removing scales

T

Tune_up

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Sep 14, 2010
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Attaced one scale to a full tang (lots of holes to reduce weight) with acraglas, now I have changed my mind and want to do something different. Whats the best way to remove the scale? Boiling water? Oven, what temp? Torch? Soak in acetone?
 
I don't know if this is the best way but I use a heat gun or put the knife in the oven at 200F. Don't get it hot and ruin the temper. You will see the epoxy start to run at a point if there is any to escape from the gaps.

At this point try to get a dulled razor blade or something thin in between the scales and the knife and slowly work them off. I use a wooden mallet to tap it in and work it around. Be careful! Last week I did this and wound up hammering the razor through the handle and into my finger!

You can soak it in acetone as an extra step if the heat doesn't work. (let it cool some first)

I have removed one of my own handles and several Buck knife handles, it it amazing how strong even a compromised epoxy bond is!
 
Would something like dry ice make the epoxy brittle enough to knock it off? Or maybe differential shrinkage between the tang and handle material to break the bond?

- Paul Meske
 
Sometimes we make this stuff wayyyyy more complicated than it really is.

You could have ground them off and carefully chiseled out the parts under the "dovetail" in way less than the time it took to start this thread and wade through it, let alone try all the convoluted ideas to defeat epoxy. Just sayin' ;)
 
It occurs to me the scale might be ivory or exotic wood or unobtanium or something... in which case I can see wanting to take it off without damaging it. But sheesh if it's regular wood or micarta or G10 or whatnot... just grind it. Heck, you'd have the new scales on and cured up ready for finishing by now.

Why waste hours of worry and mucking about, fiddle around with it, and/or spend more cash on products to take it off, to save $5-10 worth of handle material? :confused:
 
just wrap the blade in a wet towel and heat the tang with the torch , it will break the epoxy . Use the razor blade trick mentioned about or a wood chisel to pop it off .
 
Put it in a freezer for a couple of hours then whack the spine of the tang on your workbench, should shear the scale off. You also may want to tick a wood chisel under a thick part and a tap or two of the hammer should pop it off.... Or do a combination of both.
 
Will Leavitt said:
Put it in a freezer for a couple of hours then whack the spine of the tang on your workbench, should shear the scale off. You also may want to tick a wood chisel under a thick part and a tap or two of the hammer should pop it off.... Or do a combination of both.
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I have to try that, sounds a lot easier than what I was doing.
 
OK, Several things to try, if all else fails I’ll grind it off. Although grinding sounds easiest, I’m not sure how easy that will be without marking the tang using the tools I have available (4x36 grinder, wood rasp and files).

Sometimes we make this stuff wayyyyy more complicated than it really is./QUOTE]

I agree, but I have also been guilty of just the opposite, spending considerable time attacking a problem only to have someone point out a much simpler way to do it.
Thanks for the responses, Michael.
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I chuck the blade tip down in my woodworking vise and use a framing chisel and mallet to remove scales. Gives you a good idea of how well your stuff is holding together also.
 
This worked so good it was unbelievable, One hour in the freezer, one sharp tap and the scale popped right off. The tang is nearly clean and the scale is undamaged. Thanks for the tip.
 
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