Cracked Wooden Handle Repair?

oldmanwilly

oldmanwilly

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Mar 7, 2014
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Good afternoon,

I was fortunate to pick up one of the recently released GEC H40 Hunters in cocobolo. I really like the simple design and enjoy how well it slices. Unfortunately, however, I noticed a hairline crack in the wooden handle after I sharpened it and couldn't ask to send it back. The crack appears to run the partial length of a seam in the grain and I am concerned that it will grow worse with use and exposure to moisture.

Can anyone recommend methods to fix this? My first thought was to tape up the rest of the handle and smear the cracked area with epoxy or wood glue, but the crack is so fine that I worry the adhesive will set before getting deep enough to be effective. I would rather not replace the handles as I am not confident in my ability to do so and I really like the look of these scales. I ran a search for past threads on this topic but did not fund anything specifically helpful.

Pics below, any ideas would be welcome. Thanks!

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That doesn't look like a fresh crack. It's possible it came that way from the factory, and if so they should have sealed it before it leaving. Maybe they did?
Cocobolo is very oily and don't know how well an adhesive would bond, and like you said, would be concerned how deep it would penetrate.

Speaking only for myself, I might swab the crack with 91% alcohol and wipe dry a dozen times or two, to remove as much wood oil as possible. Then start treating with 100% tung oil.
 
J jpm2 , I think you're correct. The first thing I did was sharpen the blade and noticed the crack before using it to cut anything. It certainly came with the crack and I was too mesmerized by the covers to notice it.

I was not aware that cocobolo was so oily, thank you for pointing that out. Alcohol might be a good start.

Thanks!
 
after cleaning with the alcohol, run a line of ca glue (superglue) work it back and forth along the crack with a business card or similar, wipe of excess and sand when dry. Start with 400 or higher grit, finish with 800 or higher and buff. Any superglue left will show as a shiny area and more sanding needed...cocobolo really doesnt absorb much oil treatment but polishes great without. This method is a common way to repair wood flaws and deeper grain than desired. If the crack has any separation at all this will really work well. Go slow and easy. I use a little roll of sand paper just to get glue sanded only.
 
The thin SA glue is what I would suggest as well, although, when the glue dries it will be harder than the wood, so you might have to start out with 220 grit and work up to your desired finish. Back your sandpaper up with a small pad. 3M makes these great little hard rubber sanding pads that are sold at auto body stores, like NAPA. That glue is nasty, be careful you don't get an unwanted drop on any adjacent surfaces or your fingers. Some times I will put a drop of the glue on a scrap piece of wood, or cardboard and then dip the dip of an X-acto knife into the glue and then transfer the drop to the crack. SA glue works on capillary action so that crack will suck up the glue. It may take a few applications to fill the crack. On deeper, or wider cracks, you can take a similar piece of wood and sand it so you have some wood dust. After you put on some glue, you can sprinkle the dust on to the void, and damn near have an invisible crack repair. Good luck!
 
Thanks J JamesBro and Barry H Barry H . Is there a specific type/brand of superglue I should look for or avoid (ie, crazy glue, gorilla glue, loctite, etc.)? Or will any brand be generally the same?
 
No. All SA glue is the same chemical composition. I buy the cheapest I can find, other wise you are paying for the brand name. Make sure you get the "thin" and not the gel, gel does not capillary into the crack
 
Barry H said:
No. All SA glue is the same chemical composition. I buy the cheapest I can find, other wise you are paying for the brand name. Make sure you get the "thin" and not the gel, gel does not capillary into the crack
Click to expand...

I am glad I asked. Thanks!
 
What is "SA" glue?
Super glue is normally referred to as "CA" glue. Cyanoacrylate.
Once the glue is higher than the surface, use a smooth file to take the surface back down, then sand lightly.
Just sanding-especially with sanding pads results in dips and high spots.
 
Finally got around to the glue-up today. As you can see, my set up is strictly professional. The superglue is still curing, I'll follow up with more pics of the finished product later.

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In the unlikely event that anyone is following along with this thread, here are a few more updates.

The glue cured nicely and I started lightly sanding it down. The above advice about using a slow curing liquid glue was spot on. I did my best but could not avoid removing some of the finish around the glue. I think the rubbing alcohol I used to clean out the crack removed more stain from the wood than my sloppy hand sanding. The pics make it look worse than it is and I'm pretty satisfied with how well the glue filled the crack. It appears to have filled it well. Now I can get back to using it.

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I think for your first time you did a good job! Don't be afraid if you accidentally removed some other finish. If you really want to peel back the onion further, you could totally refinish the handle. I got plenty of pointers if you go down that rabbit hole😉
 
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