Solder Only Bolsters?

J

jawilder

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Jun 27, 2006
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I am wanting to make a few kitchen knives for family and want to get the blanks from TKS while I'm waiting to get my HT oven back up running. I would like to put SS bolsters on these but don't really want to drill through the hardened steel.

How tough would a Silver Solder joint be without the aid of peened pins?

Here is one of the knives I plan to use
BL529_550.jpg


Thanks,
Jason
 
You can solder bolsters on with low temperature silver solder.
 
I would say that it will be a weak joint, and sooner or later it will pop off. Stainless steel is harder to solder,too. The PSI ratings given are for the solder strength, and base on a perfect joint. The joint strength is dependent on how well the surfaces bond to the solder.....which is not perfect in the situation you describe.

Use a 1/8" carbide drill and make the holes needed. Peen the bolsters on, and solder them to seal the joint.
 
How tight can you make the joint between the bolsters and the tang before soldering?

If one were to solder the joint, the process would be:

1. Make the bolsters as one normally would. Tight fitting, two pins, finished on the front.

2. Wipe the flux on. Does paste or liquid work better in this scenario?

3. Peen the bolsters in place.

4. Heat up the bolster and solder.

It's really that simple, right?
 
Yep the solder will eventually pop off. I'm fixing one right now. I'd ground the bolster too thin to kinda match this funky piece of sheephorn that was the handle and basiclly ground the peening off the pins and didn't realize it at the time. The solder held for a coulple of years of pretty rough use but then it popped. Looking at it there was an excellent solder joint, nice and even and 360 on the bolster parts. Ya definitly need the peening too. A carbide bit will easily drill the tang of that blade ya pictured.
 
I suppose you could solder the bolsters, drill the holes and peen the pins, then shape them.

One thing to always remember about shaping and sanding soldered parts ( butt caps, bolsters, tangs, etc.) is that the heat generated in the grinding can easily unsolder the joint ( 400F). I bet nearly every maker with 100+ knives under his belt has done this once or twice :)
 
When I just started, I would grind so hard and fast that the epoxy would melt. Now I do just about everything post heat treat on my lowest speed and use files and sandpaper when possible to avoid generating any heat.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will put pins in it.

I like the idea of soldering then drilling.

Jason
 
Kay gotta raise my hand to Stacy's last question and answer me, I've done that. OK how about out of the box thinking. I believe that slot in the front of the tang of the blade ya pictured is 5/32" How about (1) 5/32" pin peened in the center of your bolster? No drilling of the harden steel that way. Use a mosaic pin for something different. Use visegrips to hold your bolster pieces in place while you peen. After you peen it you could make any adjustment if ya needed to by tapping. Once peened into place then solder. Just a thought.
 
I thought about that but don't know if one peened pin would be very functional as the bolster could spin around it if it ever became loose from the soldered joint.
 
do you know anyone or a small shop with a spot welder? Never tried it but seems like it may work.
 
Shouldn't. I assuming your going to have a flush fitting handle attached too? The handle would have to go away for the bolster to spin if the solder came loose. Remeber the peening holds the bolster in place the solder is just a seal.
 
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