Micarta Scale Repair Options?

bearfacedkiller

bearfacedkiller

Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
2,627
So I have this Spyderco Street Beat which has pinned Micarta handles and they are coming off slightly at the ricasso. I have a couple of ideas on how to fix it or at least patch it up but I wanted to get some ideas from you folks. This is a factory second so I cannot just send it in to Spyderco. I mostly just want to protect the knife from getting crud in there. It will be used for occasional food prep duties so I would prefer that the handle slabs be sealed to the tang if at all possible. I can't slide a business card in there but a piece of printer paper fits no problem just to give an idea of the size of the gap. So what would yous guys do?

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Carefully drill the pins and reset the handles with epoxy then re-pin them. Shouldn't be hard.

Or you can pry the scale back a little bit and shove some epoxy in there. Super glue would probably work too but it sets really quickly. Epoxy gives you enough time to wipe everything clean without needing to sand
 
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If a clamp will squeeze the scale closed, simple inject/force some slow-setting epoxy inyo the gap, clamp it closed, leave overnight to cure.

Even if it won't clamp close, fill the gap with epoxy and wipe it smooth before it sets.

Either way, some light sanding will probably be required.
 
I would use a very small diameter carbide drill bit (1/16" or 5/64"), and a drill press, and drill a hole straight through the entire knife near the gap-end of the handle, then add another pin. Even though the area to be drilled and pinned is narrow, a 1/16" or 5/64" hole isn't going to create any significant weakness. after all, I don't imagine you're going to be using the knife as a pry bar.
 
Phydeaux said:
Have you contacted Spyderco CS about it?

Ric
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Did you read my post? It is a factory second so I am on my own. ;)


Thanks for all of the suggestions guys. I can fairly easily squeeze the gap shut with just a couple of fingers. :) I am leaning towards an easier solution. I was thinking of using super glue, epoxy or maybe even just filling it with some wax. I am prepared to do a little sanding if necessary. Which would hold better, super glue or an epoxy and does anybody have a readily available epoxy they recomend. Is the wax idea nuts? It sounds easy.
 
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Epoxy would probably form a better bond. You'd also get more time to work with it before it sets. That's not a big deal until you're trying to wipe it off the tang and handles and big globs of super glue harden enough to need sanded off. Having cotton from a shirt or pieces of paper towels sticking to your knife immediately after you put the super glue on kind of sucks.

I use system three T-88 structural epoxy. It's an easy 50/50 mix. It is firm but takes shock well, is able to withstand temperature fluctuations, and is water resistant. You also get about 45 minutes to screw with it before it becomes unworkable. It also adheres to a wide range of materials.

E6000 is also pretty good but you only have about 3 minutes to work instead of 45. Its just regular industrial adhesive, not epoxy, so you don't need to mix anything.

Use some toothpicks as shims under the scale and a popsicle stick to smear the adhesive in there. Clamp it down. Wipe well. Let cure. Then take a fine edged knife and delicately cut off any remaining hardened adhesive. Use some 600 grit or so sandpaper to remove anything left and make the appearance uniform.
 
Epoxy over Super Glue.

SG sets up too fast and gives you little time to shape it. You don't want a fast-setting Epoxy either for the same reason.

Like bodog said, a real slow-setting Epoxy gives you time to work it into the gap, smooth it out, and clean up the excess.
 
Disregard all the above comments.
The first thing you should do is peen the front rivet. This should close the gap-if the handles are properly fitted. This is a second, after all.
Filling a gap with glue is a half way fix. The handles probably aren't glued from the factory- just pinned. Glue won't hold the scale down, it will just fill the gap.
If tightening the pin doesn't work, Killgar's suggestion of adding another pin will work.
 
I don't think that the Micarta is fitted right and I don't think this was ever epoxied from the factory. I don't think that the peening will work because I don't think the micarta is flat. The pic with the paper shows how far down the gap goes. Everything seems tight to the scales up by the top pin. I think the micarta is warped or something. I might try an adhesive first and then if that doesn't work try adding a pin. I am mechanically inclined with some things but this is new territory for me.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
bearfacedkiller said:
I don't think that the Micarta is fitted right and I don't think this was ever epoxied from the factory. I don't think that the peening will work because I don't think the micarta is flat. The pic with the paper shows how far down the gap goes. Everything seems tight to the scales up by the top pin. I think the micarta is warped or something. I might try an adhesive first and then if that doesn't work try adding a pin. I am mechanically inclined with some things but this is new territory for me.

