thinning out 30" ak handle, what tools to use?

Josh Muller

Josh Muller

Joined
Jun 22, 2003
Messages
3,049
so i have this 30" ang khola that ive loved ever since i got it, thing is, the handle is HUGE. 6" circumfrance near the bulge, and its perfectly round.

ex:

(i dont have a beard anymore)
30-inch-ang-khola-in-hand.jpg



if you screen is set at 1024x768 this image is 100% true to life size
30ak-handle.jpg




as you can see, even though its double handed if that thing gets wet, its not easy to hold onto the bulge since i cant actually get a grip on the thing.



so i plan on taking it down in circumfrance, but im not sure what tool to start with. i have a belt/disc grinder combo (unfortunately a 4x36 :( ), a hand rotary grinder, a full set of fules and rasps, a large array of sand paper grits and emory cloth, and hacksaws... im just not sure where to start.

since ive never done it before, im not sure how the wood will react to the rasp or anything like that... any views/opinions??
 
I would go at it with a palm/hand sander, starting with 120 grit paper, then 220, and up, reworking the grooves with hand tools. But that is me using the most appropriate tools I own. There are probably better ways. I'm sure you'll get some good advice.

Nice sword, by the way... :D

~ B
 
i tend to like to call it a splitting maul :) less of a problem when it comes to legal issues... and actually a little more accurate :D


im actaully not sure how im going to clamp the thing down to work on when in my garage... we done have any long tables to use clamps on, and our vice is set high enough, and is small enough that i dont think it would hold it safely...
 
I would put a couple of wide 1x4s or 1x6s in that small vise and clamp the blade between the boards. That should hold it securely. If I wanted to keep the handle lines round and true I would get some long strips of sandpaper and use a shoeshine motion to reduce the circumference. The coarse grit should work pretty fast. Once I neared the final diameter I would use finer and finer grits. A good tung oil like Formby's Low Gloss would make a fine and classy finish.

Just my .02

Ice
 
If the 1x4 trick doesn't work with the vise, an alternative would be to use C-clamps to clamp the blade flat onto the top of a workbench, with the handle extending out past the end of the workbench. Put some leather or cloth underneath the blade.

The fastest hand tool for removing wood is the rasp, but you risk tearing out small chunks of wood where you might not want. So just use the rasp for the very rough shaping, then switch to half round bastard file when it gets closer to the size you want. Keep testing the feel of the grip as you work, when it feels good switch to 60-80 grit sandpaper, then 120, 220, etc.

Just keep in mind that the handle will continue to get smaller as you progress throught the different grades of sandpaper, so allow a little bit for this.
 
Seth hand tools are the only way to go when reshaping a handle as power tools can take off too much at once.
I would use a wood rasp to start with and I would try to make the handle more egged shaped if possible as well, makes 'em easier to hang onto.
When you get it pretty much roughed in go to a smoother rasp, wood file, and finsh shape it. Take it down with sandpaper from there starting with 120 and going to as smooth as you want it.
A hacksaw blade with the kerf ground off the teeth makes a neat tool for recutting the grooves around the center of the handle if you want too keep them.
When shaping the center ring it's often a good idea to pour a little super glue around the top edge and let it soak into the ring.
The super glue will help to protect the ring from chipping out while it is being worked, speaking from experience here.;)
 
all good to know :)

i'll see how the 120 grit emery cloth does, and if thats to slow i'll go to the files. hopefully i wont mess it up to bad... given that i can always have it rehandled, having something like this out of my site is a rather uncomfortable proposition for me... kinda rare to come across...
 
I really want one of those big AK's.

Khukuri_Monster and I were video taping some cutting with khuks. I got to use his 28" (?) AK to cut a 2 liter pop bottle in half.

I was expecting alot more resistance from the bottle, and I really got into the swing. So after the beast effortless glided through the bottle, it spun all 6' 5" 230 lbs. of me completely around and back to where I started.

We have a hilarious slow motion video of it all which should be up later this week. You can laugh at me then.

I need one of those bad boys.
 
Good stuff here. I've re shaped quite a few handles, and agree that hand tools are the best way to do it. Yvsa's suggestion to make it egg shaped is very wise.
Work slowly and remember - you can always take more material off, but it's darn hard to add it back!
Here's my 2 cents worth: Put a few strips of masking tape over the cutting edge so you don't cut yourself... and wrap the blade in a towel if you are working on the handle in your lap, like I often do. A set of needle files is useful for re-shaping the ring and grooves. Sand paper from 180 down to 320 or 400 grit and some 0000 steel wool will bring the finish back to a satin polish. Remember to start with coarse tools, and slowly remove the bigger scratches and replace them with smaller scratches, until you can't see any scratches anymore :)
Hope this helps a little.
 
That's an impressively large khuk. Definitely in the "Oh My God Get That Thing Away From Me" category.

I can't add anything to what's already been said as far as shaping it is concerned. Be sure to post some pics to show us how it turned out.

Now I'm wanting a 30" AK. Thanks a lot, Seth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top