Handle cracks

Roger Smith

Roger Smith

Joined
Oct 22, 2001
Messages
1,049
I left my khuks & carrying case in the car a few nights ago. I noticed this AM that I have some cracks in the handles of 3 of them. Not sure if the cold was the culprit or more the dry weather.
I couldn't find the thread on taking care of this, so I just wanted to know if there is a good solution for the problem?




Happy Holidays to all
 
I grew up in grand junction, I would think It is probobly the dryness. Normal humidity is 35-60% in the western deserts where you live it stays about 5%. Natural material that is stable elsewhere at 3-6% water content will dry to less than 1% (this is why furniture falls apart there)
Small cracks can be filled with super glue . larger cracks can be filled with either epoxy or polyester reson based fillers that are stable at low humidity. If this is not exceptable they would need to be rehafted by someone there, with material that is stablized to that climate.
just my opinion. Eric Ericson, bladesmith
 
Temp and humidity extremes are the most common culprits for cracked handles, wood or horn. We've all bought cracked handled UBDOTDs, and the fix is to fill the crack with super glue. Lately, i've had good luck with Duro Quick Gel, which applies easily and has less tendency to run. If you're fairly quick, you can help it into the crack with the aid of a straight pin, and light sanding will take off any overage. Some protection can be gained on wood with an oil finish, and paste wax over that. Horn is helped a great deal by the dry hoof ointments used for cracked hooves on horses - Hooflex, Corona, and others which usually have a lanolin content up around 50%. I've left a heavy coat on one handle overnight, intending to wipe it down next AM, and found it dry when I went back to it. There were a couple of still wet drops on the benchtop under the handle, so it apparently didn't evaporate.
 
Question for Walosi (master woodchuck),
If I take a rifle stock that has been stabilized in an extremely low humidity area and I bring it to a very humid one, would it be stressed and damaged in those points where it is fastened to the metal parts? Same question for any wooden fitting fastened to metal.
It's just the kind of question that you can expect from someone that has a full hour to kill before going to work.
Fausto
 
Even the best piece of Circassian Walnut will suffer stress under those extremes, if it is brought on suddenly. Much depends on the age of the wood, the way it is now sealed, the curing it went through originally, and its' age as a gunstock (ie: mounted to an action and locked in place. It is a usual thing for hunters travelling from one extreme to another to have to sight in their rifles again at destination. The pressure of the wood against the barrel and action will change as the wood adjusts, and even though the sights are still in adjustment (for the origin) different pressures will change barrel harmonics, and throw off the intended bullet path. I do not believe it is a good idea to loosen the mounting bolts between the stock and the gun. Re-tightening might then cause actual wood damage. The original amount of torque applied by the maker should allow for an amount of wood change within normal expectations, and left as-is, actually reduce the change somewhat.

Actual damage is rare, especially if the gun is well cased, to make the change more gradual.
 
Does anyone use JB Weld? I just bought some and was going to use it seal up some cracks and loose bolsters/butcaps. I hear it is EXTREMELY strong.
 
Originally posted by SkagSig40
Does anyone use JB Weld? I just bought some and was going to use it seal up some cracks and loose bolsters/butcaps. I hear it is EXTREMELY strong.
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Chris I think I used JB Weld to put the handle on my as forged blade Chainpuri. I know I used it to lock the tiny bolster into place so it wouldn't move when I put the rest of the handle on. It's been awhile since I finished it and my memory ain't what it used to be.:)

I recommend JB Weld highly. I keep it as a staple in my workroom, that is as an item that must be on hand.
JB Weld has been carried back to Nepal a few times and used as laha IIRC.:)
 
The lanolin content in the tub of Hooflex is 12.4 % :( What is the lanolin content in some of the other stuff? Will I just have to use more coats to get the same effect?

Anything that smells this bad has to be working. :barf:
 
Corona Ointment says 50% on the label. I've called it Corona Hoof Ointment, but it is a general animal ointment, for cuts, scrapes, etc. Those who have used Hooflex swear by it, and there are others out there - servtech posted one that I couldn't find locally, but is popular out west. Corona smells good :D
 
Originally posted by SkagSig40
Thanks Yvsa! Is it better than super glue?
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Chris it's a completely different animal and can't be compared.
JB Weld is an epoxy that has a black steel powder mix that goes along with the white hardener to make a grey colored mixture. I've used it to fill in holes in cast iron kettles by using masking tape to round out the holes nicely. There are no flat places on a cast iron kettle!!!!!! Then by using real thin coats over several days and weeks build it up enough so that it will hold water and also reinforce the thinner rusted sides around the holey areas as well.
If the band one is filling is very narrow it doesn't look bad to me, like on my Chainpuri, but you can hardly see the seam anyway.:)

A good way to think of it is that JB Weld is grey colored epoxy and super glue is super glue.
 
