what to do with this sheep horn handle?

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
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I just took the clamps off of this knife and the sheep horn scale is pulling away from the tang.

I sanded the scales flat slowly and kept them cool. I clamped them to precision ground steel for 2 weeks before using them.

I sand-blasted the tang, cleaned the tang and horn with Acetone, then used K&G epoxy. I let it set for 3 days before taking the clamps off.

I only do one scale at a time, and I don't really want to go ahead with the second scale since the first one is popping off. I put a single clamp back on it, and it goes right back to where it's supposed to be.

The only thing I can think of besides scrapping the handle is to do the other side and lightly peen the pins (6- 3/32" pins)...but I don't want to crack the horn.

If I start over, what's to say it won't happen again? I've never had this problem before, but I sure don't like it!

Nick
 
Nick,
Because of the way the hair that makes up the horn grows, it has a specific grain, and the horn will always curl into the grain. Even the heat from epoxy can cause horn to curl a bit. Don't worry too much about messing up the horn by peening pins, that stuff is super tough and will take the abuse and laugh about it. The problem lies in that the situation may occur latter on, depending on the region of the country/world that the knife goes to. I once sent a knife from Montana to the humid regions of the southeast, and had the horn pull through a loveless bolt when it sucked up all that humidity. Since then I usually reserve horn for hidden tang applications.
 
Okay, an update here...

I forgot to mention I drilled about 40- 1/8" holes into the interior of the scales to increase surface area for epoxy contact.

Anyway, I very carefully ran a razor blade under the scale until I could pull it off.

The dovetailed end (with a fiber and stainless spacer) was the last to come off.

I've cleaned up all the epoxy and now I need to know if there's something different to do this time?

JB weld or Marine tex instead of Epoxy? Something different for prep on the tang?

The tapered tang is 1084/15N20 damascus.

Thanks :confused:

Nick
 
can you rough the bladewhere the scales atach, making it look like the back side of formika would be best. the rough cut will aproximatly double your serface area for glueing and realy give the glue something to hold on to.

(Old cabinet maker's trick to get brass to glue to wood.)
 
nick i do about 8 or 10 sheep horn handles a month i never have a problem first heat the horn {scales)in a toaster oven a regular oven does not get hot enough unless you heat it up for an hour first to 300 degrees for 15 minites then put it in a vice with 2 angle irons then when its cool sand flat with a 36 grit belt then dril both sides and glue and pin it when the glue is dry it will stay there but be sure and pin the pins and dont be afraid to hit the pins if you are still having problems your sheep may not be fully dreid and cured
 
Seems like if a clamp will pull it back into place, you just need something with to fasten it with that can clamp it back down. The bolts/rivet type fasteners have a much bigger head than any peened pin and should pull it down tight with less risk of splitting.
 
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