Gorilla Super Glue?

The discussion isn't heated.......... one of the posters is.

I've been using it on a test knife that's my EDC for about 8 months now. No hint of separation or anything. The glue held up well in my shop tests. Surface prep is important, make sure the tang is rough and the tang and scales are very clean. I clean with alcohol, CA and acetone don't mix very well in my experience.
 
Thanks Will, what do you use to rough up the tang? Do you also rough up the scale?
I used a diamond disc on a rotary tool to grind some criss cross lines into the tang and I also cut some criss cross lines into the scale. It seems to have worked well, but I'm a newb. I try to write down all of the little tricks and tips you guys give in a notebook. Eventually I'd like to post them to my website, but that may get weird with permissions, etc... What I'm trying to say is I really appreciate you fellas.
 
Feel free to use anything I've posted, I encourage people to "pay it forward" with knowledge, none of it belonged to me, I'm just sharing as was shared with me.

I rough up the tangs with an old piece of 60x belt I have around for this purpose. I do a light roughing rub or two on the scale also, make sure the fit is still good though. Make sure you clean AFTER you rough stuff up, I know that seems elementary but ummmmm sometimes people do stuff like that, not that I've ever done something like that, nope not me ;)

Ernie, for attaching scales acra-glass or some other good 24 hour epoxy is what I suggest. That being said, I'd use Gorilla Super glue over the regular Gorilla because of the uncontrolled expansion and color issues with regular Gorilla glue. I haven't use Gorilla epoxy yet so can't give an answer on that. I personally use JB weld on hidden tang blades.
 
Will Leavitt said:
The discussion isn't heated.......... one of the posters is.

I've been using it on a test knife that's my EDC for about 8 months now. No hint of separation or anything. The glue held up well in my shop tests. Surface prep is important, make sure the tang is rough and the tang and scales are very clean. I clean with alcohol, CA and acetone don't mix very well in my experience.
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:):):)
 
BlackToe Knives said:
Sometime you just have to shake up the discussion.
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I don't like to argue, arguments are based in emotion, I prefer to work with knowns and repeatable results. I abhor variations when dealing with base materials like adhesives and sandpapers.

I work in a field where we quantify items that aren't normally subjected to quantitative inspections. We're one of the few automotive manufacturers in the world that have quality control inspectors on the plant floor inspecting painted bodies prior to assembly. Our lab rats can give us DOI readings, wave scans and other quantitative data but it still requires inspectors on my team with a keen eye and experience to make calls on defects.

You made a comment about various ropes holding an anvil of known weight. There absolutely is a difference in the ropes; stretch, safety limits, ability to handle environment and other factors apply to a rope holding this anvil.
 
Will, damn your job is bigger than mine. I am just a Full-time knifemaker. My job description is " I make Knives". That is it. I wake up, I make knives or what ever I want to. Then I go to bed. I know it not much of life but it is what I do.
 
I have been making knives since 1997. There have been times when I was making knives full time to feed my family. I will be a full time maker again when I meet a few benchmarks my wife and I have set.

I don't have a complicated job, I have an inspection team, they inspect; when they need some help I give it or get it. I do reports, I attend meetings, I troubleshoot issues and I argue with Production. It's got to be a simple job cause this ole Japanese Redneck can do it.

I'm working hard to get to the day when I can get back to the hammer, anvil and forge full time.
 
Thanks Will, I think that's very cool of you. I'd like to arrange some great posts I've seen and maybe do a best of list for us newer guys. I'd like to link to as many of you guys as I can. I can never see too many different knife makers.
 
Will, I worked for a major food manufacturer. I took thousands of sample a week. I was also a machinist for 10 years. I also know about quality control and sampling. I learned one thing when I worked in the food industry there is no such thing as a constant. Everything effect your end product.
I also built dozens of machines. It was my specialty. I also learn nothing works like it was engineered to.
When I worked in computer industry in late 90's. I learned this little Gem. I watched Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft used the idea of Churn and burn. Apple used the idea every product had to be perfect. Microsoft used the idea products will fail. But make it a promise to the customers that we will fix as soon as we know about it. Apple took the idea we wont release a product till it is perfect. We know how that turned out.

I am not scared that a knife will fail. It is going to happen.

Fact is GSG is fast. I can do three handles in time I can do one with epoxy. If I can still triple my production and I have 3 in 100 fail, I haven't had one fail yet. I still have tripled my production. Plus if those knife is sent back to me. I fix it and send it back out in two days? I will have that customer for life. That client is not talking about how they had a handle fail. But how they got their knife back in week after sending off for repair.
 
