Questions: Just starting with handles

D

DHall

Joined
Oct 30, 2000
Messages
51
First a word of thanks to all who have experience and post suggestions/tips, although you make me that much poorer...
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Situation: I am just starting out. I am practicing making handle's on Norwegian/Swedish blades. I have hand tools only and a dremel and I literly work in my closet. I just put a handle on a small three inch blade-brass, stag, leather, Thai Ebony wood, leather, brass.

Questions: (just bought the Loveless book on knife making-hope it is insightful!)
1. Making the guard slot fit?????? I use a small drill bit, make two holes and cut out the slot using a jewlers saw and then try to remove just enough material to get the blade to fit, but I always seem to have too much space. Is there a better way?

2. Polishing the brass up at the end. I usually dry fit all the pieces (all in big lumpy chunks) and then expoy it all together, then I hand cut/shape and sand the handle as I go (kind of a minds eye thing). The problem is finishing up the brass at each end-lots of scratches and when I try to use the dremel with a polish bob-I nick/scuff the material right below it. I tried taping the edge, but the dremel eats right through it. Any suggestions?

3. (yeah I know I ask a lot of questions.) How do you finish the wood. On this last piece I used Birchwood-Casey True-Oil, but after 18 hours under a lamp it is still tacky! The first piece I used it on (norhter curly birch) soaked it up and dried in no time flat. This ebony wood is really dense and oily and I wonder if that is the problem?

Any thoughts or suggestions (links/books)would be appreciated!

DHall

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"sharks and dogs" he muttered, "sharks and dogs...."
 
This is the handle I am working on...

View


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"sharks and dogs" he muttered, "sharks and dogs...."
 
Nice Work!

I'm certainly not an expert, but your slot technique is similar to what I did on my knife. I had similar problems and had to slow down and concentrate. Also, though, Dremel makes a milling bit and a router attachment. You may be able to make up a miller to get a straight, square slot milled.

As for the polishing, I'd try switching from the Dremel to hand-work at the end. Would that help?

Mike

[This message has been edited by Michael Bennett (edited 11-20-2000).]
 
DH, best answer to question one is check the fit more often. When you're filing, it seems slow and like there isn't much coming off, but when you want two parts to fit perfect, one extra swipe with the file can mess it up.
Number 2 sounds like you're taking the handle to finished size and shape before you start the polishing process. Polishing begins by going to ever finer grits of sand paper. Leave some material to be sanded off with each grit of paper.
Number 3, I think you need some super glue for those handles. After the handle is shaped and sanded thru 400 grit, clean it thoroughly and rub several coats of super glue into the the wood. Let it dry for a day or two and then sand it with 320 grit to smooth out the surface and then take it back to 600 grit. Makes for a real slick smooth finish.


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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
Howdy There DHall...!
Know what you are going through...! For years all I used was a dremel tool and files. Here are some tips that may help.
1. I try to shape my guards and bolster close to finish before you assemble. Also I bring my wood slabs down to about 1/8" of finish before assemble.
2. As L6 suggest finishing the guards to fit is going to take some time to check more often to get take fit, work them slow if you are doing it by hand.
3. Just keep coming down with the finer grits until you get close to your finish. I have actually finished the wood with super glue or Tru-Oil and gone back with lots of layers of tape and use the dremel to polish the brass afterwards just be careful and slow.
Hopwe this will help. Good Luck..!
"possum"


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Thomas Clegg
 
Make sure you use the slow setting super glue.Make sure you don't get impatient, enjoy all of the process of knife making and go SLOW, speed will come on it's own good luck!!
Ironhorse
 
Ok-I have been testing the super-glue idea on a small chunck of the Thai Ebony wood left over from the handle. So far after three coats-its looks nice.
Also trying epoxy on another chunck.
?-would those small foam brushes work better than "lint free" paper? What about Q-tips?

Ironhorse: Thanks for the tip on the slow setting type of super glue, but where do you buy it? What brand name (I probably cannot get it localy, but if I have the brand name can get it sent)?
 
Everyone covered most things, but I wanted to add something about using the Dremel.

A trick I used ALL the time on my first knives and still use today if needed...

It's really simple, but will probably sound complicated in print.

You need a mandrel for your dremel, the one that holds the small sanding discs Dremel makes. The discs that Dremel makes are very small. You want to cut out sand-paper discs from sheet that are about 1/4 -3/8" bigger in diameter than the discs Dremel makes. I just use a socket that's the size I want, trace around it and then cut out the disc with scissors. You will want to make a lot of them out of ascending grits. They will wear out fast and start to tear, that's when you stop and replace them!

Once you have the little discs cut from sheet, place them on the mandrel, abrasive side TOWARD the Dremel (you will be working with the abrasive side...the reason for putting the abrasive side down, is because it is easier and more effective to pull the thin, flimsy disc into the work than to try and push it). Then put the Dremel made disc on top of that for backing and put the screw in the mandrel.

Now you can use this to smooth out any scratches and imperfections. I still use this technique to finish sand the pommels on hidden tang knives. You can take it all the way to 600 or 1200 grit and leave it or polish if you like.

This is so simple it's scary, but it works.

Also, Ebony is very very oily and dense and won't accept oil (in my experience of those I know).

Best of luck-
biggrin.gif

Nick

[This message has been edited by NickWheeler (edited 11-21-2000).]

[This message has been edited by NickWheeler (edited 11-21-2000).]
 
Thanks Nick and Ironhorse and everyone else for the tips. As the True-oil has not soaked in and dried after 4 days, I have decided to sand it back down and try the super glue method. I'll let you know how it goes.
DHall

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"sharks and dogs" he muttered, "sharks and dogs...."
 
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