How To How do I fit scales to irregular, diagonal bolsters?

[ErikMB]

I have a bunch of French pocket knife kits, all of which have this diagonal bolster, making fitting the scales more difficult.

Some are simply diagonal, shown with the white material.

Some have a vertical base and then diagonal at the top. It's hard to see in the blue photos. Sorry. This is really difficult. It looks a little like this.


___________ _________
| | / |
| Scale | / Bolster |
| | | |
|__________| |__________ |
---------------------------------

How do I shape the edge of the scale so it fits flush with the diagonal on the bolster?

Especially, how do I do it with the bolsters that are straight 90 degrees for 1-2 mm and then diagonal, like with the blue?

(I spent almost an hour hand-filing the bolsters on the blue example so they would be only vertical. I don't think this is the best solution.)

Also, is there some kind of putty or filling that could be used here? I have heard people use superglue (cyanoacrylate) but the last time I tried that it turned a sort of dirty mucus color, not the clear, shiny I was hoping for.

Any ideas?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Use a safe-edge file and file the bolsters to 90 degrees.
Filler will look like......filler.

 

[milesofalaska]

I sometimes leave a deliberate small gap between bolster and handle material, fasten it in place, but not pin yet. If good quality cyan glue is used, it works. Ir has an expiration date and should be kept someway cool. I like the Starr bond brand.(friends with the maker). Turning yellow means it was stored to long to hot before use. Then I take a foredum or Dremel cutter the width of inlay Micarta, and grind a grove between the bolster and handle material. The cutter can be a fiber wheel 2 inch diameter. It grinds both the bolster and handle material the exact width of the wheel. The Micarta spacer is then a perfect fit. I make sure it fits and is going to work before pinning, because if this is not working, I can undo the glue with chemicals and remove the handle again to fool with it more. Once in and I like it, I pin. Then I sand the handle, spacer, and bolster to perfect , using a 1-2 inch sanding disk in the fordum. Or, no want spacer? There are various hard waxes and types of soft plastic to press in that gets hard when it cools down. Jet I think one plastic is called. Usually used to make hand formed handles for tools to hold. Add hot water to graduals, it makes a plastic putty that gets hard when cooled. Press it in, take it out, and you have a model to make an exact copy of. I like the Micarta spacer because it can potentially absorb a tiny bit of expand contraction due to expanding. Some materials like fossil ivory, some woods, as they change temperature etc in different climates. can microscopically, move at worse crack. This option is better then filler like colored glues. However sometimes the gap can be filled with epoxy and then small turquoise chip or some such for a nice effect. I myself really like chip opal with black glue. Looks like inlayed black opal. Much depends on the look you want- time and money willing to invest, quality of end product etc. What I do to solve issues on a $100 item and a $500 item will be different. On lower end I'd consider cast in place resin. Resin with 'stuff in it' pieces of whatever. I have used watch parts in clear resin for example. Or fish tied flies.... Once, hair from a guys favorite hunting dog. But anyhow. Hope these ideas help.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

As I said- filler looks like filler.
Fit handles properly.

 

[milesofalaska]

As I said, it depends who you are trying to please, what they or you want to spend, what your objective is. I've been making and selling custom knives for 50 years, from $10 to $5,000. One challenge is to make a profit on a $10 custom knife. Were do I make the most money? Some want best price, some want best blade, some want best looks, some want best workmanship, some want a cool design, or unique materials, a story, some want flash and dash, some want simple but elegant, and on and on. One idea is a KnifeMaker might fill those various needs. If someone asks me how to put something together, my first thought is how come you do not know already? Implied is, "Let us look at all the choices there are." I assume this person has already heard and seen what 'proper,'is, or can easily find out. I'm into 'improper,' ned being tht to the table. Said with a grin. My entire life is not proper. It may not even be proper to own a knife at all! It is said, a proper person does not end up a KnifeMaker. I sell a lot of knives, over a lot of years. I get few complaints. So I have taken the time to put in my 2 cents worth, trying to help. I feel different options is a good thing. Even if the contribution is to see how you do not want to do it. Or some idea someone puts out can be adapted to some process they are exploring and stumped on. I sometimes think something is a bad idea at first, until I get stumped on a new project and may come back to something I saw once. I may do it different, but it's an idea I saw someplace, and appreciate having seen. So "Your welcome."

 

[ErikMB]

Hi Bill, can you recommend a safe edge file? What brand, grain, metal, and hardness?

 

[Hengelo_77]

Any flat, not to coarse flat file with one safe (smooth) side will do

 

[FredyCro]

Hi Bill, can you recommend a safe edge file? What brand, grain, metal, and hardness?

You can also modify your files by grinding off the teeth. A lot of guy do it for opening guards in a more controlled manner.

 

[TheEdge01]

Here’s what I do, get a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the whole knife, lay it on the knife and use a sharp pencil to make a mark so you can cut the cardboard to fit it where your scale will be. After you have a perfect fit with the cardboard, you can use it as a template to cut your scale.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I just grind the teeth off the side of the file.

 

[ErikMB]

Those are good ideas for the file. I'd prefer to purchase one that is already flat on a side so it is flatter than I could make it, myself.

I have looked on Amazon and on the 'net but I have not seen anything that clearly states that one of the big sides is flat. I have seen one where one of the narrow sides is flat.

Is there a specific industry name for these that I could use to search?

None of the hardware stores around here have them. I have visited seven, from Hayward down to South San Jose.

Thanks again, and sorry for the dumb question.

 

[CasePeanut]

Those are good ideas for the file. I'd prefer to purchase one that is already flat on a side so it is flatter than I could make it, myself.

I have looked on Amazon and on the 'net but I have not seen anything that clearly states that one of the big sides is flat. I have seen one where one of the narrow sides is flat.

Is there a specific industry name for these that I could use to search?

None of the hardware stores around here have them. I have visited seven, from Hayward down to South San Jose.

Thanks again, and sorry for the dumb question.

“Safe Edge” file. I’m in the east bay too.

 

[12345678910]

Hi Bill, can you recommend a safe edge file? What brand, grain, metal, and hardness?

Any file is a safe edge file, once you grind the teeth off.

Maybe you can buy them, but I've never seen one for sale.

You can get them pretty flat free hand.
Or get a surface grinder attachment.