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BlackToe Knives said:
Will, I worked for a major food manufacturer. I took thousands of sample a week. I was also a machinist for 10 years. So I know about sampling. I also know about quality control. I learn one thing when I worked in the food industry there is no such thing as a constant. Everything effect your end product.
I also built dozens of machines. It was my specialty. I also learn nothing works like it was engineered. Just because it was on paper it didn't mean it would work.
When I worked in computer industry in late 90's. I learned this little Gem. I watched and studied Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft used the idea of Churn and burn. Apple used the idea every product had to be perfect. Microsoft used the idea products will fail. But make it a promise to our customers that we will fix as soon as we know about it. Apple took the idea we wont release a product that is not Perfect. We know how that turned out.

Will I am not scared that I may have a knife fail. It is going to happen.

GSG is fast. I can do three handles in time I can do one with epoxy. If I can still triple my production and I have 3 in 100 fail, I haven't had one fail yet. I still have tripled my production. Plus If that knife is sent back to me. I fix it and send it back out in two days? I will have that customer for life. He is not talking about how he had a handle fail. But how he got his knife back in week after sending off for repair.
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Jim, you and I both know we have different approaches to knifemaking. I come from a background of zero failure, failure isn't an option for things I do. I started making knives because I had a factory knife fail on me. My customers don't expect "fast turn around on repairs" they expect to never return a blade to me.

I've had one knife fail, the owner snapped a portion of the tang off. He was happy, I wasn't necessarily happy with the break but the knife did what it was supposed to at the time. I replaced the knife free of charge and studied what I missed in the design and testing portion of making that knife. If you're wondering, it was a wire breaker on a knife I made for a friend that is a "real" cowboy... the kind that still rides wire fences and stuff. The wire breaker didn't fail in operation, it failed being repeatedly struck against rocks and stuff before he could cut loose from the stirrup. So part of my testing includes beating the tang of the knife against a bunch of different media.

I dunno, we're drifting pretty far away from gorilla super glue island. :o
 
Will Leavitt said:
Jim, you and I both know we have different approaches to knifemaking. I come from a background of zero failure, failure isn't an option for things I do. I started making knives because I had a factory knife fail on me. My customers don't expect "fast turn around on repairs" they expect to never return a blade to me.

I've had one knife fail, the owner snapped a portion of the tang off. He was happy, I wasn't necessarily happy with the break but the knife did what it was supposed to at the time. I replaced the knife free of charge and studied what I missed in the design and testing portion of making that knife. If you're wondering, it was a wire breaker on a knife I made for a friend that is a "real" cowboy... the kind that still rides wire fences and stuff. The wire breaker didn't fail in operation, it failed being repeatedly struck against rocks and stuff before he could cut loose from the stirrup. So part of my testing includes beating the tang of the knife against a bunch of different media.

I dunno, we're drifting pretty far away from gorilla super glue island. :o
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Will, Knives fail because of one major variable. Even the great Bob Loveless could not have prevent a Buyer for AF from throwing a Ivory handled knife in Oven then in freezer to test it. OF course the handle cracked.
But like you said you make a zero failure knife. Bob Loveless should have took lessons from you. He could have made a perfect knife. Then he would become a Great knifemaker. :)
 
BlackToe Knives said:
Will, Knives fail because of one major variable. Even the great Bob Loveless could not have prevent a Buyer for AF from throwing a Ivory handled knife in Oven then in freezer to test it. OF course the handle cracked.
But like you said you make a zero failure knife. Bob Loveless should have took lessons from you. He could have made a perfect knife. Then he would become a Great knifemaker. :)
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The handle might crack but that don't necessarily mean the bond between the handle and the tang would fail.
 
BlackToe Knives said:
Will, Knives fail because of one major variable. Even the great Bob Loveless could not have prevent a Buyer for AF from throwing a Ivory handled knife in Oven then in freezer to test it. OF course the handle cracked.
But like you said you make a zero failure knife. Bob Loveless should have took lessons from you. He could have made a perfect knife. Then he would become a Great knifemaker. :)
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Jim, you're a smarmy feller. I've been nice and ignoring your catty passive aggressive comments. I don't deal well with people that talk out the side of their necks, when you can get that head around to speak straight I'll talk to you again.

I just erased about a good paragraph of insults because I don't find you worth it. I'm done with this thread.
 
Hey, if you two girls are done cat fightin', could you please tell me what you guys use to protect the ricasso from the CA when using it on scales?:D
- Thanks
 
Troop said:
I guess you ain't done.:D
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I put a light coat of paste wax on anything I don't want adhesives on. Keep the bead of super glue a bit back from the front of the scales. I also keep a rag corner dampened with acetone to help try to clean any squeeze out. You can use acetone to do clean up afterwards, it's kind of tedious cause you're basically wiping away "melted" layers of CA.
 
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