Micarta handle attachment question

S

SolidCoppper

Joined
Jan 23, 2010
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19
OK Ladies and Gents,

I'm in my larval phase of knife making so please bear with me. I'm assembling a fixed blade knife using a blade blank I purchased from Ebay (a ground and heat treated Cold Steel SRK blank that I drilled and Duracoated) and 3/8 thick canvas micarta.

The tang is about half the width of the blade and positioned on center. As such, I used a router to "inlay" the tang (at half the tang's thickness) into each half of the handle, resulting in a hidden tang. Originally, I was planning on using Corby bolts, or a similar fastener, to attach the halves to the blade. I have lately been thinking that pinning the handle on may work just as well.

I am planning on using epoxy in addition to mechanical fasteners. My question is, are pins as good as corbys in this application? Do I need to machine some voids inside of the handle halves to give the epoxy purchase? Can I clean micarta with acetone prior to the epoxying? Should I be using a different adhesive? do i need to epoxy the fasteners? Is there a strategy I can employ in my epoxy application that is beneficial? Any previous threads address these questions?

All input is appreciated. I'll post pics when done.
 
Okay, here is my two cent's worth. Yes, pins will work as well as Corbys. They are a little more simple to install as well, for your first knife. Yes, I do usually slide the pins in with a little epoxy. I generally wipe all surfaces down hard with acetone prior to gluing, micarta too. (Usually I just sand wood to prep it.) As long as your handle halves are not so tight that they have to be tapped onto the tang to fit (in which case, nice job of fitting) it is not necessary to rout more of a void for epoxy. You want a thin joint. Usually, (and conveniently) I stop at 220 grit on the tang to let the epoxy grab the surface. I use a flux brush with the bristles cut halfway off to apply epoxy, a thin coat to both surfaces for 100% bond. Hope that helps...
 
If you are going to install a pin, you may as well peen it.
 
how did you drill the blade? is it not hardened?

some acetone products will leave residue... fwiw I finish-clean with alcohol
 
wnease said:
how did you drill the blade? is it not hardened?


Solid carbide drill bit :D Not the most cost efficient solution, but it worked. The tang already had one hole in the end which would have accommodated the ferrule used for a lanyard hole and to hold on the factory kraton handle. I drilled two more evenly spaced holes. In retrospect, I probably only need one.

My philosophy of use for this knife is a hard use woods knife. I guess if the handle falls apart it's a good excuse to try a different method of attachment. I have some decent wood working experience, cabinetry and what not, but carving and shaping will be a challenge. I admit I did cheat a little on these scales:

I made a handle pattern out of 3/4 oak. Filed and sanded it and got it all purdy. Then, layed out the pin holes using the tang. I scribed the handle shape and holes onto the micarta, which I had cut in rough rectangular blocks and taped together. After drilling the first hole, I pinned the blade blank on top with a spare drill bit. I lined the blank up with the scribed lines and drilled through the holes to ensure that the spacing was right.

Next, I pinned the blank to the inside of the micarta and scribed the shape out. I routed out both scales at half the blank thickness to achieve a hidden tang.

After that, I trimmed off the excess and pinned the micarta to the oak pattern. I ran it (gently) around a flush trim router bit on the router table, and then used a 1/4" bearing guided round over bit to radius the corners. Even rough, it looks pretty decent.

I'm really excited about this project. Micarta has been a bit of a bear to work with, but I'm getting threre. I figure if I can whoop Micarta, must dense woods will be a snap.

Now all I have to do is learn to shape metal, heat treat and temper :eek:
Click to expand...
 
I admire your commitment to it so far!

I started out shaping metal with files and sandpaper, and it's hard to beat a reputable heat treater (especially the controlled atmosphere, pressurized gas quench, and dry cryo)

Have fun!
 
are pins as good as corbys in this application?
Click to expand...
From a standpoint of holding power , nope. Corby bolts will not allow your scales to ever pop off. Properly peened pins will give you pretty decent holding power , that in normal use will not fail.
 
You say it's a hard use woods knife...so swinging and hacking, right? Bolt it on.

You might consider the Loveless style bolts. I'd think that simple pins and relying on the epoxy to hold the halves together is asking for a failure...and usually at the wrong time. If the handle splits on you, you might have a flying blade. :eek:

Just my 2 cents...and I admit to compulsively over engineering most everything.
 
I agree that properly relieved and peened pins can be very strong. In my limited experience, Corby bolts are a bit more difficult to install (drill two holes, one for the main part of the bolt and one for the shoulder) but leave very little room for failure. I've rehandled a couple knives with removable Corby's only, and have had no complaints about them holding up under hard chopping. Both techniques, if properly done, provide a nearly fail-safe mechanical bond.

Regardless, I've come to think of epoxy as a sealant rather than an adhesive. With a strong mechanical fastener (bolts or peened pins), epoxy serves mainly to seal the joint from moisture. Use both mechanical and chemical bonds. Just my two cents. :)
 
Last edited:
OK,

Here is what I have so far. The blade is coated, and the handle rough shapped. I pinned it on with 1/4" dowels to get a feel for it.

<a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/What_Ego/?action=view&current=IMG_0028.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/What_Ego/IMG_0028.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


Here is a link to the album if anyone cares to look.

http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/What_Ego/
 
The project so far....

DSC_0083.jpg


1Handleinside.jpg


1Halves.jpg


DSC_0062.jpg


I took some 1/4" dowels and fastened everything together to get a feel for the finished piece.
IMG_0026.jpg


IMG_0027.jpg


IMG_0030.jpg


IMG_0028.jpg


IMG_0029.jpg


I will be using Corby Bolts to fasten the handle together, along with a layer of epoxy to fill in the voids and make the joint extra strong. Still needs the final edge grind.

Thanks for looking. All comments and critiques are welcome.
 
Do you have 1/4" holes drilled through the tang and all the way through the scales? If you do you cant use corbys. You can still use 1/4 pins. I may be wrong but thats what it seems from your pictures. Really nice work though.
 
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