problems with my new knives

kile

kile

Joined
Mar 19, 1999
Messages
620
I am a new maker, and am working on a few knives right now, and I had two problems I have never had before both happen today. I made a litle spear point blade, I just finished polishing the blade, and I was getting ready to put on the handles scales. I wiped everything down with acetone, and I mixed the epoxy(devcon 2-ton) in a little 2 oz portion cup like what you would get salad dressing in a restaurant. I started to butter up both scales, by the time I started to put some epoxy on the blade tang, the epoxy was hard in the center of the portion cup, I tried to hurry but the stuff was completely hard and unspreadable in under 4 minutes after mixing? What the hell happened. I scraped off all the epoxy I could of the blade and scales and I will just have to glue them later, but I can't figure out what happened with the epoxy, i was in my garage, the temp was about 77-80degrees farenheit, I mixed it up the same way I have done 20 times before using a scrap peice of kydex. What could have caused this.
Now my second problem, I just finished a wharncliffe style neck knife with rosewood scales. I was all finished except for putting the final edge on the blade, and it was the first blade that didn't have any mistakes from start to finish that I could see. I actually thought I was finally getting the hang of things, but when I put the final edge on the blade, instead of a straight cutting edge, it is sort of wavy. The blade seemed straight along the edge before I put the final bevel in it, it was at least as straight as I can see with my eyes, so why did the edge get all wavy? Any one have a suggestion?
any help would be great.
thanks guys,
Kyle Fuglesten
 
Kyle,

Sounds like you got some 5 minute epoxy.I would save it for some fast working situations and go buy some 30 minute e-poxy. As for the wavy edge it sounds like you might of had some fat spots left after your final grind, just a throught.
 
Five minutes doesn't give you much time, particularly if you don't have everything set to go. Use a long curing epoxy. You have to wait until the next day but the results are worth it.

The wavy edge might be the result of varying thinkness in your primary grind. Before sharpening if you look straight down on the edge you want to see even thickness from your plung all the way out to the tip.
 
Epoxy? One of two things happened to you.
1. You may have gotten the odd or old batch.

2. In the summertime, 2 ton Devcon IS 5 minute epoxy. Whether it is due to the heat or humidity, it happens. When I used to use it, I would stick it in the fridge for about 10 minutes and work with it at the kitchen table.

C Wilkins
 
Thanks for the help guys, the epoxy was the 30 minute epoxy, and i have never had a problem with it before, or with the five minuter epoxy. It was my last tube of devcon, I don't think I will use it anymore, I have heard too many people say it isnt very good stuff.

If I did have thick spots in the edge, can I go back and regrind the main bevels and see if that will straighten the edge or should I just leave it alone? thanks for any help.
Kyle
 
also watch for 5 minute epoxy in 2 ton pakaging. I've opened several through the years to find 5 minute written on the syringe instead of 2 ton. This makes for those times when only "special" words can describe your feelings.
 
Kyle, You can regrind the main bevels. Go slow and try and keep the blade flat agianst the wheel or platen while moving from plunge to tip. Just keep in mind that a lot of learning happens in the process of fixing mistakes.
 
Switch to torx screws and eliminate the epoxy thing alltogether;) sorry. But seriously, about the grind, Andrew M. is right and remember what they say "Rome wasen't built in a day". Take it from a new maker myself, I've got alot of scrap!
 
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