Question on stacked leather Handles

southriv

southriv

Joined
Feb 28, 2002
Messages
751
I'm considering doing a part of handle in stacked leather & need some help on if I have the process right. I have some leather disk from TKS to get me started. I have read that people glue these together with super glue. First, I want to know is if you use the straight super glue or the gel (which gives more time).

I have also worked out this possible process: First, I am going to glue and clamp a couple stacks of 5 or six leather discs - off the tang. When these stacks have set up, I was going put them and other spacer material on the beginning of the tang (supergluing the leather - to -leather and expoxy for the rest). Last I was going to use wood or horn and again use expoxy. Then clamp the whole thing together overnight ( I use acraglass or Devcon two-ton).

BTW, I' m not doing a Scagel handle this time out, but I do like them. If anyone thinks any of this is feasible, and any advice in shaping & finishing this variety of materials. would be appreciated

Bob

http://www.southrivermodelworks.com/page15a.html

Bob
 
Bob,

Heres one I just finished, I let the leather soak in water for 30 minutes and then put a stack of it in a 4 ton press I made for flattening out buffalo horn, left it for 2 days in the sun untill it was dry and then drilled and cut the tang hole in, filled the opening with 2 ton epoxy, screwed the butt cap and brass nut on super tight, then I dipped the handle in a mink oil and parifin mix heated to about 175, it swelled the leather and water proofed it at the same time, should last for yrs.

Hope this helps

Bill
 
Bill - super nice results! There is something about a traditional leather handle on a fine blade ..it always does the trick.

Your technique seem simple and common sense & it sounds like it's adaptable to the handle I want to try. Thanks, Bob
 
Bill,
Would you have a picture of the 4 ton press you made for flattening out buffalo horn, I want to build one. Thanks. :)
 
Bob, thanks for starting this thread, gave Bill a chance to share that high performance beauty with us. :D

Bill, that is one beautiful knife. I want one of those more all the time. Thanks for the handle description too, sounds like an excellent process that should indeed last years.

As an aside, do you use locktite or anything like that on the tang nut?

Dave
 
Thanks guys,

Roy, I'll get a picture of this little press and send it to you in a day or 2, its real easy to make and works great.

Dave,
I just put a dab of epoxy on the threads and the material the cap is going up against and then screw the pommel or cap nut on, it holds everything real tight and won't come loose. I tested a couple thats been attached that way and you need a wrench to break them loose

hope this helps

Bill
 
Bill !

Nice knife !
Do you post your press picture here ?
I am currius to see it !


Thanks !

Alain M-D
 
That is a beautiful knife Bill. I would also like to see you post a picture here. Always looking for new press setups.
 
Until we get a picture of Bill's press. I thought I would post a picture of mine. Actually it's a vulcanizer for curing rubber molds for centrifigal rubber mold casting. Bill's reply has me thinking that his method is one of many knife applications for this. It has a 30 ton bottle jack, the pressure gauge reads to 15,000 psi and the platens can be heated to 550 degrees. I noticed on Chris Crawfords site that he handmade something similar to squshing billets. I think this may have possibilities - especially with the heated platens

any other ideas?

Bob

http://www.southrivermodelworks.com/page15a.html
 

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OK guys, I'm doing a local show here until sunday, then I'll get a couple pics and post, but all it is, is 4 - 18"x 5/16" altread rods, 3- 6"x6"x1/4" pieces of plate steel and a 4 ton hydraulic jack, made it just for pressing buffalo horn, sheep horn and now leather, wanted something that was easy to fool with off my work bench

thanks for all the nice comments on the knife ;)

Bill
 
I posted just after you did Bob and didn't see your post, that is a great looking hand press, a lot prettier then what I have, great job. guys just build it like Bob did, same principal but mine just uses a 4 ton, thats all I needed. :cool:

Bill
 
Nice looking knife Bill
I do just about the same as Bill does
But
using water on something I've worked to keep dry,,
I'll try to keep it that way.
_ Water is OK as long as you make sure it's dry.

_In the stead of water try soaking the leather
in acetone then press,(using good ventilation)
this stuff will disappear very fast
cutting time down to hours. just another other way..
 
Hey Bill, It is a nice press, but I can't take credit - it's store bought through the casting industry - Places like Rio Grande sell them. New ones are expensive - $1500.00 or so. That only makes sense if you are a metal caster -like me. However, in areas where a lot of jewelery production takes place, they can sometimes can be found used for a few hundred dollars.

As such, they are a also a good model for a build your own - it sounds like you and Chris Crawford have done that without seeing one of these. For knifemakers purposes, yours is a better an solution and for the fewer dollars, fits in better with the uses. I was, however, curious if anyone thinks that the heated plattens mike make a vulcanizer useful for some phase of working up a damascus billet.

Bob
 
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