Would you guys like pics of some of the sheaths and restoration/tuning work as we go?

[roninsgrips]

Would you guys like pics of some of the sheaths and restoration/tuning work as we go? I always have a project or two in the works in parallel and would love to share pics and get comments. I post a lot of pictures to our Facebook account but there are only a few guys interested in the HI blades.

For example, right now I am finishing up a Kydex sheath for a 20" chiruwa ang khola that we rehandled with black canvas micarta and a sheath for a 15" BAS

And a sheath for a big 29" Tarwar sword.

The next photo is of the pressed kydex on the Tarwar that hasn't been trimmed yet:

Coming up are more sheaths as well as rehandling of a sweet 25-1/4" chitlangi and about a dozen other khukuris plus we have more KVLUKs that I ordered direct from Auntie that will get customized.

Here were the last two KVLUKs I did and posted pics as I worked on them.

This is a KVLUK with trimmed and untrimmed kydex:

If you'd like more as I work on them, please let me know. If this is inappropriate, please tell me and my apologies.

 

[blue lander]

I'm very interested in seeing your process. It's definitely something I could learn from.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Awesome. More more more!

 

[Steve Tall]

Looks great, thanks for the thread.

 

[ndoghouse]

Very cool! Love the KLVUK sheaths with open back:thumbup: Bluing looks great on KLVUK. Would love to see a few pics of the Chitlangi work! Now all you need to do is make one for your GCB! That would look good on your website with your company name across the front

 

[greenwoods]

Nice work, I enjoy seeing the various stages of completion. Thanks for sharing.


Mark

 

[greenwoods]

Nice work, I enjoy seeing the various stages of completion. Thanks for sharing.


Mark

 

[saltyveins]

I like them! Pls show more! Have any pics of the finished Tarwar sheath?

 

[Howard Wallace]

Beautiful marriage of ancient technologies and design and modern materials!

I enjoy being able to witness this ongoing evolution of the carry systems.

 

[Dirtbiker]

Are the blades cold blued or are they painted (alumihide or guncoat)

 

[roninsgrips]

Are the blades cold blued or are they painted (alumihide or guncoat)

It's Brownell's Oxypho cold blue.
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...luing-chemicals/oxpho-blue-reg--prod1072.aspx

I am still sorting out the finish that I like most. On the plus side, cold blues are easy to apply and maintain. On the con side, they don't hold up too well.

I tried parkerizing a few khukuris and the finish didn't hold up to chopping wood. It scuffed and wasn't something a user could maintain.



I am very much open to recommendations. I use Molyresin on rifles with a lot of success but they aren't getting beat up like the khukuris are.

 

[roninsgrips]

20" CAK with a wood handle

When we "tune" a khukuri, part of it is to go around the handle and true up the wood and metal so they fit flush. Right after this photo, I found a big crack and decided to redo the handle to have something to show folks:

Putting the handle into boiling water works great to loosen the Traditional laha glue. I also use a jeweler's torch with oxyacetylene to remove the brazed on bolster so I can do my own handle contour vs. sticking closer to the original. I wish I had some photos of these steps, but I don't -- next time guys.

After cutting the black canvas micarta to rough shape, I then abrasive blast the surfaces of the blade and the scales. This can almost double the surface area plus the tiny nooks and crevices created really give the epoxy something to grab on to. Folks who skip blasting and then a good cleaning with brake cleaner or acetone risk not getting a good bond. There are whole threads dedicated to testing epoxies and believe me when I tell you that epoxies are not all the same - not even remotely. My preference is Brownell's Acraglas and I buy it usually buy it in 28oz bottles and use 10ml syringes to meter the resin 4 parts to 1 part hardener, which I then add glass fiber and dye to. It's a great structural epoxy and can both bond surfaces and act as a filler. Here's a link to Brownell's website: http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...ock-bedding-adhesives/acraglas--prod1033.aspx.

Note - sometimes they stock out so you may have to buy a different product, such as a kit, to get started. You can do 1-2 blades with a two gun kit depending on how much filling you need to do vs. just bonding. HI khukuri tangs are a challenge because they taper in two directions - top to bottom and front to back. It makes life colorful so be sure you use the right epoxy to help fill the gaps. Because of the mass of the khukuris and that they are choppers, I would recommend using pins plus epoxy - not just epoxy alone. Guys will argue about whether to use pins or not - I do. My choice for big khukuris is 3/8" brass and I use a thick walled brass tube for the last pin to both give strength and allow a paracord lanyard to pass through.

Here's the khukuri right after gluing:

Here it is with the brass pins inserted:

Here it is after the initial sanding:

End result:

 

[roninsgrips]

The Tarwar sheath is still in process. I need to order the stand offs to secure the belt loop plate to the main body of the sheath. The sheath is just roughed in right now. I need to finish tuning the kit and then sanding the sides down as well so this is still rough.

