52100 & W2 damascus skinner. Work in progress

[Jclonts82]

Thats probably a good idea. Right now if you put your finger under the curved section of the guard, the knife balances perfectly flat, so that is the center of mass. 

[MastaStan]

My very humble opinion...

The amount of time you've taken making the Damascus, forging the blade and getting it ready for a handle was well spent. It was set to be a lovely looking knife.

But by rushing the handle you've really spoiled it. You should have had it 'dry fitted' and if you weren't happy with it, just left it until you had time to fix or redo the offending part.

Everything is a learning curve though, I have plenty of little things I wish I woulda/shoulda/coulda done....

I understand your restraints with regards to family life. I have the same thing too.

All the best.

Edited September 21, 2017 by MastaStan

[Jclonts82]

 

Everything is a learning curve though, I have plenty of little things I wish I woulda/shoulda/coulda done....

I agree. This being the 6th thing I've ever put a handle on, and first guard ever it is definitely a learning curve. 

 

I'm considering a light reshaping the guard tonight. I think I have a 1/2 inch diameter drum sander attachment, and would provide a better curve. I soldered the three guard pieces together, and put 3 pins in it, 1 being through the tang. One of them is about 1mm from the radius of the guard, and is the reason i didn't radius any further in. Being soldered together, and epoxied to the tang, I may be able to radius the guard going through the pin and maki it look a little less bulky there. 

 

I will think about it for the rest of the day and decide when I get home. 

[Jclonts82]

Ok... bugged me all day, wife gave me an hour after reading the suggestions she agreed i should clean up the guard. 

 

Its still FAR from perfect, but its at least an improvement.

[SLAG]

JCL.,

You did a nice job. I like it.

I often photocopy or scan the blade & tang, or the blade, tang, plus guard in order to get a good enough pattern shape for the knife bolsters. Especially where the knife is a non standard shape.

My photocopier can use light card board stock instead of paper. Perhaps your printer can print on such stock too.

The print or photocopy can then be cut out. Make it a little bigger so you have scope to cut down traced and cut wood.

The outline allows me to saw a fairly close shape for the scales. I make the scale cutting slightly larger in order to allow me to cut, file, or sand the knife scales to closely fit the tang.

A paper pattern can be glued to heavier stock if the knife pattern would be used again. (duplicated).

Alternatively, you could make the cut out pattern out of a thin ply-wood sheet.

That cut out pattern is affixed to the wood and the outline is traced onto the wood that is used for your scales.

The cardboard pattern can be made more robust by painting all sides and edges with an enamel paint. That stiffens and strengthens the pattern for future use. (& makes it moisture proof).

This whole exercise, (above), allows me to skip cutting a rough fitting scale and then repeatedly cutting and shaping it to fit the blade and tang.

This explanation may appear obvious to many, but I am writing this post on the off chance that some members have not been aware of it.

Regards to all,

SLAG.

[SLAG]

J. B. Weld sells an epoxy that it states is super strong. It cures in 24 hours and not the usual 5 minutes of the majority of other epoxies.

AND it is black colored. If a black colored glue is required to fill gaps try it. It obviates the need to fill the adhesive with graphite or other coloring agent.

It is an excellent glue. 

I had forgotten about it when I first posted on this thread.

Regards,

SLAG.

[Frosty]

Slag is that Set time or Cure time on the black, JB weld epoxy?

Frosty The Lucky.

[SLAG]

Jer.

The 24 hours is cure time. It starts to set up at about an hour or an hour and a half, after the two resins are mixed.. (I am guestimating the latter time). But it can be worked for far longer than that

For a more secure bond, I leave it for 36 or 48 hours. And if still more bond strength is desired, I use more resin and somewhat less polymerizer. ( = catalyst). Heating the substrate, mildly also aids in a stronger bond.

Epoxy resin glues have an interesting property absent in most other glues. The items to be bonded need not be squeezed strongly together. A small gap is okay because the cured glue is very strong in and of itself. Its often stronger than the materials being glued.

It is passing strange that most epoxy resin available at the hardware stores are the 5 minute variety. Some years back, both types were equally available for sale.

But thy still carry J. B. Weld.

Of course, commercial suppliers and specialty knife supply sellers have all manner of different resins with different attributes.

Regards,

SLAG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jclonts82]

I have used that before. And I love it. If what we are talking about is the same thing it mixes together at a consistency of toothpaste-ish?  I Used that on my first knife I ever put a handle on. Also if making a hidden tang, the hole will not have to be AS snug of a fit as the epoxy will fill the rest. There are 2 varieties, the longer setting one, and a faster setting/curing one that I think they call Steel Stick. That will cure under water or even in the presence of gas (ie patching a gas tank on an old beater piece of equipment) 

 

He LOVED the knife, was over the moon about it. And the fact that he could dry shave with very little pressure, said it was one of the sharpest knives he had ever seen. I just hope my quench and temper were spot on so it stays that way

 

Thanks for the input everyone, as always it was a great learning experience. 

 

 

NOW, on to a sickle for the next project, and a 300# oak burl I came across, and how to dry it to turn it into knife scales!