Extra long end mill for mortising tang hole?

JG Custom Metal Works

JG Custom Metal Works

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Nov 27, 2013
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I watched a Nick Wheeler video a while back in which he uses an extra long end mill to cut the channel in his handle block. Has anyone else done this? It seems like it would be a real good way to get it done. But, if it was a smaller diameter hole, I’d think you’d be really at risk for snapping an end mill. For instance 1/8” or less.

Lastly, would carbide be needed for this, or would HSS or cobalt work? I wouldn’t think wood, micarta, or g10 would require carbide. What say you guys?
 
I use a 3/16" carbide ball nose end mill for this, but, anything smaller, I use a broach, and do it by hand.

Worth mentioning though, that in most cases, you can get by with/or may even want, a slightly larger slot than your tang, if you use index pins to keep everything aligned, 3/16 will work fine for a 1/8 tang, in most cases.
 
javand said:
I use a 3/16" carbide ball nose end mill for this, but, anything smaller, I use a broach, and do it by hand.

Worth mentioning though, that in most cases, you can get by with/or may even want, a slightly larger slot than your tang, if you use index pins to keep everything aligned, 3/16 will work fine for a 1/8 tang, in most cases.
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But that will leave a big gap.
 
I use mills for my WA handles and probably always will now. They are great. You will like snap a few at first. I started with 4 flute on ironwood and similar but two is much better. Ironwood clogs otherwise. Go slow and carefully and get a nice machinist vise or two for various handles. X2 mini works well for this.
 
Kevin McGovern said:
But that will leave a big gap.
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Are you actually talking about "motise tang" or just hidden tang? If it's hidden tang, with a guard, ferrule, or otherwise, it's gonna be covered, and it's good to have a little room for epoxy bed, and be covering everything.

Even with a Wa handle or something, it's nice to have a "ferrule" type piece that replaces the guard/ferrule of metal, and the exposed opening is milled with an undersized end-mill, to perfectly fit the ricasso, just at the exposed face, then glued to the slotted "handle" block. Often times these are locked together with dovetails, so any over-sized slot in the handle block is covered. Even with metal guards, there are advantages to having only the exposed face milled to a press fit, with the back side, relieved to a larger size.

I'm definitely not talking about leaving any gaps. :P

Milling a deep, exact thickness pocket, is exceedingly difficult, and will manifest itself in fit and finish issues, in other areas, like a non-flush or cocked guard or ferrule, you can't figure out why it won't seat. It's because 2" down in the hole, your slot has wandered when your endmill flexed or similar. That's why you cut a slightly oversized hole, and often, taper the tang, make sure all end faces of the blocks and fittings are flat and parallel, with index pins, everything will sit correctly, as long as it's square and parallel to begin with, and the tang isn't being interfered with. Epoxy it all together, and it's locked down perfectly. Otherwise, the tiniest tilt to your deep pocket, and nothing fits perfectly.
 
FWIW, most of the makers I know, refer to "mortise tang" construction, as cutting a pocket on the inside of two seperate scales for a stick tang,(usually dovetailed to give the epoxy something to grab onto), and thin pinned together, as if it's one block. Like a frame-handle, without a separate frame.

Obviously, this doesn't require a long end-mill, so I assume you're talking about hidden tang slotting.
 
javand said:
Are you actually talking about "motise tang" or just hidden tang? If it's hidden tang, with a guard, ferrule, or otherwise, it's gonna be covered, and it's good to have a little room for epoxy bed, and be covering everything.

Even with a Wa handle or something, it's nice to have a "ferrule" type piece that replaces the guard/ferrule of metal, and the exposed opening is milled with an undersized end-mill, to perfectly fit the ricasso, just at the exposed face, then glued to the slotted "handle" block. Often times these are locked together with dovetails, so any over-sized slot in the handle block is covered. Even with metal guards, there are advantages to having only the exposed face milled to a press fit, with the back side, relieved to a larger size.

I'm definitely not talking about leaving any gaps. :p

Milling a deep, exact thickness pocket, is exceedingly difficult, and will manifest itself in fit and finish issues, in other areas, like a non-flush or cocked guard or ferrule, you can't figure out why it won't seat. It's because 2" down in the hole, your slot has wandered when your endmill flexed or similar. That's why you cut a slightly oversized hole, and often, taper the tang, make sure all end faces of the blocks and fittings are flat and parallel, with index pins, everything will sit correctly, as long as it's square and parallel to begin with, and the tang isn't being interfered with. Epoxy it all together, and it's locked down perfectly. Otherwise, the tiniest tilt to your deep pocket, and nothing fits perfectly.
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Ah. Yep. The last wa handle I did was one piece, so that's what I envisioned reading your comment. I fully concur.
 
As an alternative on a hidden tang or WA, drill a 1/2" hole through the handle material and slit a dowel to fit the tang. Enlarge the hole (if required) in plane with your tang. Epoxy it all together with your guard or ferrule material. It also makes using vertical spacers dead simple. I like to leave the dowel long and drill the guard/ferrule on the back side with the same 1/2" hole. Then just mill the tang slot through the remaining 1/8" of material. The dowel serves to reinforce the joint between the handle components.

This and the sandwich method are by far the esiest methods of making a hidden tang that I have come across.
 
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