attach to your drill press that use regular pieces of sandpaper. If my drill press weren't so crappy (cheap hand me down) I probably would have gone that route. Easier to source better paper, more grit options and probably cheaper in the long run.

The tabletop spindle sander is definitely working for me though.
 
Hawk45 said:
Thanks Jonny... which spindle sander would you recommend? Oscillating? I see they have a few. Also, will the spindle sander do a good job on steel as well as handle material (micarta/G10) for mating the two together?

Edited: I guess I should ask if the 1/3 HP version would be powerful enough for the above. Obviously more power is better, but saving for KMG down the road. On the other end, you can never go wrong with quality machinery. Loan officers.. buzz kills!
Click to expand...

I've got the oscillating spindle sander from Grizzly and it's been a good machine for a reasonable price. If I recall I paid around $129 for it. It works fine for mating the handle material and tang steel, I use the coarse 50 grit sleeves. Even after I got a KMG with a small wheel attachment, I still use the spindle on every knife I make at some point. Very handy to have around
 
I just went to the site to check, the one I have is the 1/3 hp for $149 now, but I really like the idea of a cast iron table. I would definitely get the upgraded model with the iron table for $40 more. Hmmm, you want to buy a used 1/3 hp for cheap!? :D I may need the upgrade.......
 
I have a craftsman and I do 95% of my handle shaping with it then finish out with sandpaper. I use 100 or 120 grit AO belts. I do profile shaping on the platen then do all the contours on the slack area above the platen. I do the "negative" contours as described above using the bottom wheel. The machine is too fast, so you have to have a light touch and the belts clog relatively quickly. I buy the 10 for 13$ AO belts from supergrit for handles, so I'm not out so much when they don't last long.
 
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