Why Won't My Handles Stay On?

fitzo said:
...Did you know that right in your neck of the woods, Tracy, there's a company that makes Hughes 330 and Opticon, two epoxies used by jewelers? Shakudo has used them and suggested I try 330 for thin formulations, since I want something for hidden tangs.
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What company is that or would Dan know?
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
David & Tracy:
have you found there's a difference if you put the activator on the tang or the handle material? i know you guys specified activator on one and adhesive on the other, but you never said which one was which.
i was just wondering if it helps the bond at all on a specific side? or if it doesn't make a difference either way? thanks a lot guys
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I knew I missed one...I spray only one side of the joint or it sets up too fast like Dave Wessner says. I spray the biggest piece, which is usually the knife since it gets slippery with the activator and the scale slips around in your hand other wise.
 
tmickley said:
What company is that or would Dan know?
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Hughes Associates, Wayzata, MN 55391

I've got two epoxies: one is simply called Epoxy 330. The other is called Opticon. It is very thin, and intended for penetrating fractured gemstones.

That's about all the info I've got, Tracy. Sorry. I think Dan's used it quite a bit on different things. I can email you his phone number if you want.
 
Mike S. , I wanted to add to what Tracy said. I also most of the time but not always apply activator to the tang & pins , I put the adhesive on the scales & a good glob in each pin hole. When I assemble if its possible I kind of smear the scale on and give the pins a bunch of twists and turns and a couple of up & down smears to spread the stuff around a bit.I just love this adhesive now , it is the best "trick" to come along in a while. Like Tracy said , you can be back working on your blade in 15 minutes. At first I was a little excited about the price , ( about $35-40 for the combo ) for what seems like a very small amount. The bottle that the adhesive comes in (the yellow one you see in the adds) comes about 1/3 full & I thought wth ?? I glued up so many handles from that first bottle I honestly lost count. I bet it was 3-4 times as economical (cost wise) as any other adhesive I have used to date. I am still on my first can of activator , Mike I can't remember getting excited about adhesive but this is really good stuff , give it a try and I think you'll be using it too....its that good IMHO ;) I wanted to add that I keep all of my adhesives in a couple of the plastic type coffee cans . I made a small wire frame that fits on the outside of one to keep my "Loctite 325" bottle stored upside down and ready for action. The adhesive is a little on the thick side and it is much handier to store like that. Tracy when will you be ready for sales ??
 
David Wesner said:
... I made a small wire frame that fits on the outside of one to keep my "Loctite 325" bottle stored upside down and ready for action. The adhesive is a little on the thick side and it is much handier to store like that. Tracy when will you be ready for sales ??
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I'll have to have a look at rigging an upside down deal like you have.

I spent some time yesterday looking at the differences between 324, 325,326 and 330 Speedbonder. Each has been tweaked for a specifically defined purpose except for 330 which is a general adhesive. 325 has higher heat resistance, 326 sets up amazingly fast, 324 has good shock/impact resistance and 330 is a blend of everything but doesn't excell at anything. These are the only ones I pulled up. I think with some more research, we can find and define which adhesives are best for full tang, hidden tang using wood, micarta in chemical environments, extreme temperatures, etc.

I meet with the Loctite rep next week and the second I can get approved for reseller status is when I'll order. I'll make a post in the suppliers section when I get Loctite stuff in to sell. Amazingly, these big companies all seem to be concerned about a credit bond rating. They don't understand in the knife business we generally deal with a handshake.

I will also see if I can order Resinol, the stuff I think is the secret juice for stabilizing.
 
;) Thanks guys i appreciate the info. I think tomorrow morning before work i'll head to the fastenal store down the street (just figured out they're about 5 minutes away) and get me some of the 324 and activator. I have some knives back from HT and need to try out some handle materials with this new epoxy before i go putting together the mammoth ivory knife for a customer

i think i'm still going to scrifice the chicken under the full moon before i do that one just to be safe:thumbup: ;)
 
Mike,
Don't forget to wear your lucky socks, and keep the tip of the blade at due north at all times;)

Rick
 
damn rick i always forgot the socks!!
man you sure saved my butt!! time to drive off in the new snow to by some epoxy! here we go!
 
Hey Guys if you have a fastenal store near you check em out.

I just called for some 324 and activator
the 324 is under 9 bucks and the activator is just under 14 i think
not bad at all huh? best pries i've found so far

fastenal.com
 
I met with the Loctite rep today and it's a go for me to sell the Loctite stuff. It will take a few weeks to run it through the bean counters but after that we should be able to get some things ordered and in. Getting any of the Loctite adhesives is no problem. He says he has some stuff that will glue on bolsters with needing pins. I am going to get a some sample product and test it. I will also be able to get Resinol if you are interested stabilizing.

Let me know here or other email if you have a certain Loctite product you'd like to see available.
 
Sweet. I cant wait. I've always wondered why we werent using adhesives that were so strong they exceed the strength of the handle materials we use....

Im looking forward to ordering some of the stuff and trying it out!
 
ok so i just gave it a try.... been about a half an hour but i'm scared to touch it.
its still gooey on the outside, i know it's anerobic but how do i go about working with it? should i just wipe it all off then have at it?
this 15 minutes stuff is scaring me. i'm weary about it. somebody help and
re-assure me here. thanks guys. i hope this one works!!
 
OK Mike , If you put it on 15 mins ago @ 12:41 you're ready to start finishing your scales up. The "gooey" stuff on the outside will stay gooey all day & all night. Just wipe it down with acetone to clean it up for finishing & have at her. I sure hope this works for you Mike , especially after all the "hype" :)
 
thanks man. i'm off to work on em now.
just gotta push my brother in law off the grinder.

man i'm excited!! i hope this works. thanks again
 
Mike,
After reading your post on fastenal I ran out and bought some. Man am I glad I did! It is unbelievable how much time this stuff saves! It truly is worth it's weight in gold! In half an hour the other day I glued together a set of handles that included sanwiched spacers between the bolsters and also between the liners. That would have taken honestly several hours before, and I had everything sanded flat and square in under an hour! AMAZING! I can't thank you enough for starting this thread and also Tracy and David for sharing their experience and info.:thumbup: :thumbup: GREAT STUFF!
Matt Doyle
 
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