Your construction method for hidden tang?

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
9,437
Since I'm fighting with two knives out in the shop, I figured I'd jump in here and ask about techniques.

I've done quite a few knives with hidden tang and pommel/pommel nuts...but it seems every one I've fought with and cussed at, and figured there must be a better way.

So you've got the guard and ferrule fitted up nice and tight...you need to fit your block (or ivory or ---) up nice and tight with the ferrule and have the threaded tang run out of the butt end, exactly in the middle, in-line with the center-line of the blade, and @ 90 degrees to the end...

So what do YOU do next??? :)

Thanks,
Nick

by the way, I'm talking about a handle like the knife in my signature.
 
improve your vocabulary... learn some non-English cusswords.
works for me, Nick, cuz the battle is just about the same each time. :D I know, I'm no help at all.....

Actually Nick, this is where I find a tilt-table disc grinder with a fence almost indispensable. Also, this is why I like to use a piece of allthread for attaching the pommel nut. If you braze on brass allthread, it gives a wee bit and allows an easier fit when tightening.
 
Merde! Nick, once the guard is on, place one of those adjustable angle thingies(I think that's the correct term;) ), against the guard, and adjust the bar down the line of the tang. By transferring this info to the outside of your handle block, you will know how to drill it. You can also determine the angle to grind the front of the block, at the same time.

I haven't given you a very good description here, but I have faith that you will figure it out:D . If not, let me know, and I will look in the dictionary for better words. :p
 
Nick, I braze (high temp silver solder) a piece of stainless bolt with NF threads onto my tang. I drill and tap my pommels, whether NS, brass or stainless. This gives me a strong mechanical advantage along with the bonding agent and requires no clamping if you have a good fit. I grind and polish the pommels to mate them up with the handle material. The only disadvantage to this method is that you can usually see about a 1/2 thread gap at the rear of the pommel on one side of the threads, much like with Loveless bolts. This has never been a consideration for my customers so I do not worry about it.
 
I have only done two hidden tangs and one of those was a restoration. So, maybe my idea might be worth a look since I am no expert but just a fellow wondering how best to do it and therefore not yet set in my ways about it.

I have pinned my ferrules into the handle material - longitudinaly so they are not seen. (the guard or bolster is soldered.) One pin on top and one on bottom. I have only done one pommel. That one was pinned into the handle material but not the way I would do it for a material not likely to bond well with an epoxy. For that I would pin but tap the pommel for the threaded pins. I would rough the handle material pin holes. These two or more pins would be threaded by me their entire length. The threads would be saturated with epoxy of choice.

A second way I have considered for the pommel is to dove tail both pommel and handle butt. This would require sinking a hole wide enough to allow the dove tail mill to enter and then dove tail a swath for a bonding agent of choice. Here I would mix my epoxy with a strong aggragate, such as fine steel dust as an example. I have done this in a similar manner for bolsters on full tangs. I dove tail a cut in both bolster halves starting at about center of bolster height; start cutting from the rear, or handle material end, of bolster. I have already drilled a generous hole through the tang where the bolsters rest so that the bonding flows from one bolster dove tail to the other. Clamp tight and allow to cure; she's locked. This is not as good as solder because it does not provide a water tight seal between bolster and tang. It looks like it does though.

Roger
 
Nothin to it. Just find the center of your guard / ricasso area. then sence you already have your guard shoulder stops ground in, just pull a 90 degree angle off the guard stops that lines up with the center mark of the guard, that will give you a center mark right down your tang. now figure out how long you want your handle and leave plenty of tang. grind the end of the tang down to a strong 1/8" of you center line top and bottom, that will leave you a 1/4" plus. round it with your grinder and thread the tang, bingo, tang is lined up with the center of your guard. If your going to put a little slant to your pommel, just bend the very end of the tang down to accommodate the angle, grind the angle you want on your handle material and screw on the pommel.

Hope this helps,

Bill
 
Must just be luck but the faces of my blocks have always layed flat against the ferrule and pommel. Since I have no way to weld allthread to the tang I cheated (like I do so much of this) by filing mating hooked notches into the tang and allthread. This gave a strong mechanical link and allowed the allthread to "swivel" to the pommel. The key is having a channel through the handle that is a close enough fit to hold everything in place. It worked for me. ;) Good luck, looking foward to the final result!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top