Thanks a lot for the explanation Wal.
JB weld sound a lot like Devcon plastic steel (it is one of the corner stones of ship's quick fixes)
Fausto
Merry Xmas all!
 
Here in small town, NC, all you need to repair 'most anything is some JB Weld and a roll of duct tape.


--Mike L.;)
 
My favorite choji sutra oil seems to work fine.

For those who don't remember, "choji oil" is used to maintain katanas, except that one mixes clove ( choji ) oil with mineral oil, while my recipe takes 1 ounce of oil of clove - comes in 2 ounce bottles at the pharmacy as it used to be used for toothaches before the "caines" came along - add to about 8 ounces of Kama Sutra pleasure garden massage oil. Seems to do fine on horn or wood, turns leather very supple. Smells good for a LONG time, huh, Yvsa?

Have to laugh - because of a broken leg, hadn't tried on my cowboy boots till a couple days ago. Over six months, and I thing one ankle is going to stay a bit larger than it was. Boots had dried out and maybe shrunk a bit, so this morning oiled them up with the choji sutra oil and stuck them on ( just a few minutes ago took off and reoiled ). If you've never had shoes made of kangaroo skin, these Tony Lama water buffalo skin boots are getting close. Think that they really stretched this afternoon. Went to the leather shop in Schurz today, fortunately HE recommends a vegetable saddle soap rather than one using beeswax. The dyes smelled up the shop so I don't think he noticed the smell on my boots.

Ever been just facinated watching a guy dye leather and then lean down to check it out so close he almost drags the tips of his moustache against the dyed leather time and again til it finally touches it? Entertaining - took me extra long to make my purchases while I watched him - for maybe 45 minutes.

All right, if Walosi and others are woodchucks, what does that make me - a leatherlizzard?

Must be medication time.
 
1- Originally posted by Rusty
My favorite choji sutra oil seems to work fine.

2- For those who don't remember, "choji oil" is used to maintain katanas,,,,(see above) Seems to do fine on horn or wood, turns leather very supple. Smells good for a LONG time, huh, Yvsa?

3- Have to laugh -(See above) The dyes smelled up the shop so I don't think he noticed the smell on my boots.

4- (See above) Entertaining -; I watched him - for maybe 45 minutes.

5- (See above) All right, if Walosi and others are woodchucks, what does that make me - a leatherlizzard?

6- Must be medication time.
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1- Sure enough it does Bro.;)

2- The little villager you sent me still resides in my rollaway with the piece of bone I have about decided to mount on it. It still retains a slight sweet smell after all this time.
And it's fitting, I suppose, after seeing some of the outfits Chairman Kaga wears on Iron Chef fairly often.:)
I need to find some more copper plate in at least 3/16" stock to make a tiny bolster for it as well as a buttcap, Although with the bone, brass may look actually fine in and of itself. Some things , such as the HIS(s)SBowie model, just takes time!!!!!!!:)

3- Wishful thinking?;) Wondering where else Little Bro went? If it was any place really noticible the talk will get back around to him in less than 24 hours being such a small town.:)

4- It doesn't take long for the dye to get to your brain and set off the endorphins. AND if the cobbler is using "Rubber Cement" it takes even less time while enhancing the overall impact many hundreds fold!!!!!!!:)

5- Bro "Leatherlizard" is as good as anything and I could think of nothing more suitable so if it's "Leatherlizard" you want it's "Leatherlizard you get."
Only requirement is that you have to share the title with probably the rest of us here.
Good Leather Like Good Wood, Steel, Brass, Copper, And about anything else that goes along with Good Knives and Guns is definitely appreciated here!!!!!!!:D

6- It's always time for Good Medicine!!!!!!!:eek:

Bro I am sure looking forward to your visit soon.:D
We're gonna have such a Great Time!!!!!!!
 
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