How do you get handle scales to match?

Triton

Triton

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Aug 8, 2000
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My son got a knife kit for Christmas and last night we ordered some two color G10 for the scales and some other vulcanized rubber material for the liners. The question I have is how do we contour the handle slabs so that they are the same on both sides of the knife? Do you all use some sort of jig or....???? Is it just by hand and experience? Inquiring minds want to know.
 
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One way to do it is to attach them together and shape them both at the same time... drill the holes first (if you are using pins/bolts/etc) insert pins, then shape the handle slabs together. Make sure you finish the section nearest the blade tip completely before you attach the scales to the blade, or you will have trouble getting them finished without marking up the blade...
 
Okay, that makes sense, but it appears that to get the most contrast out of the mulitcolored G-10 you need to round the slabs from the centerline to the handle edges, I am still trying to wrap my head around making that "rounding" uniform on both sides of the knife. I suppose it may just take practice?
 
Same way you get to Carnegie Hall ;)

Just take your time. Work a little on one side and then work the other side to match. Don't overthink it.
 
Put a piece of tape on the back of a strip of sandpaper and you can use it like you're shining a pair of shoes to shape both scales evenly when they're attached to the knife. If you stick the blade in a vise you'll have full access to the handle.
 
Good thoughts, I have to admit I was considering going after it with my bench sander. Taking a more circumspect approach, i.e. files and sand paper is probably a good idea...
 
I hog off the obvious waste at the grinder w a 36 grit belts . Then to files. Then sanding. It helps to turn the knife in your hand to feel the irregularities. Look at the handle from the ends and at a lot of low angles and a just while filing.
 
Good thoughts, is G10 soft enough to sand fairly readily with sandpaper? We mucked with it on the last knife we did, but we didn't really sand it just worked it with the router...

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Go slowly with files and sandpaper. You don't have to hog it all off right away. It's just that much more time you get to work together with your son. Follow the advice above but trust your eye. Plus, if you are working with multi-colored G10 you can try to "read" the topography as the colored layers are exposed. Just match how much of what color is being revealed. Also make sure you and your son wear respirators when working with G10. You Tube is your friend. There are MANY videos of people making knives and parts of a knife.
 
If you start with the same side down and take off the same amount on each top, they will look the same. As James said," don't overthink it" Frank
 
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Good advice about going slow and looking on youtube. Will do. Thanks guys!
 
Probably the quickest way to figure out what you want is simply to go through all your knives and compare what you do/don't like about each of their handles. Grab them with each hand, in a variety of grips, etc.

It wouldn't hurt to practice on a piece of scrap soft wood or two to develop ideas for your final shape. The most common mistake is making handles too blocky and squared off; the second is making them too small and thin. A little larger is better than too small, and an ovoid/egg shape cross-section (fat "end" at the top) is almost always best for comfort and security.

Fiddleback said:
I hog off the obvious waste at the grinder w a 36 grit belts . Then to files. Then sanding. It helps to turn the knife in your hand to feel the irregularities. Look at the handle from the ends and at a lot of low angles and adjust while filing.
Click to expand...

Same here, except I often use a sanding drum in a rotary tool instead of files, simply for speed. Wear a respirator whenever using power tools... micarta, G10 and wood all throw huge amounts of very fine dust when ground. Even when hand filing/sanding, some guys do it wet to keep dust under control.
 
You might wanna wear some gloves in addition to the respirators. G10 dust is basically microscopic fiber glass. Sanding it wet might be the best way to go.

Corey "synthesist" Gimbel
 
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