I'm working on a knife that I'd like to pin a hidden tang. Any trick to getting the hole drilled through both the handle and the tang for a tight fit between the handle and guard? Glue it all together then drill the hole makes me nervous... what's the trick?
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Pinning a hidden tang?
- Thread starter Jason Fry
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2005
- Messages
- 877
Most guys I know glue every thing up, finish the handle and then drill through every thing to fit the pin. Great if you forge and have a soft tang. Most of my stuff is stainless so I assemble the knife with a temporary super glue bond, drill my pin hole, then disassemble and send the knife blade out for heat treatment.
Peter
Peter
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 1,461
I glue mine up and then drill through all the materials to pin.
Just a tip to save some aggravation: Square off both sides of your handle material (if not already square) so your pin hole will be straight. If that's not possible for whatever reason, then shim the knife on the drill press so it's square. But before you glue everything up, mark where the tang will be on the outside of your handle material. Just lay it on your squared up handle piece(s) and draw the outline, that way you know your getting in the center of your tang when you drill.
Hope this helps,
Iz
Just a tip to save some aggravation: Square off both sides of your handle material (if not already square) so your pin hole will be straight. If that's not possible for whatever reason, then shim the knife on the drill press so it's square. But before you glue everything up, mark where the tang will be on the outside of your handle material. Just lay it on your squared up handle piece(s) and draw the outline, that way you know your getting in the center of your tang when you drill.
Hope this helps,
Iz