Custom wooden Delica 4 scales?

M

MSCantrell

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 12, 2005
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So one of the selling points of the D4 is its all-screw construction. How easy or hard would it be to take the FRN scales off, in order to make and install custom wood scales? (I don't own one yet :( )

What do you think someone would pay/trade for a, say, cocobolo D4?

Thanks,
Mike
 
Very difficult to do.

The liners on the D4 are nested into the FRN, so the wood would need to be cut out for the liners to fit. It would be very tough to get a tight fit without very precise machinery.

If you're going to make wood scales for your D4, I would recommend making entirely new steel liners as well.
 
Sounds difficult, but sure sound neat! I'd sure love to see one of those if anyone makes them!
 
Dang. Exactly what I didn't want to hear (although naturally I appreciate the reply).

How bout this, then: what Spydies DO invite some sort of modification? I really dig the Sante Fe SW projects, but don't have the skill or equipment to duplicate any of their stuff. Nonetheless, I bet there's something I can do.

And to expand the same question in a different direction, what other locking folders of any brand are good to take off scales and fit wood to the liners (I've done a couple of Victorinoxes, including two One-Hand Trekkers, and now I want a change of pace.) ?
 
Making new liners is not a big deal. There are already people out there that modded them with G10 and CF, it should not be too difficult in the hands of the right person.
 
MSCantrell said:
How bout this, then: what Spydies DO invite some sort of modification?
Click to expand...

Anything with screw construction is going to be pretty easy to do. The D4 would be extremely easy, provided you also made your own liners. It's just getting the new scales to fit the current liners that would be the problem.

Riveted contruction is a little more complex, because you'll need to replace all the hardware, but still fairly straightforward.

Feel free to mod the D4, but save yourself a lot of headache and make your own liners;)
 
Just to throw this at this at the wall and see if it sticks... What about using a dense stabilised wood and going linerless? Feasible?

Besides the D4 and E4, are there other screw-built Spyders?
 
MSCantrell said:
Just to throw this at this at the wall and see if it sticks... What about using a dense stabilised wood and going linerless? Feasible?

Besides the D4 and E4, are there other screw-built Spyders?
Click to expand...

Personally, I'd be afraid of screwing into just wood, I'd prefer the screws tap into metal, but I doubt there would be a problem with it. I'm just paranoid.

Plenty of other screw built Spyders. Too many to list, but basically, most G-10 Spyders are screw construction, there are others, but stuff like the Chinook, Manix, and Yojimbo come to mind.
 
Probably better to go the route STR uses on the regular FRN Spydercos. Ditch the nesting liners as well as the scales, make new titanium liners to match the outer dimensions of the original scales, then add wood (like his personal Lignum Vitae Salt I), or stabilized wood (like the birdseye maple Atlantic Salt he did for me), scales over the titanium liners.
 
The Deacon said:
Probably better to go the route STR uses on the regular FRN Spydercos. Ditch the nesting liners as well as the scales, make new titanium liners to match the outer dimensions of the original scales, then add wood (like his personal Lignum Vitae Salt I), or stabilized wood (like the birdseye maple Atlantic Salt he did for me), scales over the titanium liners.
Click to expand...

Agreed, that way the screws tap into something.
 
Have ball with your Delica 4, great knife to "remo", not too costly, looks good, etc. I bought two, one to keep as is and one to work over. Now I did more than I should have, (your idea of wood is a great one), I put Ti bolsters with black canvas scales and Ti liners. It's not too hard with a few tools.
 
Gull Wing, great looking work. Deacon, just went and found pictures of the knives you mentioned (yours and STR's). Those are EXACTLY what I had in mind for myself. Glad to know it's possible (not that I doubted it)... now I've got to determine whether it's possible with the limited tools and skills I've got right now.

I'll definately be keeping you all posted.

Thanks very much for the helpful feedback.
 
The model builder in me makes me think there may be another alternative if you wish to DIY. Have never tried this, but it should, or at least might, work.

Find two pieces of sheet plastic (styrene or some of the plastic spacer material sold by Texas Knifemaker's Supply), bigger than the handles and the same thickness as the liners.

Trace the outline of each liner on the plastic and remove the material inside the outline.

Meanwhile, trace the outline of the scales on you wood slabs and spot drill the locations of the screw holes. Trim them down to just slightly oversize.

Wrap the liners in Saran Wrap, and screw to the scale, then epoxy the plastic "frame" to the wood block around it. When the epoxy is dry, remove the liners, complete the drilling of the screw holes, and the final sizing and finishing of the scales.

The plastic "spacers" will be visible, so black is probably the most appropriate color.
 
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