"In-The-Field" Khukuri Repair - Ideas Thread

Just FYI...

I know this was discussed in another thread...but the same folks are in this thread too....and it makes more sense posting this here, than in a YBB sales thread.

So, here we go.


Finally got a spare moment to take a handle apart, and wouldn't ya know it...had my camera handy too. :D

Too bad I didn't have a third hand to make a movie of it....maybe next time.


Anyway, enjoy the pics of the handle coming off of a nice Hanuman.





Task = Gently remove a hidden tang Hanuman handle

Total time = 15 minutes


1. Start with a 1/8" bit and drill a hole through the pin all the way to the other side. Move up to a fractionally larger drill bit until the hole is completely clear. Deburr the hole with a small file. 3 minutes


2. Hold the heat gun (on full power) about 1 inch away from the brass bolster - while keeping the heat gun moving around to evenly heat it. After about 7 minutes of solid heating, the laha starts to ooze...within a minute, it's like those "black snakes" you played with as a kid on the 4th of July. Laha practically jumping out of the joints! 9 minutes

3. Once the laha is just starting to bubble, I start twisting and wiggling the handle. By the time the laha is oozing rapidly, it quickly loosens up and slides right off like a roasted marshmallow on a stick. < 1 minute

4. Heat the bolster back up to soften the laha and slide it off too. < 1 minute

5. Heat up the tang and scrap it with a "craft stick" to clean up the tang some. 1 minute




First pic shows the handle right after it slid off. Yuck! You can see the hole drilled out of the tang. Also, notice the great gobs of laha that have oozed out the front of the bolster. (it's ok, don't worry about it) You can see the heat gun I use on the floor below.



attachment.php





Second pic shows the bolster removed, the handle cleaned up a little and the tang scraped.

Also shows why I say that partial tangs are every bit as strong as full tangs (in H.I. khukuris, that is)....that is a thick and solid tang!



attachment.php





After this, the easiest way to remove the laha is to get an old coffee can (or similar), get some water boiling, and drop the bolster in there while holding the tang in the water. Prop it up if you don't want to watch...but I like to watch....:D

The hot water boils off the laha and you're left with a fairly clean piece..and not too much mess....:rolleyes:




All of this could be done over a fire. Just wrap the blade in wet cloth (or paper, etc) to protect the heat-treat and keep it wet. It will draw the heat away from the blade.
 
Great pics, and great step by step description of the process Dan. Yessiree, that's a substantial tang. If anybody out there had any doubts about the structural integrity of their "hidden tang" khuks, you've pretty much laid those concerns to rest with your pics. I ain't a small feller, but I seriously doubt I could bust one without mechanical assistance.

Sarge
 
Great pics. Your pics do certainly shed a bit of light on the partial or hidden tang. They're by no means weak. If they were, then the people of nepal wouldn't have used the design for as long as they did.

If I may, why did you decide to pull the handle off the Hanuman? Project for someone? Project for youself? Just wanted to see the partial tang?

mike
 
actually, it is not brittle and quite hard to break once it's dry. So, yes, it does seem to work well. Just, once it's hot, it quickly foams up and bubbles.

I'd love to do some side-by-side testing, but I'd have to "milk a hundred khukuris" to get enough to play around with....:(

And it does seem to be different than cutler's resin....pitch... etc.
 
Daniel Koster said:
actually, it is not brittle and quite hard to break once it's dry. So, yes, it does seem to work well. Just, once it's hot, it quickly foams up and bubbles.

I'd love to do some side-by-side testing, but I'd have to "milk a hundred khukuris" to get enough to play around with....:(

And it does seem to be different than cutler's resin....pitch... etc.
Click to expand...

Is there a thick layer of laha between the tang and the handle (large gap that holds a fair amount of laha) ?

Read with other threads that the laha does help in absorbing shock.

Maybe a special order of some laha from miss Yangdu ?

You are the perfect person to try this out :)
 
Daniel Koster said:
3. Once the laha is just starting to bubble, I start twisting and wiggling the handle. By the time the laha is oozing rapidly, it quickly loosens up and slides right off like a roasted marshmallow on a stick. < 1 minute
Click to expand...


Dang it Dan, I've got this perverse mental image of you with a khuk in the vise, heat gun in one hand, and graham cracker in the other, waiting for the laha to bubble out for another S'more. :foot: ;)

Sarge
 
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