Making a through tang hole?

Sam Salvati

Sam Salvati

Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,060
I am having problems making the hole for a through tang hilt. I pre drill the hole undersized, then drill in two angle holes trying to get things to meet up right with the proper amount of taper, but I just cannot seem to get them right. When I come back and burn the tang through I end up with a massively oversized hole (not using much heat on the tang at all). What type of tools do you guys use to enlarge and carve the INSIDE of the tang hole? How specifically do you do yours? Would you recommend anything different for using micarta (I am going to be doing some in micarta and some in wood)? I want to get a super tight fit. I have split my handle wood in half then chiseled out the channel, but I don't want to see a seam so i want to make it a solid hole through the handle material.
 
honestly, I do mine nice and loose, using 3/16 and 1/4 drill bits for 1/8 inch x 3/4 tangs. I just put plenty of epoxy in when I peen the buttcap on. Doesn't seem to matter once the bolster and butt are fitted right.
 
koyote said:
honestly, I do mine nice and loose, using 3/16 and 1/4 drill bits for 1/8 inch x 3/4 tangs. I just put plenty of epoxy in when I peen the buttcap on. Doesn't seem to matter once the bolster and butt are fitted right.
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I agree with koyote.

The only thing to worry about is that some epoxies expand as they cure and can crack handle material. I haven't had one crack, but have been told by a very prominent and well-known maker that I shouldn't stuff a tang hole completely full with JB Weld, since it's one of the epoxies that expands as it cures.

I drill my holes just enough that the tang will go in, not worrying about a real tight fit. The epoxy will do a nice job of filling and holding everything tight. I've never had one come loose on me yet.
 
ME??? What did I do this time?!?! :confused: :eek:


;)


If it was my pictures somewhere... they were probably hosted by imageshak or something like that before I paid for my little hosted area at fototime.

I'm not even sure what the pics were.... if I knew, I could go look for them on the hard-drive.


Edited to say this post almost seems serious... which I just can't have... and also, was the thread in question about a BIG camp knife? If so, I might be able to find them. :)
 
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scottickes said:
I haven't had one crack, but have been told by a very prominent and well-known maker that I shouldn't stuff a tang hole completely full with JB Weld, since it's one of the epoxies that expands as it cures.
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This is true, I've discovered. It cracked a sheet metal bolster I filled with it!
 
I bought two of John Perry's handle broaches after a lot of frustration doing it with a cut down rasp. When you are using micarta, having a larger hole should matter as much because plastic is plastic, right? Just pour the sucker full of epoxy. I use West System marine epoxy which is MUCH better than the 1 to 1 mix stuff you get at HD. A number of very knowlegable people have told me that Brownells Accra-Glass is the other epoxy of choice. I went with the West because if it is good enough for $5+ million custom wood sportfishing boats, it shoud be good enough for my piddly litttle knife handles:D
 
NickWheeler said:
ME??? What did I do this time?!?! :confused: :eek:


;)


If it was my pictures somewhere... they were probably hosted by imageshak or something like that before I paid for my little hosted area at fototime.

I'm not even sure what the pics were.... if I knew, I could go look for them on the hard-drive.


Edited to say this post almost seems serious... which I just can't have... and also, was the thread in question about a BIG camp knife? If so, I might be able to find them. :)
Click to expand...

You are correct, my friend, the thread was the 2005 camp knife thread. GREAT fotos of a very fine knife. And, yes, they were Imageshack. If you still have the fotos of the handle fitting, along with the shot of how all the furniture was fitted with index pins, I'm sure many (including me) would love to see them again.

Thank you, Nick. I know you're not really a dickhead, BTW. Just wanted to catch your attention and make you focus on those fotos. :D

JDM, I am glad you have managed to get your hands on Perry's broaches. They seem like fine tools. I have tried twice and each time get a response that he doesn't currently have any but will contact me when he does. Never heard from him. It's made me wonder if one has to be an ABS member to obtain them ? :eek: (j/k)

I ended up making my own version of a broach by modifying two jigsaw blades and soldering them into a brass tube. They're adequate, but not elegant like the Perry tools.
 
Fitz, I really am a dickhead, you know that!!! :D :p :D I just wasn't sure which knife. I thought that might be it, so I searched my hard-drive last night... but all I could find was pictures of the knife complete... must have deleted the in progress pics... DAMN IT! lol

I'll do that again on the next knife that goes together like that.

For Sam, and anybody else interested... here's a link to the custom forum showing Bill Burke (Ms) building a knife for Keith Montgomery, in which he uses one of John Perry's handle broaches. I like the name Dave Lisch came up with for it, "Hole Hog." :)


http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=571675

Edited because I forgot to paste the damn link!!! lol@myself
 
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fitzo said:
You are correct, my friend, the thread was the 2005 camp knife thread. GREAT fotos of a very fine knife. And, yes, they were Imageshack. If you still have the fotos of the handle fitting, along with the shot of how all the furniture was fitted with index pins, I'm sure many (including me) would love to see them again.

Thank you, Nick. I know you're not really a dickhead, BTW. Just wanted to catch your attention and make you focus on those fotos. :D

JDM, I am glad you have managed to get your hands on Perry's broaches. They seem like fine tools. I have tried twice and each time get a response that he doesn't currently have any but will contact me when he does. Never heard from him. It's made me wonder if one has to be an ABS member to obtain them ? :eek: (j/k)

I ended up making my own version of a broach by modifying two jigsaw blades and soldering them into a brass tube. They're adequate, but not elegant like the Perry tools.
Click to expand...
I had to wait for a good while for him to come up for air long enough from filling knife orders to make some of those broaches. They are VERY nice and very durable. I believe that he makes them out of D2 whihc of course will hold whatever kind of edge you can get on it forever and a day.:D I use them for wood and for cleaning the pith out of stag. The will zip right through the "bony" part of the stag too.:thumbup:
 
Sam,

Karl Anderson also did a great how to on fitting his take down handles. These need to be very tight fitting. He used a modified recip saw blade for his broach.
 
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