Using / shaping accent liners ???

WinDancer

WinDancer

Joined
May 15, 1999
Messages
720
I am trying to use some red liner material from K&G between slab scales and the full tang on a fixed blade.

I cut tha liners just a little larger that the scales/tang and figured it would just sand off smooth with the same contour as the scales and tang.

GRRRRRRRRRRRR-


The material does not sand off smoothly with the wood... it simply flattens out into very thin layers of paper-like junk that looks terrible between the metal and the wood. The more I sand the smaller the scales/tang get, and the material continues to get smaller but rermains flattened out.

Is this normal for liner material or is there some procedure that will allow me to sand the material??????

Thanks is advance-



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Proud Member
Buck Collector's Club
American Knife and Tool Institute
Oregon Knife Collectors Association
UsedKnife.Com
 
Howdy There......!
Just thought I would throw my two cents worth into the question. Here is my method for using spacer material.
1. Shape your handle slabs to within 1/16" of tang shape, with holes drilled.
2. Cut your spacer materail to the smae shape as the slabs and superglue the spacer to the slabs.
3. Set slabs to blade with expoy and screws or pins.
4. Remove the excess slab material and clean up with finish sanding. When you have the finish that you wnat take it to the buffer to clean up any lose material. That usually will solve your problem with the fine edge.
Good luck and keep trying, it just gets more addictinng....!
Later "Possum"

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Thomas Clegg
 
Hi Guys
Thanks for the input.
I just finished another knife today using the red liners and followed the suggestions about buffing to final shape.
This worked a little better, but the liners are still not crisp and also not even.
I ordered the thick ones from K&G- could it be the material, or do I need to go after the shape harder with the buffer? I used the really coarse buff and then the white and then the pink, but still not great results. If this is as good as I can get I guess liners are out for me
smile.gif

Any more suggestions?

Thanks....

Dave Evans
Tenino, WA
 
The common liner material is a type of plastic. It sounds like your running your grinder to fast and melting the liner more than sanding it away. Try slowing down your belt speed.
Anouther hint with liners if you don't like there looks is to dye your epoxy to the same color as your liner material.
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Robert
Flat Land Knife Works
rdblad@telusplanet.net
http://members.tripod.com/knifeworks/index.html

[This message has been edited by R Dockrell (edited 09-04-2000).]

[This message has been edited by R Dockrell (edited 09-04-2000).]
 
I use spacers behind all of my bolsters, and have in the past used them as you did. I've never had the problem you described, but I have to think that if you surface the tang edges with a sharp/fresh belt in the 120-220 grit range that problem will go away. It sounds like your belt is undercutting the wood and not shearing off the spacer cleanly. Try a fresh belt.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
The Tom & Jerry Show
 
While I was finishing some handles with spacers today I thought about this thread. A couple of things came to mind.

First my belts have to be sharp to work properly.

Second the epoxy has to be completely dry and glass hard to get a clean cut.

Third unless I take a finishing cut that cuts the handle material, liner material and tang at the same time the liner material smeared. I was using a 50 grit followed by a 240 grit to fine finish the tang before buffing the tang and handle.

I concluded that unless all three conditions are met the chance of success is very limited.

I think that one of the key factors ignored by a lot of makers is the need for sharp belts. Sharp belts not only cut better but cut cooler thus reducing scorching of handle materials or degrading of epoxy during handle finishing. Belts are an insignificant cost when the value of the knives produced by a belt is taken into consideration so change them often and throw out the old ones.


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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com


 
Thanks again for all the input. I appreciate it.

George, after reading your last post I had two out of three.

I am using brand new Trizact belts. I am taking the material all down together [running with the wood grain].

This time I used the two-ton 5 minute Devcon. I left it for two hours, and it was completely hardened, but now I am not sure it was completely dry. I could still feel a little 'stick' when I was working with it.

I am going to try one time on some scrap material, and will let it dry for a couple of days in the house before working it.

I will post again and share the results here.

Thanks again,

Dave Evans
Tenino, WA

[This message has been edited by WinDancer (edited 09-07-2000).]
 
Dale in my experience Trizac belts run extremely hot so you might be experiencing heat smearing of the liner. I was using 50 grit aluminum oxide to trim the liner then the finer 240 to smooth out the surface. The 50 grit runs very cool when sharp therefore no heat smearing of the liner.


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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com


 
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