How do I get rid of epoxy cord wrap?

G

Grapevine

Joined
Mar 5, 2002
Messages
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I bought a large knife that came with a handle wrapped in epoxied paracord. Problem is that it's a wide handle but not thick, and the wrap pattern is coarse so the handle is pretty uncomfortable in anything beyond moderate use. How do I take off the epoxied cord in order to try putting handle slabs on? Soak it in acetone?
 
You have to grind it off,

Use 36 grit belt
 
You could also use heat. clamp the blade in a small quickgrip or similar, put the blade vertically, tip down in a rubbermaid or similar, fill the rubbermade with water to the blade/tang junction, with the edge and spine fully submerged. Use a torch to bring the tang up to 400-500F and even high heat epoxies will release. If there is no exposed metal on the tang, this is probably gonna be a bit harder/messier. Either way, do it outside.
 
joedhiggins said:
You could also use heat. clamp the blade in a small quickgrip or similar, put the blade vertically, tip down in a rubbermaid or similar, fill the rubbermade with water to the blade/tang junction, with the edge and spine fully submerged. Use a torch to bring the tang up to 400-500F and even high heat epoxies will release. If there is no exposed metal on the tang, this is probably gonna be a bit harder/messier. Either way, do it outside.
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Personally I would try almost any thing before this. Probably highly toxic fumes, definitely don't do this inside your shop. Once the epoxy and cord catch and I'm sure it will, there is no telling how hot it's going to get.
 
It doesn't take that much heat. Wrap the blade in a damp towel ( just to make it easier to hold) and play a heat gun or small torch over the handle. Around 250F the epoxy falls apart and you can ct/rip the cord off.
 
Grapevine said:
I bought a large knife that came with a handle wrapped in epoxied paracord. Problem is that it's a wide handle but not thick, and the wrap pattern is coarse so the handle is pretty uncomfortable in anything beyond moderate use. How do I take off the epoxied cord in order to try putting handle slabs on? Soak it in acetone?
Click to expand...
How is wrapped paracord ? Overlapping/cross or regular wrap ? You can try to cut one end and pull with pliers to try to unwrapped .Epoxy don t hold on steel to strong........
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
It doesn't take that much heat. Wrap the blade in a damp towel ( just to make it easier to hold) and play a heat gun or small torch over the handle. Around 250F the epoxy falls apart and you can ct/rip the cord off.
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*My temps were listed for high heat epoxies. I think JB Weld is up to 600F. 250F should do for most anything else.
 
KnuckleDownKnives said:
Personally I would try almost any thing before this. Probably highly toxic fumes, definitely don't do this inside your shop. Once the epoxy and cord catch and I'm sure it will, there is no telling how hot it's going to get.
Click to expand...
Its burning plastic. Sure the fumes aren't great to breathe, but it won't burn aggressively even if you do manage to light it up, and doing it outside or with a proper organics filtering respirator (which is the filter anyone doing any of this sort of work should be using) it poses no threat.

I have used similar techniques on a number of small parts to remove crappy JB Weld repairs from metal parts. As far as it goes, I think heat is almost always the way to go when trying to berak non welded bonds with metal.
 
why not try a sharp wood chisel ? once you get between the wrap and the steel it should cut and push deeper . no high heat /fumes that way. i have a few "Scrapers that are like thick putty knives .sharpened they work real well on things like this.
 
Thanks for the responses. I think I'll try the heat gun and see how it goes. If that's giving me problems, then I'll try a chisel or dremel cutting wheel and cut them off length-wise down the handle on each side and maybe the epoxied cord (wrapped in overlapping X pattern) can be pried off after that.
 
Just warm the cord wrap up with the heat gun on HIGH (do it outside) and cut along the tang with a sharp knife. It will all be gone in less than 1 minute. I have done this many times.
 
Stop buying tacticool knives? Oh, wait. You were asking how to get rid of epoxy cord wrap in the short term. Nevermind. :D
 
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