Repairing crack in bone scale

Thomas Linton

Thomas Linton

Joined
Jun 16, 2003
Messages
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So I took a flyer on a 1941 PAL Scout knife despite the fuzzy pictures, and it arrived with a 3/4" crack in the back scale.

Otherwise, in great shape and a knife made for less than a year between PAL buying Remington's knife business and Pearl Harbor.

Any suggestions about the best glue to stabilize the crack?
 
A popular method seems to be using CA glue (cyanoacrylate, a.k.a. 'super glue') for that. I haven't tried it, but I see it recommended pretty often here on the forum. Just fill the crack with the CA glue, let it cure and then sand/buff afterward.


David
 
I'd stick with CA, if it's just a hairline crack use thin (instant) or thick (slow) if you need to fill a gap. A word of caution on Gorilla Glue, it expands as it cures.

~Chip
 
Yeah, the packaging for Gorilla Glue indicates it expands ~ 3X - 4X in volume when curing with moisture (as directed for glue-ups). They warn about over-applying it in narrow gaps or confined spaces for that reason, as it might cause new cracks/fracturing of it's own. I've used it in bonding metal to wood, and the expansion can be seen as it bubbles up & out of the joints while it cures.

I'm still intrigued by it though, for other uses. It can be applied as a finish in itself (it's polyurethane), minus the use of water to 'cure' it. I'm assuming it still cures utilizing moisture in the material finished, or from humidity in the air. I've used it as such for a couple projects recently (including a handle reshape/refinish mod on an Opinel), and it finishes to a nice gloss with a very faint amber tint to it.


David
 
Clean the crack with rubbing alcohol. Dry, then use super glue. Wipe off any excess glue that squeezes out.
 
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