Guard Slotting Help

Michael J. Spangler

Michael J. Spangler

Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
2,181
i need all the input you guys have. i tried slotting one by drilling holes i tried slotting one by milling it.... i just can't get it right. is it just one of those take it slow and check it after each pass with the file kind of things? any tips and tricks would be much appreciated. thanks

Mike
 
Just take it slow and check it alot Mike. If you go over sized take the guard, without the blade in it, and "crunch" it a bit in a table vice, re-flatten and touch it up. You can save quite a few over-shot guards this way.
 
What J. said.
When I slot guards I curse alot but a nicely fitted guard is worth the trouble.

Don Hanson lll
 
I tried a trick yesterday that I'd read about a long time ago. Use a cold chisel to punch a line to drill along. It keeps the holes in a nice straight line and makes it much easier to keep the slot the minimum width. I got the best fit I've done yet using this method, and it went pretty quickly. FWIW, I use a jeweler's saw to connect the holes.

Watch out J! Some day I'll be making guards that fit like yours do. :D
 
Dave I'm sure you already do, if not better.

I use a scribe to mark were I want the slot and then slide a center punch along this to keep my hole straight. Then I use chainsaw files to open and fine flat & square files to finish up.
 
I wont go into the rest of it, but a good trick to keep your file straight when slotting guards is, polish the front of the guard on a disk, or flat platen to 600 grit. Don't buff!!

You should be able to see a good reflection at 600 grit.
Place the guard in a vise with the front towards you, and as you file, you will see what I mean. It will let you know immediately if you are getting off kilter.:eek:

Another idea is to grind the edges smooth on some files, and the flats smooth on others, so that you have safe sides etc., so you don't cut what you don't want to.
 
A milling machine, carbide end mill and a DRO work the best but a sharp cold chisel and slightly undersized cobalt drill bit works good. Once the holes are sawed out with the jewelers saw use a new flat file and cut the slot wide enough to just slide on. To keep it perpendicular while filing I use the table vice which have flat top jaws as a guide. If the slot gets too wide use a hydraulic press to close the gap. Ask Don which curse words work the best. :)
 
ok slotted fit and time for the soldering


damn what a mess, soldering isn't for me. too much of a mess to clean. i'll stick to the full tang blades for a while.
the solder filled inperfectsly nice even line. and a beautiful puddle on the guard and droplets underneath.
I give up.

not to mention when i tapped the dovetailed piece into the dovetailed blade for the tang..... one side of the dovetail snapped off

back ot the drawing board.
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :grumpy:
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
ok slotted fit and time for the soldering

not to mention when i tapped the dovetailed piece into the dovetailed blade for the tang..... one side of the dovetail snapped off

back ot the drawing board.
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :grumpy:
Click to expand...

:eek: Mike did you use a 1 lb hammer or a 2 lb hammer? :D

for slight GAPS I'll peen it in and reface.
.clean and slow even heat for solidering
my Friend no gaps are best
 
Dan Gray said:
.clean and slow even heat for solidering
my Friend no gaps are best
Click to expand...


and be easy on the solider you can brush a lot away before it solidifies
, blow some away with air, move it with tools, or do a nice little clean job, see above ;)
practice,,,grasshopper
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
the gap wasent the problem.... the mess of solder was!
Click to expand...


Dan Gray said:
.clean and slow even heat for solidering
my Friend no gaps are best
Click to expand...


and be easy on the solider you can brush a lot away before it solidifies
, blow some away with air, move it with tools, or do a nice little clean job, see above ;)
practice,,,grasshopper
 
thanks for the info guys i appreciate it. i think i need to move my vise so i can get to both sides of the blade easier...., i need a slower heat... i'm using oxy/acetylene and even from far away its way too hot! i'll pick up a propane torch tomorrow. not sure what happened to my old one :confused: ya know what they say. if at first you dont succeed use more duct tape.
 
Slitting saws blades for your mill also work. You can get them in many different thicknesses.

RL
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
thanks for the info guys i appreciate it. i think i need to move my vise so i can get to both sides of the blade easier...., i need a slower heat... i'm using oxy/acetylene and even from far away its way too hot! i'll pick up a propane torch tomorrow. not sure what happened to my old one :confused: ya know what they say. if at first you dont succeed use more duct tape.
Click to expand...


I use a propane torch at times, but most of the time I use an oxy/acy with a Smith "Little Torch". It comes with 6 tips, one so small that you can pass the flame through the eye of a needle. They're used a lot in jewelry work too.
I have the regulators that match it also.
http://www.littletorch.com/
 
alright i've larned to like soldering thanks to you guys. but now i hate brazing on tangs! hahahahha!thats a good job for JB weld! :cool: :D well back to the shop to finish the handles.
 
Thanks Michael for asking about slotting- and thanks J and Dave for the tips!
I had given up on my last guard but now I'm going to try squashing it to fit- the chisel idea would have helped a lot. I assume you re-heat the guard first, or do you? I know my 4" bench vice wouldn't budge the guard cold. And when you squeeze out the extra width, doesn't the height of the slot increase a little bit? I guess I'm picturing a see-saw effect going on with width and height every time one is corrected.
Thanks!
 
ddavelarsen said:
I tried a trick yesterday that I'd read about a long time ago. Use a cold chisel to punch a line to drill along. It keeps the holes in a nice straight line and makes it much easier to keep the slot the minimum width. I got the best fit I've done yet using this method, and it went pretty quickly.

I learned that one on my owen two weeks ago when I was trying my first brass guard and thought I came up with such a great idea. The few grards I have done before have been steel and I hot punched them a bit undersize then hot pressed them onto the tang, presto, shrink fit nice and tight.
Click to expand...
 
so remeber that tang? well my braze didn't hold up too well.... do i figured i'd try the JB weld. i bought the JB kwik and it didn't work.
is it just the JB kwik that sucks? or does the JB weld equally suck for such purposes? it wont' be fun at all to take off the guard and re-braze the damn tang.
any other solutions out there? thanks
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
so remeber that tang? well my braze didn't hold up too well.... do i figured i'd try the JB weld. i bought the JB kwik and it didn't work.
is it just the JB kwik that sucks? or does the JB weld equally suck for such purposes? it wont' be fun at all to take off the guard and re-braze the damn tang.
any other solutions out there? thanks
Click to expand...

Stick weld it.
 
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