I would encourage you to try it yourself. :thumbup: It really isn't complicated at all, and your personal satisfaction will be exponentially greater than if someone else did it for you. I mean, you're not wanting to put stag grips and engraving on this thing- it
is a user- so even if you screwed up royally (very unlikely) you wouldn't be out much.
Here's what you'll need:
Micarta slabs
pencil
clamps (a vise would help, too)
pins
epoxy
drill (I hope you have or can get a powered one. Doing this "brace and bit" style could get wearisome.)
file(s)
hand saw (bandsaw, jigsaw or reciprocating saw would be nice.)
sandpaper (lots of it- coarse, medium, fine- shop rolls would be best.)
First, remove your old slabs. Depending on how they are attached, you may have to drift or drill out the original pins, pry or saw the original scales, and clean up the tang with solvents and/or sanding.
Next, clamp one slab only to the tang and carefully trace the location of your pin holes and the rough outline of the tang onto the scale. Leave about of an eighth of an inch extra all the way around your outline. You can drill your pin holes now, while the slab is clamped on the tang, or you can remove them and drill where you marked. Remove your first slab and repeat the above process with your other slab.
Next, cut out your rough handle shape on each slab with a saw. Check your fit by clamping it all (scales and pins) onto the tang. Make sure your holes line up, and that your slabs overlap the tang all the way around.
Prepare your parts for the epoxy by sanding or steel-wooling the surfaces to be mated and cleaning up with a degreaser. Lighter fluid, rubbing alcohol or even gasoline will work for this. Make sure your surfaces are dry and clean of any residue of any kind before applying adhesive. Follow the directions for your epoxy and apply thoroughly to the tang and slabs.
Carefully line up your parts, assemble them together and clamp the livin' daylights out of them. Wipe up any excess epoxy that oozes out frm the clamping now, so you won't have to file and sand it off later. You may install your pins now, or wait until the epoxy has set and then re-drill your holes to clean them up before installing them.
After your epoxy has fully cured, remove the clamps from the handle and clamp you machete down to a workbench or in a vise. Use a file to rough out the handle profile, but be careful not to take it too close to the exposed tang. (The file will make deep scratches that you will have to sand out later.)
When you are getting close to the shape you want for your handle, switch to coarse sandpaper and smooth out your file work. Use medium grit when you get down to the epoxy that has seeped onto your tang. Switch to finer grits to remove the scratches from shaping until you can match the finish on the blade. (satin, hand-rubbed, "scotch-brite", mirror, whatever) Depending on the texture/finish you want on the handle, you may need to rough it back up after you have achieved the finish you want on the exposed metal of the tang.
Hope that helps! We'd all love to see some WIP pics!
:thumbup:
Also, any good sources for the pins? I think since I can't afford any new knives right now this will help make the blues disappear!