TLDR: I used the dowel trick while assembling my first Wa handled knife. I coated the tang in Vaseline with the goal of pulling the blade out once the epoxy had set. I cannot get the blade out. Do I have to cut the handle off and start the handle again?
I am making my first kitchen knives (only my second time making a knife). I want to put a Wa style handle on them. I spent some time on YouTube and came across the dowel method for gluing everything together. This method appealed to me because you can remove the blade to finish both the blade and handle before final glue up. I prepped everything - the lower part of the handle is stabilized maple, the ferrule is paper stone countertop material left over from a reno. I glued them up with West Systems epoxy (105/207), clamped them and then left them for 48h.
I think you know what’s coming.
Today when I tried to remove the blades from the handle, they would not move. I had liberally coated the tangs with Vaseline, as one of the videos I watched said this would allow removal… nope. I pulled. I pried. I made a steel sled that fit over the blade so I could put the blade in my vise and hammer down on the ferrule. Zero movement. My hopes of being able to separate the blade from the handle are dashed.
Both the handle and blades are unfinished, so I had really hoped to separate the 2 before final glue-up. Do I have any options other than:
I saw someone say you could put the knife and handle in your heat-treating oven at ~300 degrees for 20 minutes and that would allow you to pull the blade out. I do not have a heat-treating oven, and before I try the kitchen oven, I want to be sure this would not mess with the heat treatment of the steel (Damasteel’s RWL34). If heating is a good idea, would that low heat impact the steel?
Thank you in advance for any suggestions you can offer.
If you are thinking “dowel trick, what’s he on about?” It is this: How to fit a Wa Handle Part 1 - step by step tutorial
Pics:
Knife with dowel
Clamped
Current situation
I am making my first kitchen knives (only my second time making a knife). I want to put a Wa style handle on them. I spent some time on YouTube and came across the dowel method for gluing everything together. This method appealed to me because you can remove the blade to finish both the blade and handle before final glue up. I prepped everything - the lower part of the handle is stabilized maple, the ferrule is paper stone countertop material left over from a reno. I glued them up with West Systems epoxy (105/207), clamped them and then left them for 48h.
I think you know what’s coming.
Today when I tried to remove the blades from the handle, they would not move. I had liberally coated the tangs with Vaseline, as one of the videos I watched said this would allow removal… nope. I pulled. I pried. I made a steel sled that fit over the blade so I could put the blade in my vise and hammer down on the ferrule. Zero movement. My hopes of being able to separate the blade from the handle are dashed.
Both the handle and blades are unfinished, so I had really hoped to separate the 2 before final glue-up. Do I have any options other than:
- Cutting the handle off and starting over?
- Trying to finish them as they are?
- That is less appealing as I had hoped to put a hammered copper cap on the ferrule, but cannot if the blade is in there.
I saw someone say you could put the knife and handle in your heat-treating oven at ~300 degrees for 20 minutes and that would allow you to pull the blade out. I do not have a heat-treating oven, and before I try the kitchen oven, I want to be sure this would not mess with the heat treatment of the steel (Damasteel’s RWL34). If heating is a good idea, would that low heat impact the steel?
Thank you in advance for any suggestions you can offer.
If you are thinking “dowel trick, what’s he on about?” It is this: How to fit a Wa Handle Part 1 - step by step tutorial
Pics:
Knife with dowel
Clamped
Current situation
