What is the simplest way to...

C L Wilkins

C L Wilkins

Joined
Mar 18, 1999
Messages
2,112
keep things straight and parallel with uneven handle material?

How do you solve the following problem...

Say you have a piece of stag that is tapered. Smaller diameter on the "blade end" and larger on the "butt cap" end. How do you keep these two even, parallel and straight? What method do you use?
Did you make a jig of sorts?

Please don't give any theories, just how YOU have actually done it in the past.


Craig
 
Originally posted by C L Wilkins
keep things straight and parallel with uneven handle material?


Please don't give any theories, just how YOU have actually done it in the past.
Craig
Click to expand...

You're a hoot Craig!
:D
 
CL,
Are you talking about attaching them to the knife, or cutting them down before that?
 
Cutting them down before attaching but you do bring up a good point. Attaching them can be tricky as well.

For instance, if you have a fixed blade with hidden tang construction, and lets say you DO get the ends squared up. There is always a slight curve in the stag. If it is not drilled straight or with an oversize hole to accomodate the tang then it can be twisted somewhat and will be "crooked" that way. We have all had this problem at one time or the other.


Craig
 
Craig; You lost me. Are you eatting the HT'g relish I send you or using it in another manner????:confused: :confused: :eek:
 
Originally posted by indian george
Craig; You lost me. Are you eatting the HT'g relish I send you or using it in another manner????:confused: :confused: :eek:
Click to expand...

That's it!!! LOL!

OK, here we go again...

Both ends of the stag for a hidden tang blade should be squared up and parallel to each other right? How do you do it??? NO IG, not how you do THAT!!! How you square up both ends, wait, that didn't sound right either!

How you square up both the "small" end, that fits next to the guard, and the "big end" that the buttcap is fixed to on an irregularly shaped piece of handle material.
 
I thought you meant drilling a hole through :confused:

squared up and parallel to each other, I do it by eye
on the platen
but there are many ways to check if it's right,
one fast way to do that is with your calipers and light.

is that what you mean?:confused:
 
C.L.
Let me give it a try.
On stag and other uneven materials I use a 1/2" x 4" x 6" steel plate for the base.
I lightly sand the high spots of the stag just enough to give me a kind of flat surface. Lay them (rough side down) on the plate and use a square to get them like you want them. Take one of those squeeze clamps with the rubber pads on them and squeeze it tight. Use a hot glue gun to run a thick bead around the edges. Do the next piece beside it.
From here I either use the mill and a large center cutting end mill or the surface grinder to flatten to the thickness I want. You can also use the platen on the grinder with a rough belt to take away the bulk of material if you want. Just keep Heat in your forethought. You don't want any :)
You can also use small wedges to lift one end more than the other to put a taper on it, before hot gluing.

I do the hot glue gun thing with wood, pearl, mastadon and all other stuff that won't stick to the magnetic chuck on the surface grinder.

After they are flat, I use that same plate and clamp them smooth side down in the mill vise and square the end with an end mill.
 
If I really had to do it I would drill a through hole as accurately as possible, shove a threaded rod through the hole with a nut on either end. I would then chuck the rod in a lathe and square up the end nearest the chuck then reverse the peice and square up the other end. This will give ends that are parallel and square to the center bore. You will only have to remove the nuts and then square the area under the nuts to match the machining.
 
OK so much for the simplest way Guys :rolleyes: :) :D

build a squaring jig to hold it and just mill both ends.:) :D
 
Hell, hot glue and a steel plate. Can't get any simpler than that :)
He asked how I do it...

I thought he meant to get them cut down in thickness and squaring the ends.
 
Ummm, we talkin a stick or scales here????
Best way I know to get the ends of a stick of antler squared up and parallel is to make a holder/jig out of wood, in the shape of a trough, and wedge the antler in it lined up the way you want and then trim the edns on a mitre saw with a fine tooth blade. Just make the cust slowly or you'll chip the antler.
 
The way I cut pieces of antler to have parallel and square cuts on the ends is to hot glue a long section of antler on a half or 1" piece of squared, flat board. Then I make cuts slowly on my table saw. This is the way I cut antler spacers/sections. I just move the board over on the crossfeed and make another cut, and so on. Most of them are smooth enough to use right away for assembly and gluing. For the "small end" of the handle that meets the guard or blade, this hot glue on the scrap of board works good for me to get square cut for a starting point. Most often, that cut is right on the money as far as fit for a straight tang for a hidden tang handle.If the cut needs any smoothing on the disc or belt, it has a square cut to follow.You can also leave the piece of antler glued to the wood and have a square reference to place on your disc platen, or table, to sand the end. Also, with the tang hole slightly oversized, this gives you room to line up the fit to be square with the end cut of the handle material. Easy.
 
Originally posted by L6steel
Ummm, we talkin a stick or scales here????
Best way I know to get the ends of a stick of antler squared up and parallel is to make a holder/jig out of wood, in the shape of a trough, and wedge the antler in it lined up the way you want and then trim the edns on a mitre saw with a fine tooth blade. Just make the cust slowly or you'll chip the antler.
Click to expand...

Sticks...sorry, I should have been more specific in the original post.
 
Okay, I like the uses of hot glue. But my question is how do you remove it from the stag afterward?

Dave
 
Originally posted by Kit Carson
Hell, hot glue and a steel plate. Can't get any simpler than that :)
He asked how I do it...

I thought he meant to get them cut down in thickness and squaring the ends.
Click to expand...

:D you can have your leg back
I was just pulling it some:p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top