What do you guys use to make finger choils?

B

BallewBlade

Joined
Oct 10, 2011
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I was using a drum sander in my drill press yesterday for the first time and it was working great on the finger choil I was putting on my camp knife. What are some other equipment/techniques that you guys like to use?
 
When gluing up the handles, I get epoxy all over my hand. I stick them in a drum of 100 grit silicon carbide blasting media. Then, after the glue cures on the handle ( and my hands), I use my grit covered fingers to sand in the finger choils :)

When I don't have time for that, I use small contact wheels in diameters from 3/4" to 2" and half round or round files/rasps. Wooden dowels in various diameters can be wrapped with sandpaper to sand these areas smooth and give them a gentle curve. Avoid any pointed projections. I personally dislike most handles with multiple finger grooves. A smooth palm swell coming out of a forward finger choil, and ending in a slight "bird's head" butt, is what feels and works best.
 
Like Bladsmth I use small contact wheels to establish the choil and I use a sandpaper wrapped eraser or wooden dowel to finish it. In the past I would use a dremel tool with a sanding drum to shape a choil .
 
bladsmth said:
When gluing up the handles, I get epoxy all over my hand. I stick them in a drum of 100 grit silicon carbide blasting media. Then, after the glue cures on the handle ( and my hands), I use my grit covered fingers to sand in the finger choils :)

When I don't have time for that, I use small contact wheels in diameters from 3/4" to 2" and half round or round files/rasps. Wooden dowels in various diameters can be wrapped with sandpaper to sand these areas smooth and give them a gentle curve. Avoid any pointed projections. I personally dislike most handles with multiple finger grooves. A smooth palm swell coming out of a forward finger choil, and ending in a slight "bird's head" butt, is what feels and works best.
Click to expand...

Haha that would be a good way to get a "custom" fit finger choil! But I like the dowel with sand paper idea, I think I may try it. Thanks for the laughs and info.
 
I've used 1/2, 3/8, and 1/4 dowel rods, split about 1 inch with a coping saw. You can chuck the dowel in your drill press, put a piece of regular sandpaper in the saw cut, and go to town. DIY sanding drums in whatever grit you want.

Now I've got a grinder with a 3/4" small wheel, so I use that the large majority of the time.
 
bladsmth said:
When gluing up the handles, I get epoxy all over my hand. I stick them in a drum of 100 grit silicon carbide blasting media. Then, after the glue cures on the handle ( and my hands), I use my grit covered fingers to sand in the finger choils :)
Click to expand...

I hope that's a real technique you actually use Stacy.
 
Stacy,
"A smooth palm swell coming out of a forward finger choil, and ending in a slight "bird's head" butt, is what feels and works best."
What the hay? Got a picture of a " bird's head" butt?
Dozier
 
I use either a small wheel on my 2x72, or sometimes I'll even run about 1/8" to 1/4" of of belt off the edge of my flat platen (or contact wheel) and use the corner to grind out my choils.
 
If you look at the spine shot pic on Stacy's last link, you can see the classic "Coke bottle" handle contour as well.

randy
 
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