Looking for a tip on how to!

[Dixieblade57]

I am presently building a knife that will have my first Nickel/silver bolster and pommel.

This will be the first time I have done a handle like this one. Using materials which angle in. This is a very crude hand drawn drawing of what I am refering too!

I have already cut the pieces for the bolster and pommel from a nickel/silver I had on hand. So that may have been my first mistake but what I want to know is this.

How do you put the angle on the bolster and pommel as well as that of the handle material?

I am thinking of grinding that angle in, which makes me worry about the consistency of the angle verses the angle on the handle material. (Refer to picture).

Is their an easy way to do this?

I was surpriesed how hard this really bar was. I should have known that the nickel would make it hard but was surprised none the less, and that in turn is now making very nervous. About cutting the matching angles on the metal pieces and the handle material. Any tips would be appreciated.

Also what angle is the normal to use for a handle like this? It runs in my head 14*. Is that enough of anlge?

I hope I have made it clear as to what I am trying to learn how to do, the angles!

 

[ctaylorjr]

If you have a disc grinder that you know it true and flat you can do the angles on it with a table angled to where you want the angle to be. If you get a bit off you can make a jig to set the correct angle of the piece and then finish up on a flat surface with paper.

The handle material can be cut with a mitre saw if need be.

Kind of brain dead right now, does that make sense?

Charlie

 

[Phil Tham]

Like ctaylorjr says...use the disc grinder. It really doesn't matter what bevel angle you use. Just don't move the setting until after you've done both the bolsters and handle. If you grind the bolsters top side up and the handles top side down, you will get a good fit. Also helps if you cut your bolsters and handles with at a bit of an angle instead of straight across (talkin north to south here). Then you can temporarily pin your bolsters on and use a straight edge to mark the angles on your handle material. Hard to put into words, but I hope you get the idea and that I haven't confused the issue.

 

[Dixieblade57]

OK thanks guys the advice is along the lines of what I was thinking. I was having a bit of a migrane moment when I was trying to type this out so let me go on to ask another question that goes with this.

The pieces now that I have cut them are about 1"x1"x1/4"thick. So any advice on how to hold on to such a small piece when working it on a grinder?

 

[Phil Tham]

If you're using a disk grinder, you can set your bevel angle and clamp a piece of plywood or micarta on top of the existing table. This will allow you to get right up close to the surface of the disk to do your grinding. Keep a bucket of water close by to dip your piece in...it will get hot quickly.

 

[Gables]

As described above you can use clamped wood as a guide. I like to clamp a piece of wood on each side of the bolster to create a channel. This helps you grind your angle squarely. I also use push sticks- maybe one to hold piece down on table and another pushing work into disc grinder.