Medallions and thong hole ideas

Phil705

Phil705

Basic Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
364
I've been playing around with using bullet cartridge case butts as medallions and thong holes. It's probably not original, but at least it's new to me. The pictures (if I can ever get them uploaded) show (1) a .44 as a mediallion on a walnut handle and (2) a
.270 as a thong hole on a cocobollo handle. Both blades are 154CM hunters.
 

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How are you doing the opposite side on the thong hole? Cool idea. The cowboy shooters would love it with their favorite caliber.

Charlie
 
Yes, both sides of the handle with both the medallion and the thong hole.

I've also been trying to figure out a way to use the cartridge bases as rivets, but haven't gotten there yet.

Yes, I would imagine that some hunters would like to have their calibers inset into their knives.
 
I've used the end of a cartridge to cover the threaded portion of the tang on the butt cap of a knife, that's a nice touch. If you don't mind I've got 2 projects for brothers that I'd like to use this on.
 
Will (and anyone else), please use this. I've taken lots of ideas off you guys over the past three years.
 
Epoxy. Drill tang hole, HT etc.

Drill out center of cartridge, and cut off end of cartridge, deburr. Attach one scale, drill small pilot hole from tang side. Attach other scale, drill pilot hole from outside scale. Using brad point or Forsner bit of proper diameter, drill carefully using pilot hole as guide. Epoxy thong hole casing flush with finished scale. Or, counter-sink it a bit, and finish down to the brass casing. ( You can easily grind off the inscriptions of the casing if you are not careful.) The last step is to drill through the remaining epoxy and wood through the tang for a final hole. Deburr if necessary with chain saw file.

If you are using rimmed cartridges, you will need to start with the rim diameter, go just deep enough for the rim, then using the pilot hole, drill for the case diameter.

Since knifemakers are inherenly quite intelligent, I guess I don't need to remind folks that this is done with expended ammunition only!
 
Great Idea! Here is one I did a couple weeks ago, I didn't try the thong hole though. I soaked the primers in penetrating oil before I seated them:D nothing is glued together yet, just an experiment. (still needs some sanding to blend it a little better)

357SIG

357sig.jpg


357sig2.jpg
 
Muleskinner, that is sweet with the hidden pins! Thanks for sharing it.
 
muleskinner222 said:
Great Idea! Here is one I did a couple weeks ago, I didn't try the thong hole though. I soaked the primers in penetrating oil before I seated them
Click to expand...

I hate to say it, but soaking in oil is not a reliable way to deactivate a primer. It might work 75%+ of the time, but anything less than 100% is taking an unnecessary risk IMO.

I have a few ideas on killing a primer without dimpling it, but I have never tried any of them so I can't recommend one...they revolve around various methods of controlling the pop while cooking off the primer. Use hearing protection and don't try to contain it. They have a lot more zing than you'd think...so be careful using a potentially live one in a knife handle that can be dropped and possibly set off!
 
CDH said:
I hate to say it, but soaking in oil is not a reliable way to deactivate a primer. It might work 75%+ of the time, but anything less than 100% is taking an unnecessary risk IMO.

I have a few ideas on killing a primer without dimpling it, but I have never tried any of them so I can't recommend one...they revolve around various methods of controlling the pop while cooking off the primer. Use hearing protection and don't try to contain it. They have a lot more zing than you'd think...so be careful using a potentially live one in a knife handle that can be dropped and possibly set off!
Click to expand...

I had the same thought, so I played with a few things. Water doesn't work:eek: it took about 80% of the power, but it still had a small boom. I fired off 3 of them that were soaked in Break Free CLP, and they all failed to go off. This was just a test for me, not something I made for someone. Thanks for the input. (I've been reloading for 31 years if that helps anything)
 
muleskinner - instead of leaving the primers in, why not use pins that are the same size as the primers - then you wouldn't have to "hide" them - or take a chance with a "live" primer?
 
Phil705 said:
Yes, both sides of the handle with both the medallion and the thong hole.

I've also been trying to figure out a way to use the cartridge bases as rivets, but haven't gotten there yet.

Yes, I would imagine that some hunters would like to have their calibers inset into their knives.
Click to expand...

Cool idea! I have a few ideas for ways to use the casings as rivets for you if you want to try them out.

For the hidden pin look that muleskinner went for, without the danger of a live primer, you could install the casings without a primer. Since the primers are a press fit, you just machine a brass or stainless pin long enough to press thru one casing and into the other bonded in place with some clear epoxy. You would have to measure your pin length required, cut to size, and slightly round the sharp corners on both ends off so it looked like the primer before pressing it in place.

To do a thong hole rivet, machine a brass pin on the lathe that is very slight press fit into the mouth of the casing. Do all the normal steps to countersink your casings into the handle material then drill your tang out to the size of the new pin. Position one casing in place on the first side of the handle. Cut your pin to the proper length so it is an 1/16" short of being seated in both casings when they are in the handle so it can't prevent a flush fit. Put a small bevel on the ends of the pin to aid in getting it started in the casing. Coat it with epoxy and press it into the casing already installed in the handle. Position the 2nd casing on the other side of the handle and coat the pin with epoxy. Press the 2nd casing into place. Then just drill all the way thru the center hole where the primer would normally sit.

Mind you, this all hinges on you having a lathe :D

Brad
www.andersonknives.ca
 
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