Problem attaching Handle scales

bpiatt

bpiatt

Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
644
I am finishing a knife that someone else had started. For some reason this person ground the tang of the blade so it tapers slightly from the spine of the blade to the front of where the handle will be. I am not sure if I explained that very well so I attached a picture trying to show you what im talking about.

knife.th.png


The steel is 1095 and it is annealed. For tools I have a belt sander, and basic hand tools. The problem is that I am ready to attach the handle scales and there is a gap of air between the scales and the handle on the edge side of the blade.

What do you guys think the best way to fix this issue is? I am nervous of taking it to the belt sander because I think im going to have a really tough time making it level.

Thanks!

Ben
 
The picture is too small for me. I don't quite understand. Do you mean a lateral taper in the tang? That would be a little unusuall.
 
LRB said:
The picture is too small for me. I don't quite understand. Do you mean a lateral taper in the tang? That would be a little unusuall.
Click to expand...

Yes, thats exactly what I mean. From the spine side of the tang to the blade side of the tang is tapered slightly. I have no idea what this guy did to it or how it got that way but its really stressing me out. I need to get this blade done for him.

I only have 2 slabs of micarta left for the scales and I dont think I have the skill set to taper the micarta to fit the taper of the tang.

Here is image url for a larger picture. http://img408.imageshack.us/f/knife.png/
 
I would just go with slightly thicker slabs and attach them flat to the tang, then grind/sand the outside edges parallel or use a more rounded style. Tape some sandpaper to the tang and use it as your sanding block for the inside edge of your scale material. Maybe use some thin leather as a spacer or that vulcanized rubber. Something that will conform to the shape if it isn't a flat taper. Plenty of options here.

You say the blade is annealed, do you mean heat treated and tempered? If not then maybe you are putting the cart before the horse by putting a handle on soft steel.


-Xander
 
Does that taper stay the same from the front of the handle all the way to the butt end?

Meaning: does the tang taper from spine side to edge side at the butt of the knife also?

If so, that would be unusual but not difficult to deal with. If it's only up by the front of the handle, then that would be more problematic, if you're trying not to grind on it at all. Otherwise, grind it to take the 'dip' out of it.

If the blade is annealed, and not hardened and tempered, then there's no point putting handle scales on it at all.
 
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I know what you are talking about. Does the taper go cleanly into the ricasso , or does it dip into the handle. You may be able to get past it by grinding in a taper from the butt to the ricasso.... a typical tapered tang. If the ricasso is tapered too, you may want to simply even it out along the length of the handle. I recently made a knife that tapered almost 1/8" from spine to front....


SweptTribal.jpg
 
The taper does not extend the whole length of the tang. It is just in the upper 1/3 of the handle. I know attaching a handle to an annealed knife is retarted. I was just sizing them up and a noticed the gap and now I want to fix before heat treat.

I was thinking of trying some sort of liner material but I think it will look stupid with the liner being thicker one one side that the other.


Now when you say use the tang as a sanding block are you suggesting that I just sand the micarta using the tang and that will give the micarta the same profile as the tang? I didnt think of that, it might work.


I left the knife at work, I will take pictures of the blade and give you guys an exact picture of what im looking it. Its tough to explain by typing. If you imagine splitting the handle into 4 equal parts, the top 1/4 on the edge side tapers to .200in from .250in on the top spine side. The Lower half is all an equal .250in. I hope that makes sense.
 
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Rick Marchand said:
I know what you are talking about. Does the taper go cleanly into the ricasso , or does it dip into the handle. You may be able to get past it by grinding in a taper from the butt to the ricasso.... a typical tapered tang. If the ricasso is tapered too, you may want to simply even it out along the length of the handle. I recently made a knife that tapered almost 1/8" from spine to front....


SweptTribal.jpg
Click to expand...

I see what you mean but I have never done a tapered tang before. I am unsure if I would be able to pull it off.
 
Make it hidden tang knife and inlet the tang into the scales. You would have to make the tang more narrow of course.

LonePine
AKA Paul Meske, Wisconsin
 
I'm with Lonepine. It sounds like that was a sloppy grinding job on the tang by whoever started it.
You could also fix it by extending that taper evenly back towards the butt along the bottom edge. Just go slow and keep checking what you are doing with something flat.
If you have a large flat file it may prove easier for you to keep it flat with that.
 
Here is how to fit a scale to an uneven tang:
Shape the scales to the approximate size of the tang.
Sand and finish the front end at the ricasso ( you can't get to it without messing up the blade once the scales are attached).
Now, slightly hollow out the underside of the scales about 1/16" deep.Make the relieved area leaving a 1/8" wide rim around the bottom edge.
Place the scales in place and pencil mark where they are touching the tang ( don't use a marker as it will permanently stain the wood).
Remove a bit of wood from the 1/8" lip at the marked areas. Go around the perimeter a little at a time and the scale will slowly seat itself flush all the way around. If necessary, remove some more material from the center, to create a shallow reservoir under the scale for the epoxy to pool in. This will make a stronger bond to the tang than a tight flush fit all the way across.

Because you are only working on the rim, the scale can be fitted easily, regardless of how bumpy, uneven, or tapered the tang is.
 
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