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I've thought about getting a cnc router since I can do the cad part, but the fixturing and cam stuff takes time to learn so that's why I haven't haha
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Using router in handle making
- Thread starter Mike Artigue
- Start date
VorpelSword
Gold Member
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- Dec 27, 2007
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- 1,700
Well you are right about that but:
Why try this technique on $50 scales for the first time?
Why not start out with something salvaged from something else like a tool handle or broken furnasture . . .just whatever is cheap for the first time. Then, when its been figured out, spend some money on something exotic.
Why try this technique on $50 scales for the first time?
Why not start out with something salvaged from something else like a tool handle or broken furnasture . . .just whatever is cheap for the first time. Then, when its been figured out, spend some money on something exotic.
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- Aug 9, 2002
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Ive used a router a few times in knife making..
mostly for scabbards .. sometimes on perfect fit up of tangs after splitting the wood..
i guess the Major reason is by the time you set it all up /make the mess it takes/clean it all up .
you could already be done with the shaping on a belt , and just refine it into finer grits.
fitting hidden tangs can easily be done by a couple small diameter long drill bits and a broach or small rasp..
mostly for scabbards .. sometimes on perfect fit up of tangs after splitting the wood..
i guess the Major reason is by the time you set it all up /make the mess it takes/clean it all up .
you could already be done with the shaping on a belt , and just refine it into finer grits.
fitting hidden tangs can easily be done by a couple small diameter long drill bits and a broach or small rasp..
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2010
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If you are doing hidden tang octagonal wa-handles you can use a router sled with a jig to turn a rectangle into an octagon faster and more accurately than most grinding methods. Especially if you are doing large batches. A table saw also works, but a router could start the softening with the right tooling. I've seen this in use at Blenheim forge in the past.
Some of the concerns on using a router are due to the differences in knife handle materials. Lots of handles use burls and irregular grains that might tear out more easily during a cutting operation. If the handle isn't pure wood I wouldn't know what to be worried about; resin, copper, micarta, g10... each would have it's own concerns for tooling, safety, and finish. Most makers will use a grinder for versatility, unless they have a CNC mill that they use for semi-production (See Aaron Gough for an example).
Some of the concerns on using a router are due to the differences in knife handle materials. Lots of handles use burls and irregular grains that might tear out more easily during a cutting operation. If the handle isn't pure wood I wouldn't know what to be worried about; resin, copper, micarta, g10... each would have it's own concerns for tooling, safety, and finish. Most makers will use a grinder for versatility, unless they have a CNC mill that they use for semi-production (See Aaron Gough for an example).
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- Feb 24, 2022
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- 115
I am a woodworker as well, and now a beginning bladesmith. Like the OP I'm hoping those skills will help when it comes to handles.
I understand what others are saying about the fact that a handle is really a 3D shape and will require some manual work. It reminds me of making rifle stocks; sooner or later you're going to be doing hand sanding to get the desired result. Having said that - I've seen some techniques online and on FiF that seem really wasteful both in time and wood. Of course FiF is time-based and people are limited to what's on hand, so that could explain a lot. It just makes me cringe to see a huge block of exotic wood sanded away to a thin set of scales!
I'll be interested to see what the OP comes up with. I'm going to keep it simple with my first few handles, but I'm thinking about what I could do to make use of what I know about wood.
I understand what others are saying about the fact that a handle is really a 3D shape and will require some manual work. It reminds me of making rifle stocks; sooner or later you're going to be doing hand sanding to get the desired result. Having said that - I've seen some techniques online and on FiF that seem really wasteful both in time and wood. Of course FiF is time-based and people are limited to what's on hand, so that could explain a lot. It just makes me cringe to see a huge block of exotic wood sanded away to a thin set of scales!
I'll be interested to see what the OP comes up with. I'm going to keep it simple with my first few handles, but I'm thinking about what I could do to make use of what I know about wood.
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2010
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- 489
I do this sometimes. Glue up, grind back to the tang (if there is one) and use a bit with a bearing. I like it because it sets everything up evenly, saves a little bit (but not a lot) of handwork, and, for me anyway, helps me fight the tendency to make handles too thin. Typically I'll do a lot of additional handwork to taper and blend, but overall I find it beneficial. Here are a couple that I did this with. Only the parts near the butt maintain the exact radius from the bit, but again, it sets you up for symmetry, and I'll take all the help I cant get.
