How do I channel a cavity for non-full tang knife?

[kaizo]

Hi everyone sorry I posted this on the embellishment subforum as well but I was told that this may be the best place to post my question so here goes

I've just finished dipping my toes in by making my first full tang knife. My next challenge is to carve out a cavity for a non-full tang knife but how do everyone do it? I am thinking of getting a dremel plunger that is used for channeling to carve out the shape but is this a good idea?

Thanks for your help!

 

[AVigil]

Are you talking about something like this?

I use a 2" wheel on the 2x72 to grind the channel

 

[Bill Burke]

I think he means a stick tang knife.

just drill a series of holes in the handle material and file to connect them.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

There are two main ways:

1) The block of handle wood has two holes drilled in it about the width of the tang apart. The web between them is drilled or sawed out ( there is a special tool called a broach for sawing this). The tang is epoxied in the rectangular hole, with the guard covering the hole.

2) The wood is cut in half for the tang hole to be mortised in one or both sides. It is best to mortise only one side. The two scales are then glued together and the handle shaped and fitted on the knife tang. Done right, the fit is so snug that the front does not need a bolster or guard ( but usually the knife has one anyway).

 

[kaizo]

Hi sorry I should have explained it better this is the blank that I am buying:

http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/...ges/mora-knife-blade-outdoor-2000-14034-p.jpg

and I would like to make a cavity in the shape of the tang so that the blank could sit into the cavity and be epoxied into place (with a couple of pins).

Thanks for your help

Sorry one more thing I don't know if this has any influence but I am going to do a practice run on wood but I am hoping to use an acrylic called kirinite eventually.

There are two main ways:

1) The block of handle wood has two holes drilled in it about the width of the tang apart. The web between them is drilled or sawed out ( there is a special tool called a broach for sawing this). The tang is epoxied in the rectangular hole, with the guard covering the hole.

2) The wood is cut in half for the tang hole to be mortised in one or both sides. It is best to mortise only one side. The two scales are then glued together and the handle shaped and fitted on the knife tang. Done right, the fit is so snug that the front does not need a bolster or guard ( but usually the knife has one anyway).

Thank you very much the second approach is what I had in mind. So to make the tang hole I was wondering what the best way was. Which is where I thought the dremel plunger may be of some use so that I can channel out the hole. What would the right tool for the job be? Should I just drill holes and file them like Bill said?

 

[AVigil]

You could also make a "sandwich" for your handle

Pick to slabs of material you like, then pick a middle material that is the same thickness as your tang. Then you can simply cut out the space for the tang and glue it up and pin it together.

That sometimes works better then digging a deep hole in a block of material

 

[kaizo]

You could also make a "sandwich" for your handle

Pick to slabs of material you like, then pick a middle material that is the same thickness as your tang. Then you can simply cut out the space for the tang and glue it up and pin it together.

That sometimes works better then digging a deep hole in a block of material

Ah right that does make things much easier for me... In your experience is it better to pick contrasting colours or similar colours (if I can't get one)?

 

[AVigil]

Pick something nice that contrasts the other material. Use a dark wood if the scales are light and vice versa.

You can also layer to get the thickness of the tang by stacking copper, brass, wood and colored liner material.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Good suggestion, Adam.

 

[Lieblad]

.....

 

[Josh Mason]

I'm experimenting with the sandwich method that Adam mentioned. You can pick some pretty nice contrasting materials, and don't have to finish a steel tang along with the handle material.

 

[kaizo]

Thanks everyone! I think I'll grab some acrylic sheet and try the sandwich method out!

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Acrylic would be my last choice. Use Micarta, G-10, wood, etc. ..... but acrylic is too soft and melts in grinding.

 

[kaizo]

Ah right in that case I always wanted to work on micarta so that's probably the best choice. How careful do I have to be about the dust? I do have access to a respirator, nitrile gloves and goggles and I can do it outdoors but would I have to take any other precautions?

Thanks for your help again!

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

A respirator should be worn on any grinding process that creates fine dust.

Working outdoors is always better as far as clean up and ventilation goes.

Micarta gives off some noxious gasses from the formaldehyde in it. In a thin section like this, it would not be a problem, but when working blocks and scales, it can make your eyes water and burn. A fan placed to blow the fumes away from you will usually take care of that, and a good respirator will keep the dust out of your lungs.

 

[kaizo]

A respirator should be worn on any grinding process that creates fine dust.

Working outdoors is always better as far as clean up and ventilation goes.

Micarta gives off some noxious gasses from the formaldehyde in it. In a thin section like this, it would not be a problem, but when working blocks and scales, it can make your eyes water and burn. A fan placed to blow the fumes away from you will usually take care of that, and a good respirator will keep the dust out of your lungs.

Fantastic thank you very much! I'll go ahead and do that in that case.

I'll post the end product once its made. Thank you all again for your help!

 

[kaizo]

Hi everyone thank you very much for helping me out here is what I ended up with using the sandwich method:

My buffing drill bit hasn't arrived yet so I still have some work to do but hopefully I would do better on my next one. I've made the sheaths out of veg tan cow hide and stingray.

Thank you all very much for your help again!