Thanks for the suggestions.
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If you're mechanically inclined and have some tools I'd suggest taking the scales off and putting your own on there. It's not like you need to be worried about warranty issues or anything. If you have the tools to put another pin in the handle you probably have the tools to shape some scales, too. It'd be a good time to put some marbled carbon fiber or something on there to really spruce it up and make it your own rather than throwing band aids on it.

Doing this for a buddy. It's really not that hard.

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As I said- glue might fill the gap, but it won't hold the scale down.
You are correct- the scale is not fitted properly. That's probably why it's a second.
Adding a pin will pull the scale down but if you want to do it right, the scales will have to come off, be resurfaced (or replaced) and re installed.
 
West Marine's G-flex epoxy filled in the crack and a clamp to hold on down will likely fix it. I woukd try this before I "pinged" anything only to possibly damage it further. Good luck
 
"West Marine's G-flex epoxy filled in the crack and a clamp to hold on down will likely fix it. I woukd try this before I "pinged" anything only to possibly damage it further. Good luck"

But then- you aren't a professional cutler, are you?
 
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Bill DeShivs said:
"West Marine's G-flex epoxy filled in the crack and a clamp to hold on down will likely fix it. I woukd try this before I "pinged" anything only to possibly damage it further. Good luck"

But then- you aren't a professional cutler, are you?
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Not everyone has the work space or tools of a professional cutler. Giving the advice of using strong epoxy to someone who doesnt have the tools or know how to drill and peen pins isn't terrible. Maybe not the best, but it'd get the job done, especially for a light use kitchen knife. The dude wouldn't need to buy a drill press. Wouldn't have to worry about cracking the scales when peening. Wouldn't need to worry about buying full carbide drill bits. Wouldn't need to worry about drilling to fast. Wouldn't need to worry about weakening the tang by misplacing the pin hole. Wouldn't need to worry about lining anything up. Just glue and go. Again, you're absolutely right about what would work the best, but not everyone has the capabilities of a professional cutler.

If you read my first post to the guy, the advice was to remove the scales and start over if he could. If he couldn't then use good epoxy and make that work.

Personally I believe it'd be a good platform for the OP to practice making some handles and wouldn't try to talk him out of doing that, but some people live in apartments where that isn't possible so giving options is a good thing, I think.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
"West Marine's G-flex epoxy filled in the crack and a clamp to hold on down will likely fix it. I woukd try this before I "pinged" anything only to possibly damage it further. Good luck"

But then- you aren't a professional cutler, are you?
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Nor am I. I appreciate your advice and I understand that doing it right is ideal but I am new to this and lack the skills, experience or tools of a professional cutler. I am also open to any and all suggestions so attacking others suggestions isn't helping me much. Again, thanks for your help. :)
 
Thanks Bodog. I have space but lack some of the tools. I don't have a belt sander or a drill press. I have lots of hand tools. I don't have lots of time. Between a full time job and a baby and a hundred other projects I just wanted to get it patched up. I would love to put some custom scales on it and that is something I have been wanting to try. I have multiple Swicks and Mules sitting around just waiting for me to find the time. I just never seem to be able to get to it.

If I am gonna do more than just epoxy it down then I am gonna try to put custom scales on. It was a factory second so putting too much into the factory handle wouldn't make much sense. I could have just bought a non-second. This being a second makes it better suited to a cheap user or a platform for a nice project. At least that is what I am thinking now.

Thanks everybody for helping me think this through and keep any ideas coming. :)
 
If I was just trying to fill the space to avoid stuff getting up in there; I would use clear (or black) caulking, not epoxy.
Way easier to deal with.... prep, manipulation and clean up all easier than epoxy.
If you don't like the way it comes out; peel it out and start again.
 
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