Problems with "hot gluing"

Phil705

Phil705

Basic Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
364
Awhile ago I posted a thread about my difficulties working with bolsters, and getting the pins drilled straight. Several of you suggested that I try hot gluing the bolster on one side, drill it, then glue the other bolster, and drill through the first one. Sounded great. Bought some Crazy Glue and gave it a try.

But every time I glued the bolster onto the blade, it came off during drilling, despite my efforts to be gentle.

Here's what I've been doing:
-clean bolster and blade with acetone
-rub parts with sandpaper to rough up surfaces
-use several drops of glue on both surfaces
-clamped overnight
-drilled holes, and it all came apart. Four times using the same procedure.

What the bleep am I doing wrong??
 
Try this...its foolproof but not as fast as other methods and requires no glue:
-Drill holes in knife first where you want the bolster pins to go
-Drill through ONE knife hole and through bolster behind it
-Throw a pin in drilled hole to hold bolster in place
-Drill remaining holes using a second pin to hold bolster from moving. You now have one bolster completely drilled
-Drill through ONE completed bolster hole, through completed knife hole, into the second bolster under it
-Throw a pin in drilled hole to hold second bolster in place
-Drill remining holes through completed bolster and blade holes, into second bolster, using a second pin to hold bolster in place.

All this is a LOT easier if your bolsters are oversized to start with. Then you don't need to worry about slight shifts, just getting the holes lined up. So long as your drillbit and press table are at 90 degree angles, you could even drill a template for the holes, then just drill through both bolsters at once vicegripped to the table.

You can cut a lot of corners if you are peening since the holes dont need to be press-fit tight to the pinstock. I personally just drill the blade holes, drill one bolster, then use that drilled bolster as a template and drill the second bolster using the completed holes in the first bolster. As long as your bit is perpindicular to the press table, you shouldnt have any problems.
 
Phil705 said:
Here's what I've been doing:
-clean bolster and blade with acetone
-rub parts with sandpaper to rough up surfaces
-use several drops of glue on both surfaces
-clamped overnight
-drilled holes, and it all came apart. Four times using the same procedure.

What the bleep am I doing wrong??
Click to expand...


loose the crazy glue. The only thing that it is good for is a wood finish.
Use the same steps you listed above but with an epoxy. You will have to finish the front of your scale where it meets the choil or blade more so you don't scratch or stain the blade. Wipe up all the running glue with acetone so you don't end up with a glob. only use light clamping pressure so you don't squeeze all the glue out. Spring clamps work fine. For a temporary hold Hot melt glue can (the kind you use in a glue gun can be made to work, but I find it to make more work than it saves.
 
Personally I think the glue idea stinks... :)

If you want what appears to be a seemless fit between bolster and blade the bolster and blade should be brought to a fine finish prior to fitting/drilling the pin holes. Mating surfaces MUST be FLAT!!!

Anything put in-between them will screw with your fit.

I clamp the bolster stock on with Kant twist or 1" C-clamps, whichever fits the particular knife, then mount the blade in a fixture I made and drill the holes. The holes through the tang itself are the template.

Take it apart, clamp the stock to the other side, mount it in the fixture, drill it.

I follow this with a tapered reamer.

THEN I shape the bolsters and finish off the leading face.

Clean the parts thoroughly with acetone, and then carefully pein the pins down.

:)

If you are careful with each step it will nearly look like an integral when done with NO visible lines between bolster and blade. The main difference will be color of blade and bolster (mostly due to the different hardness of blade and bolster material).
 
NickWheeler said:
I clamp the bolster stock on with Kant twist or 1" C-clamps, whichever fits the particular knife, then mount the blade in a fixture I made and drill the holes. The holes through the tang itself are the template.
Click to expand...


Any chance you could describe what your 'fixture' looks like? I've had a rough time with that part in the past. :(
 
Nick, I've heard about the use of a tapered reamer when peining pins. My question is how deep do you go when reaming and does this get better results then just chamfering the top of the hole. Also, what is the minimum number of pins that you use to hold bolsters on? I appreciate it!
 
Prob is that Krazy glue is not hot glue and it's cheap, dirty CA glue taboot. A good, industrial-quality CA glue may work, but all of it is brittle. You need some flexibility to withstand the stress of drilling, but not so much that the bolster moves when drilling. Personally, I hate hot glue, unless it's high temp. I'd use Barge cement, then you could use it later for leather sheath's too. Good luck!
 
I know it sounds too simple, but here is what I have done.............
solder the bolsters in place first,then drill the holes and set the pins?
Stacy
 
Nick,

Do you also solder the bolsters after peining? Or is just peining sufficient to hold the bolsters on?

BTW I visited your web site, your knives are gorgeous.

-John
 
bladsmth said:
I know it sounds too simple, but here is what I have done.............
solder the bolsters in place first,then drill the holes and set the pins?
Stacy
Click to expand...

:confused: Carbide bits? How do you drill the hard tang?

Rob!
 
Thanks everyone for all the ideas. I'll try them all to keep from killing myself. that or give up on bolsters.
 
Try this:

Leave your bolsters square or rectangular and oversized.clamp one to the blade with a kant twist clamp. but the bloster in the vice with the blade up above the vice.drill your holes.remove the bolster that you have drilled and clamp it to the undrilled bolster with kant twist clamp.this is why you leave it oversized and square, so you can hold both in the vice at the same time, and match drill the second bolster. then assemble both bolsters to each other with pins and shape and finish the leading edge.

I have found if you try to drill each bolster individually it is more difficult to keep the leading and trailing edges lined up to each other.
hope this helps.


Todd
 
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