Proud scales

K

Kevin Powers

Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
411
I try a new technique with every knife I make, I want to be a versatile maker that has eventually tried it all. I originally got the idea after being exposed to the flawless work of Mike Quesenberry and his JS integral ivory hunter. Thanks Mike! With the current knife I'm working on I decided to try my hand building a knife with intentionally ground scales about .010". I can't remember what the term is but I am wondering how you go about softening the edge where the scales meet the tang. Looking for technique ideas that work without compromising the precision with such a tight reveal.
Currently the scales are proud .028" to give myself some shaping and sanding room.
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If you were wanting to do something like a bevel or round over you could use a router table and a bit with a end/top mounted guide bearing - would be real easy and precise. This is assuming the scales haven't been glued to the tang yet of course...
 
Had to look up the Integral Hunter, that was WOW! I've never done one, but this is how I'd approach it:
- Get to the point you're at in rough finish.
- Completely finish the blade/tang
- Temporarily mount the scales to the finished blade and carefully shape to as exact tolerances as possible (you state .028").
- Take a sanding stick and round the internal edges of the scales to make a smooth transition from the scale to the tang.
- Take the tang to final polish
- Temporarily assemble and check for tolerances
- Finish the scales

That internal softening is very subtle, maybe 1/16" radius so a router wouldn't be precise enough. You can get a really quality result with careful use of hand tools.

Now if it were me, there would also be three or four steps of "screw up the scales, make a new set" tossed in there randomly.

J-
 
That Quesenberry knife is georgeous!

The scales look as if they were buffed before they were glued to the tang. Buffing wheels are famous for rounding corners. Quesenberry may have taken afvantage of this and used the buffer to do some of the corner rounding?

Just a guess.
 
bullnose is the name of the slight round-proud joint you aim for. Beautiful when well done, it allows for some movement of the natural material avoiding metal sharp edges to show.
Buffing does indeed round those corners, and i use this method for bullnoseing the hidden tang handle-spacer joint; But for longer joints like the scale ones i prefer to scrape the perimeter's edge with a scraper in which i cut the radius i need, and then carefully sand to the desired finish.
 
For a knife that is going to be strictly a display knife, those scales look beautiful. If you plan to carry and use the knife, I think you would get too much dirt and gunk in the gap - certainly you might have to clean the gap every couple of days. Not something I would have the patience to faithfully do. In 6 months that gap would end up packed full of something.

Tim
 
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