How to avoid this?

P. McKinley

P. McKinley

Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
2,010
I just finished up a series of four knives.

I occasionally get these really fine scratches from cleaning up excess wet epoxy when I press on the handle slabs. I use acetone and Q-Tip brand swabs for this job.

I try very hard to ream/clean out all the crap from the drilled holes in the skeletonized tang before gluing up, but from somewhere I'm getting grit that is scratching the ricasso. It doesn't happen on all blades, just occasionally.

Its frustrating! I go to great lengths to achieve and protect as perfect a blade finish as I can, yet this happens and ruins all my efforts.

Any explanations, tips, alternatives, etc would be a great help.

Thanks,

Peter


http://postimage.org/
 
Peter, before epoxy I assemble the knife and mask off the blade with blue painters tape as close to the slab as possible. Also I mask the end of the slab near the ricasso. All you might have to take off will be a very thin sliver right in the corner. This step takes just a few minutes.
 
Hey Peter,

That stinks, Rocky Menefee (Ricks brother) gave me this tip.
Use Viva brand paper towels and a little WD40.
Most paper towels and Q-tips will scratch, the Viva towels are almost so soft that they are useless for any thing else.

Greg
 
You must be getting some kind of grit from somewhere for this to happen. Grinding grit, drill, mill and saw cuttings can get everywhere and like to travel. Its best to have a clean room, but, during these final steps one way or the other you need a clean area and tools. OH, yea, and brush off your clothes and hair if you got any, keep your Q-Tips in a closed container. Instead of Q-Tips I use a small brass scraper that I can also put a rag over the tip and work the tight corner.
 
G. Shahan said:
Hey Peter,

That stinks, Rocky Menefee (Ricks brother) gave me this tip.
Use Viva brand paper towels and a little WD40.
Most paper towels and Q-tips will scratch, the Viva towels are almost so soft that they are useless for any thing else.

Greg
Click to expand...

Interesting.

I'll give it a try.... assuming I can find Viva up here in the Siberia of the shopping world! :o
 
You must be getting some kind of grit from somewhere for this to happen. Grinding grit, drill, mill and saw cuttings can get everywhere and like to travel.
Click to expand...
Yup, somewhere. I try sooo hard to get the blade and handle slabs clean, but I guess I'll need to try harder.

ib2v4u said:
I use a small brass scraper that I can also put a rag over the tip and work the tight corner.
Click to expand...
I have not tried that. I will.

Thanks!

-Peter
 
Never tried the Viva, but I do use WD-40 and pieces of old cotton T-Shirts that have been washed so many times that they are really soft.

Robert
 
Peter,

You've gotten some good tips. After taping both handle end and blade off, I'll clean the intersection off with WD-40 and a soft cloth (well laundered flannel) covered square toothpick cut at a chisel angle.

When you then pull the tape, there's still a tiny line of glue to clean up. Try using the cloth covered scraper or the square toothpick cut at a chisel angle and lots of WD-40, but pull the clean-up length-wise down the blade.

Any tiny scratches are actually about the size of your blade finish. The WD-40 will float the glue. Acetone evaporates too fast, and won't "float."

John
 
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I always wipe first with a q-tip soaked in denatured alcohol, then with one soaked in wd-40. I usually let it sit for about an hour, and then go back and check to make sure no extra epoxy has seeped out. For a "scraper", I cut the heads of the q-tips at a sharp angle, it gets into the corner to scrape any epoxy out, but won't leave a mark like brass. I haven't had any problems with scratches or extra epoxy with this method.
 
I usually let the epoxy set up to the point that it's still a little "gummy" but not sticky, and then I can just about peel it all off at once. The small flecks I get with a brass scraper or my finger nail.
 
I'll go with the brass scraper too. Using a material that is softer than the blade will not damage the finish. Make a scraper out of a left over piece of brass and use it to remove the epoxy. I do this before the epoxy has fully set. If the epoxy has set and become hard I gently warm the area first with a propane torch enough to soften the epoxy and it scrapes off easily. Then clean up the area with the buffer.
 
I use a brass scraper, too, Peter. A good rule of thumb is to never wipe against the direction of your blade finish. I also use a magnifier while cleaning that area. This forces you to work small... it falls in line the the old saying "Aim small, miss small".
 
Bufford said:
If the epoxy has set and become hard I gently warm the area first with a propane torch enough to soften the epoxy and it scrapes off easily. Then clean up the area with the buffer.
Click to expand...

Bufford - Please forgive me but...... EEEEEEEGADS!! Really? :eek:
I would worry that process might degrade the bond where I do want it. And, possibly damage the finely finished front face(ffff-patent applied for) of my handle scales.

I've tried and/or use several of the techniques offer here.... cut q-tip, brass scraper(I've tried copper as well), half-set epoxy peeling. I've found that often one or another technique won't work well with some textured blade finishes like brut de forge, applied finished, as well for guard shapes and textured faces, etc. So, while I've tried a variety, I haven't really settled on any tried-and-true method(s) yet.

Thanks again everyone.:thumbup:

-Peter
 
Someone else mentioned it, but Alcohol is my go-to for cleaning up wet epoxy- even works to get it off your fingers and it's maybe less toxic on the skin than Acetone.
 
I think you are right from what you are seeing i.e. probably pulling grit from somewhere and not the tools (q-tip, brass rod, etc). I struggle from time to time with this as well. I tape the blade, wrapped in a paper towel first, and mostly use a new popsickle stick or thick toothpick that I have chisel ground, and use acetone (or denatured alcohol) to "eat" the epoxy, and I found that if do this on a knife that has been sitting in the shop for a bit before I get to it, I have a greater chance of seeing/ causing scratches.
 
Bigblue17 said:
Bufford - Please forgive me but...... EEEEEEEGADS!! Really? :eek:
I would worry that process might degrade the bond where I do want it. And, possibly damage the finely finished front face(ffff-patent applied for) of my handle scales.



Thanks again everyone.:thumbup:

-Peter
Click to expand...

Go easy with the heat using a small flame and avoid letting the flame touch anything. Only let the warmth from the torch warm the area and check it by finger touch. Once it gets warmed up just enough to be uncomfortable for the fingers then gently scrape off the excess glue.
 
You sure its not caused by some other process? Did you really have epoxy out past your mark? As well the lines seem very uniform slightly curved and parallel to be caused by a hand process like a q-tip. To me they almost look like the knife spun well drilling the handle hole and are left over. Maybe something about the cleaning process is showing you some lines that were hidden buy residue. That said I would have figured you would see it when you cleaned the knife to mark it. It may just be hard to tell from the picture but i would have thought a rubbing motion would produce a slightly different look. Maybe its a combination of both are going on and better lighting when you start looking at the finished product let you see it. Just thinking out loud hope it helps. Nice knife by the way.
 
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