I'll post more when it is done.

 

[olpappy]

Here were the last two KVLUKs I did and posted pics as I worked on them.

Love the KVLUKs, they look great. I tried searching for pics of them in progress but couldn't find them. How do you keep the bluing chemicals off the handle wood when doing the edges of the buttcap, painters tape?

 

[roninsgrips]

Love the KVLUKs, they look great. I tried searching for pics of them in progress but couldn't find them. How do you keep the bluing chemicals off the handle wood when doing the edges of the buttcap, painters tape?

I didn't do detailed in process photos. I did the wood first and sealed it. I wear nitrile gloves and liberally pour / splash / lather the Oxypho on the blade. The butt cap is done with a cotton ball and I keep wiping the wood off. If the wood is sealed, there's nothing for the Oxypho to discolor but I do try to keep it off of it.

Note: Surface prep is incredibly important to getting a solid dark cold bluing result. I have a blast cabinet and use 70/80 Aluminum Oxide at 90-100 PSI with a dust capture system. This really abrades the surface nicely and prepares it for whatever finish you plan on doing.

One thing I tried was blasting the wood as well. I blast plastic all the time to texture the surface and create a better grip. It does the same thing with wood but you have to move quickly and maintain at least four inches to not dig craters or blow the wood apart.

THE KVLUKs are so cool. Their weight and balance are remarkable. I don't think a lot of guys realize just how nice they are.

I ordered four more direct from Auntie and hope to see them sometime in the next few weeks. I haven't decided what I will do yet but am kicking a number of ideas around in my head.

 

[roninsgrips]

Oh - almost forgot, in addition to the surface prep with the blaster, be sure to clean the metal with acetone or brake cleaners and wear nitrile gloves to prevent getting oils from your skin on the steel. Also, heat the khukuri up to around 100F to help accelerate the cluing process. Basically as the steel gets warmer, the chemical reaction goes faster. At 100F, you aren't going to hurt the wood or the steel. I heat up the Oxypho too.

 

[roninsgrips]

Work on the first two KVLUKs in October 2013


Here are the original KVLUKs bought from Auntie on a deal of the day:
[IMG}http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t221/gspafford/Khukuris/16in%20Pair%20of%20KVLUKs%20in%201013/01e248c7c2b77a3829ef5f7bc8ae574ee6cf7a61f9_zpsf71e9b08.jpg[/IMG]

The black mill scale looks cool. Mill scale is some combination of iron oxide, hematite and magnetite. You could oil that or use something else to stabilize it but it's a bit of a lost cause in a sense. Due to its nature, if the scale cracks it can actually accelerate corrosion at that point. Because of this, I opted to use my abrasive blaster and remove it and did see signs of rust as I blew it off. The cool hammer marks are still there even after the blasting.
Here is one that has been blasted next to another still in original form:

The handles look cool after the blasting as well plus the texture is great - the hand doesn't want to slip on it.

Here's a close up of the blades. I inspect the metal after blasting and any shiny spots get touched up with the blaster until it's all a uniform grey.

I do the sheaths before I finalize the blades. As you pull a blade in and out of Kydex, the finish can and will wear. I use 0.093" Kydex and depending on the khukuri and the size of the blade, I either fold the sheet over or use two sheets. Here, I could fold it over. I then use a black Sharpie to mark what to cut and then my bandsaw to cut the outline.

Once the sheaths are finished, I then moved to the handles. This handle is Minwax Red Mahogany that is hand rubbed in with 3-4 coats and then I used approximately 3 coats of boiled linseed oil (BLO) to finish it:

This handle is Minwax Red Chestnut and had BLO applied as well.

Note, the stain and BLO will come right off the metal with brake cleaner.

I really like the hammered tribal look of the blades. The Brownell's Oxypho Blue cold bluing really helped bring out the detail in the steel:

Here the two KVLUK's pretty much done. I hadn't put the large Tek-Loks or retaining straps on the sheaths yet:

This photo is of the KVLUKs in their sheaths. I like this design of sheath because you can either mount it for cross drawing like a sword or vertically requiring a forward tilt and lift motion.

Here are the pommels:

We added a retainer strap with a DOT Line 24 snap after guys gave us feedback that they wanted extra security when riding trails on ATVs. The strap is 3/4" nylon webbing and what it does it hold the Kydex closed. By doing so there is lateral stress on the snap and it just does not want to let go. A snap requires a vertical pull - not a sideways pull.

This shows the large Tek-Lok and the strap being retained by the #8 snap stud's screw.

I hope this gets you interested / sheds some light on matters. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Ray Settanta]

Thanks for this. Nice work.

 

[roninsgrips]

Thanks for this. Nice work.

Thank you Ray. I wish I had taken more photos in hindsight.

 

[olpappy]

Superb, this thread is so informative and the pics are amazing. Never thought I,d find out what mill scale is made of!