how to round out a handle?

grnamin

grnamin

Joined
Oct 6, 1998
Messages
2,269
I retrofitted a knife I have with G10 handle scales, but I'm not satisfied with how the handle has turned out. It's still a bit squarish. How do I make the flat, squarish sides more rounded? Do I use a belt sander or should I sand by hand while the knife is secured by a vise?
 
I do most of the rounding on a little 4X36 slack belt grinder whose only reason for existance is rounding things. I finish by hand.
 
I buy 3 to 6 feet of emery cloth 2 inch wide. I loop it over the handle anout 3 feet wide and use a side to side action like a shoe shine cloth. If you start with your hands wide apart you get a flat curve. if you get you hands in close like your milking a cow you get a rounder handle.

Be carefull sometimes the edge of the emery cloth cuts in at the edge if you don't move up and down and along at the same time.

If it is not clear what I am saying try it on a bit of scrap.

Very eazy. I use emery / cloth back rather than paper back becaue it does not break if you pull too hard.
 
Sounds good. I can use the emery cloth from my belt sander which is cloth. Thanks very much.
 
I remember an old adage used by computer programers..

"To err is human, to really f*ck things up you need a machine."

If this is your first time, do it by hand. You appreciate it.
 
That's a really good tip Reg.

I use the belt grinder to ruff shape the straigth runs. I use files to ruff shape the curved areas. I finish by hand sanding.

I'll be giving Reg's way a go of it on the next knife.

Roger
 
also i look at it as a series of 45 degree cuts on a slack belt grinding belt.ending up with a oval.
 
I have to admit that now I have a belt sander with a 72 inch belt I knock a lot of with the belt sander. Before the sander it was all shoe shine and wood rasps. I still finish the tricky bits with the shoe shine (hand sand.)

A piece of broom handle along the emery gets into the tighter curves nice as well.
 
grnamin
I am with Reg on this one. You can use a belt grinder to remove most of the stock, but I always under-grind with a belt grinder. I use the "shoe shine" technique exclusively for smoothing and rounding handles, as well as rounding the spine of the blade. Old belts work great for this, or you can buy a "shop roll" from Jantz.
 
Lots of good info! Thanks, all! Looks like it's the shoe shine method for me as I'm unable to put any slack on my Craftsman belt sander.
 
take a closer look at the palten on that craftsman. you should be able to remove it with a allen wrench for some slack belt work. i had their 1 x 42 and it was removeable. let us know!
 
Rhino, no can do. The platen is permanently affixed and holds the rollers which, in turn, hold the belt in place. If I put any slack on the belt, it'll roll off during the grinding process. Too bad. I got excited there for a moment at the prospect of being able to slack grind. :D Thanks, though.
 
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