Have to redo a handle!

D

Dana Hackney

Joined
Nov 1, 2005
Messages
174
Dog gone it! I spent many hours working on a bowie and when I finished
the handle (butt cap and all!) I noticed that it is tweeked to one side so that
it does not line up correctly with the blade.

The handle is really slender (<1") and nearly 4 3/4" long, made of some really
nice flame maple burl and has some spacer material at it ends, along with
a NS butt cap. I used acraglass to cement the thing together.

What's the best method for taking this handle off? Can I heat up the butt cap
with a torch to remove it, and then grind off the wood?

Man, I was hoping to enter this piece in the newbie catagory (I think there
is such a catagory) in this years MKA show.

I think I might opt for a sambar stag handle this go-around.

Thanks all,
Dana Hackney
Monument, CO
 
The only sure fire method I have come up with is the hammer/anvil method. Heat will sometimes work but if its after 24 hours not much of a chance.
 
Dana, is it too thin to grind; e.g. - re-profile the handle? I did the same thing once. Fortunately, the handle was thick enough that I was able to grind, file, sand and buff until it was perfectly uniform. The customer loved it and all worked out well.
 
I was hoping I could get the handle off without beating on it but I figured
it was a long shot.

Fox - I made the handle really small in diameter, just to add a little finese to
it. I'm pretty sure there's not enough material there to make it any smaller. It's
worth a try, though, seeing that I'll be taking the darn thing off anyhow.

Thanks for the help, guys.

Dana
 
I don't know what the release, or breakdown temp for accraglas is, but try putting it in the oven at 250 degrees F for an hour or so and see if it lets loose. Most regular epoxy will break loose at that temp. That way it's possible to save the handle material.

If it's like JB Weld and breaks down in the 500+ degrees range, just chisel it off and clean it up on a grinder.

That's one good reason most makers use Devcon and the like, you can fix mistakes a little easier.;)
 
I'll give that a try - anything to save some time.

Yea, I guess I'll save the acraglass for later after I improve my
knife making skills:(

Thanks again,
Dana
 
Dana,

Yup...it happens....I screw one up now and again...and sometimes the only remedy is take it to the anvil and bust it off...

Do overs suck....

Try what these guys say...

It is all about learning...don't take it to hard....

Shane
 
I have removed old stag handles from sharpening steels by boiling them in water. I used to heat up the tang with a torch and the heat traveled down into the handle far enough to loosen the glue. The only thing is that it stinks up the shop!! :eek:
 
I'll try the boling water trick as well.

I know if there is an easier method for removing a handle like mine you folks will have an answer. I never fail to get some really good answers when I post a question here.

Thanks for the encouragment.

Maybe I should start saving $ and take the handle/guards class at the
ABS school.

Best regards,
Dana
 
Dana Hackney said:
I'll try the boling water trick as well.

...............
Best regards,
Dana
Click to expand...

The boiling water will work with regular epoxies as they start to let go at around 200+ degrees. Water boils at 212. I was thinking of the wood being impregnated with water is why I suggested the oven at 250.

Also, if you use toxic materials like micarta and the like that off gas, these types of removal methods are not recommended, especially in your house.

Good luck however you go. I have a feeling that accraglas is higher temp than epoxies as far as letting go, as it's used for bedding rifle barrels and actions and barrels tend to get hot with repeated firing.
You can probably look on the package and see, or look it up online, or in the Brownells catalog.


Edited to add: Don't down yourself for making a mistake. It's all part of learning and the school of hard knocks has a brutal teacher at times.
I've had to remove my share of handles and start over.
 
I baked the knife at 250 for a while and was able to unscrew the but cap
with a pair of vise-grips. I was able to dismantle the wooden handle using
the band saw and the belt grinder. Got it all ready for a piece of sambar
stag.

Thanks, guys, for all the help!

Best regards,
Dana
 
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