What adhesives do you use for laminated handles??

ACLakey

ACLakey

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Jan 24, 2016
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I love the laminated knife scales similar to how Fiddleback Forge and Osprey Knife and Tool look. I have tried several different adhesives for laminating handle materials, mostly micarta and wood with liners, but have not been really happy with the results. Currently I have been using a slow cure flexible epoxy but with cure times and multiple steps it takes days to get the scales made up. What adhesives do you use to laminate handle scales? I saw in a video(can't find it now) of a well established knife manufacture that uses an adhesive in a large bottle resembling a "super glue" shape. Any information or advice would be appreciated.
 
I use Blade Bond Epoxy and could not be happier. Check it out.

As always surface prep is super important.
 
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if you want it fast and you will be pinning the materials, Fast CAP 2P-10, it's instant
or Loctite 324 if you have a few hours
 
When I laminate G10 and liners I use this

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I also drill many holes in the liner so epoxy that I use to attach the scales to the handle gets in contact with all layers.

I have one set of liners glued with that CA glue that are bolt on scales and they have not delaminated so maybe the holes aren't necessary but it makes me feel better.

Adam said it. Prep is everything. Smooth and flat for CA glue, rough and flat for epoxy. Clean for both.
 
CA glue to attach liners to scales, then drill shallow holes just through to scales at the tang holes. Then Bob Smith SLI cure for scales to tang (pinned)
 
I just use west systems epoxy, or gorilla glue. I've never had either fail.
 
To those who use CA glue, what do you do for surface prep of G10 and Micarta?

I wipe the surface with a cotton makeup pad soaked w/ denatured alcohol, but notice that sometimes the ragged edge on the liners left by the bandsaw will rip fibers from the pad and leave them on the surface.
 
I very quickly sand with some 325 and wipe off with alcohol.
 
East Branch Knives said:
To those who use CA glue, what do you do for surface prep of G10 and Micarta?
Click to expand...

I sand all surfaces to be joined on a granite surface plate with 100 grit, wipe thoroughly with alcohol and use Gorilla Glue CA for the bond. I've never had one come apart and I've beat (literally!) on a few of them pretty hard...
 
ACLakey said:
I love the laminated knife scales similar to how Fiddleback Forge and Osprey Knife and Tool look. I have tried several different adhesives for laminating handle materials, mostly micarta and wood with liners, but have not been really happy with the results. Currently I have been using a slow cure flexible epoxy but with cure times and multiple steps it takes days to get the scales made up. What adhesives do you use to laminate handle scales? I saw in a video(can't find it now) of a well established knife manufacture that uses an adhesive in a large bottle resembling a "super glue" shape. Any information or advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I will add my recommendation since I was tagged in here, I am sure that I will repeat some of the other things people suggested here. There are bunch of ways to do it from what I have seen. This is the process I personally use and I have had great results.

I first scratch up the liner materials that are too thin to flatten to secure a good bond, second I flatten my handle scales by hand on a granite machinist block using 80grit paper adhered to the machinist plate. I flatten in a circular motion, most material you can see what has been flattened and what has not. Some materials such as wood or Ivory g10 can be difficult to tell, so I take a pencil and mark the whole surface of the side I am flattening with lines. This allows me to tell if the material is flattened from end to end.

Once that is complete I blow all of the excess dust off and wipe all the scale surfaces down with either acetone or denatured alcohol. After all of the pieces are prepped I then laminate the scales. The prepping of these scales are probably the most important part of this process to get a good seamless lamination.

The glue that I use is Starbond High performance Grade 100% Cyanoacrylate Medium Thick EM600, I also use and accelerator from Starbond Accelerator A16.
I apply all of the layers at once except for when I make bolsters, that is a multi stage process.

I clamp the scale material down to a flat surface with wax paper underneath and use a spring clamp to hold everything in place. Make sure you placement of these clamps are even. I have noticed that the temperature can affect the time the glue cures. The colder it gets the longer it take the hotter it is the faster it cures.

I do not use this glue to adhere to the knife itself, I use Gflex Epoxy for that. I hope this answered most of your questions and I am happy to elaborate further and answer questions anyone may have. Here are some pictures illustrating some of the things I mentioned.


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