Poly under the scales?

L

Lefty923

Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
132
After stripping, it's been suggested to put a clear coat of poly to prevent rust. Any suggestions aside from the obvious?
 
Not really, except trace the scales first. Its a wise choice to poly em.
 
Mask it off before you remove the scales. Takes the guess work out of it.
 
Does that work well for preventing rust.
That is a big concern for me with the BK10.
I hate rust on my knives, but I want to use them in all weather conditions.
 
trailbum said:
Does that work well for preventing rust.
That is a big concern for me with the BK10.
I hate rust on my knives, but I want to use them in all weather conditions.
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It does. Put three or four light coats.
 
Unless you habitually remove your scales, you also have the option of mixing up some clear epoxy from Home Depot and coating the tang with it, and then putting the scales on while it's drying. Since they're hollow, the bond area won't be large or super strong but it'll provide a weather seal and is notably tougher than polyurethane. Just degrease well beforehand with mineral spirits or alcohol. If you ever need to remove them, a 10 minute stint in a kitchen oven at 200 degrees (don't trust the oven setting, use a thermometer) will weaken the joint to the point that you can just pull 'em off, and won't affect your heat treatment in the slightest. Just a thought.
 
I was using some Tung oil a while back, and let some sit out overnight. The next day, I realized it had a film over the top, and the rest of it had thickened. Anyway, I used that thicker Tung oil to cover up the scales of two knives. The scales were put on while the tang was still wet, so the scales are also "glued" to the tang.
Time will tell if it really lasts, nor have I taken off the scales. The excess on the spine is still there, but I can sort of scrap it off with my fingernail. Full on Polyurethane would dry harder, but so would automotive clear coat.
I did however spray paint the tang of an Ontario Afghan and my RD Hawk. The scales were much more difficult to remove than before, but not really glued on either. So, maybe it depends on how well you want the scales on there. Automotive clear coat would be better than paint, let it harden fully before attaching the scales.
 
You can also coat the metal with BLO (boiled linseed oil). It'll soak in a little and dry there.
 
I almost never remove my scales. I put bees wax(candle wax will likely work fine I for some reason had that lying about) underneath mine. Holds the grivory snug and I oil the visible tang about once per month(or outing depending) and have never had a problem.
 
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