glue problem

J

joeyp1971

Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
36
A friend who I had given a knife to put it through the dishwasher. He's a good friend but oblivious. Anyway, the diswasher melted the epoxy at the tops of the scales (in this case ebony). It's the standard mix-together 5 min stuff. I know a handmade knfe is not intended for the dishwasher and I told him so. But he countered that he puts his cheap knifes through the diswasher all the time and the epoxy doesn't go bad and fall out. He seems to have a point (not that this is good practice but that it should not have caused the epoxy to go bad).

Did I do something wrong? Should this have happened? Should I be using a better adhesive? If so what kind. Many thanks in advance.
 
I'm by no means an expert, and this has happened to me too. I put a torch to Osage to bring out the grain on a handle and got it too hot.....melted the epoxy, it wasn't the same after....
About your friends cheaper knives, there's a good chance they weren't glued on handles, but rather peened pins, just a guess.
 
thats how you remove slabs from a knife, boil them or run the blade through the dishwasher.
 
Acra- Glas!!!! Get it from Brownell's . Most e-poxy's turn loose at 250deg.F . Acra-Glas at 600deg.F. Its all I use anymore.
 
i have used marine-tex with good results. it has a very high heat tolerence,very strong,and you can get it localy at any marine supply store. a plus is that you can get it in black or white.
 
To answer your questions:

No, this shouldn't have happened. No knife should be put through the dishwasher, if for no other reason than all the food and soap particles flying around can dull the edge.

Yes, you should use a better adhesive, even when you're using it between pinned on scales and the blade tang. I like AcraGlass and K & G Epoxy. You might do a forum search for Tracey Mickley's "Glue Wars" threads.

I had a similar experience, where a houseguest ran a hidden tang kitchen knife I made through the dishwasher. I used K & G epoxy on it and that part came out fine. The handle is unstabilized ziricote, and all of the oil and wax finish was gone, but it is otherwise unhurt, as well. Had to refinish the knife, but I learned to keep the good knives away from folks who aren't knife people.
 
I use west system 3 epoxy and it holds up well. Also on kitchen knives I use either corby bolts or cutlery rivets.Because somebodys gonna soak them in the sink for 3 day's then stick them in the dishwasher:grumpy:.Then complain their knife came apart.
Stan
 
Locktite 325..... Easily stands up to dishwashers. I got a Graveyard Point Plume agate scale on crooked today and even heating the knife to 280 degress did not get the scale loose. I ended up going to 300 degrees and still had to use a chisle and hammer to break the stone off in pieces to just salvage the knife and the one good scale.
 
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