How to reglue wooden handle?

G

Glenn Jones

Joined
Feb 26, 2002
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618
I have a very early 21 inch HI sirupati in which the handle is ever so slightly moving when I chop with it. The glue has obviously started to give way. This is a perfect sirupati and is very special to me in that it was first owned by Uncle Bill and then John Powell before I bought it. The wood of the handle is Chandan which had a history of splitting if not looked after and regularly oiled.

I want to fix the handle. I remember a thread years ago about a similar problem but can't remember how the problem was solved. I think one suggestion was to use a needle with superglue and another was to put the handle in hot water to remelt the glue.

I would appreciate any suggestions on how to fix this problem as gently as possible so I don't do any harm to the chandan?

As an aside, the ring on this early sirupati is about twice the size of present khukuries and far more comfortable and grippy than present khukuries.
 
If I recall, one solution is to heat the handle and let the glue resettle. Another is pouring something into it- don't recall what, and the third is taking it off and redoing with epoxy.



munk
 
I would mix up some 5 min. epoxy,heat the handle area with a hair dryer at the hottest setting.Once hot force the epoxy down into the gap between the scales and tang,then put in a padded vise over night.That should remedy the situation.tom. :cool:
 
Munk is right. If you choose to heat the handle I would encase it in plastic wrap and seal it good before subjecting it too the water.
You can tell when the laha is melting because it will start oozing from under the bolster and butt cap.
Remove it from the boiling water and let cool, fixed.
If there is any way to introduce the thin liquid super glue under the butt cap or bolster you may be able too get enough into the handle to melt the laha and reset it.
The super glue melts the laha and then both harden making for an even more secure bond than the original IMO.

If you choose to remove the handle and epoxy it then it becomes more involved. The directions have been posted a few times so a search should turn it up.
If not let us know and someone will walk you through it.:D
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I am 600 kilometres from home at the moment and will get to work on it when I get home in about four days time.
 
I cringe at the thought of putting wood in boiling water, so I've used a heat gun, being careful not to get it too hot to ruin the temper. Just did that this weekend to clean off some laha from a katana. As Yvsa said, it'll start to bubble when it's soft.

Whenever I start gluing, I cover everything in sight with blue painter's tape. Very easy to get off afterwards, and leaves minimal residue. I'm such a slob with glue.
 
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