Epoxy laha????

Bri in Chi

Bri in Chi

Joined
May 28, 2003
Messages
1,815
I have removed khukuri handles before by removing the bolster and using a heat gun to melt out the laha. This time I wasn't getting anywhere and I looked closer. The tang is set in some shiny gray material. Could it be epoxy? Any ideas on how to get past this glitch?
 
Other than some version of laha;
Two completely different materials I have that look like this.
Several other possibles.

Since you can see it,
use a small blade to shave a bit off.

Is it magnetic?
Is it brittle?
How does it shave with a knife? curls/chips/?
how does it react to flame?
 
I've seen it before. The kamis have discovered epoxy. Looks much like JB Weld.

Steve
 
Yup...One good thing about JB is that it grinds well. :-\
 
Three or so years back Pala took some epoxy with him when he went back to Nepal. He might have done so again.
 
Same thing happened to me when I removed the bone handle from a GRS. Heat gun took off bolster and handle, but I couldn't get the buttcap off. Yvsa says it's JB Weld.
 
Sure looks like JB WEld to me. It cures slick and shiny and cuts with a knife the same way. My Foxy Folly is the first example where I've seen it used and there was a small amount around the tang but right up close, very close, there was a small circle of brown substance that proved to be laha. The JBW was used only on the buttcap and keeper thankfully!

Hopefully yours is the same way but if not it will probably mean a handle replacement if you continue.:(
 
JB Weld it seems to be. I guess it's a hatchet job removing the handle then. Damn these new-fangeled notions.
Isn't there some way we can get an epoxy embargo on Nepal? Or US government subsidies for local laha producers? This is making me grumpy.
I think I'll barbecue some ribs tomorrow. That always makes me feel better. Happy 4th cantinistas. :D
 
One tip on JBweld. I emailed the company a while back on how to remove the stuff. Ive loved it as a epoxy, but if you make a mistake... :( Anyways their response was that you could do a couple of things to remove it. Burn it off, grind it off, or break the material it is bonded to off. Anyways, lo and behold there aint a real good non-destructive way to remove the stuff, so just a word of caution, from the lips of the company themself.
 
Thanks, Frederico,
My bro in law re builds golf clubs, and suggested heat as a method of softening epoxy enough to get the handle off. I'll try i soon and report back.
 
Watch out for the fumes, they are nasty. I tried burning off JB weld myself, it does work, but instead of mushing/melting, it kinda chars off and you can pick it away. Anyways good luck.
 
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