Fit and Finish: Glue lines proud over time.

meteorokra

meteorokra

Member
hey y'all.

been getting some knives i made back for sharpening and noticed some proud glue lines. the handles are two piece hidden tangs. when i finished the knives the transitions between materials was smooth. now, 6 months to a year later, the glue line between materials catches on my thumbnail, and can easily be felt running my finger over it. it's just the glue line from what i can tell, and not difference in materials (micarta and unstabilized zebra wood). i use west system epoxy g flex. i've noticed this in other knives too with other materials/handle construction (example: resin glued to vintage micarta on full tang). the knives i got back for sharpening are kitchen knives, so they're exposed to wet/oily environments.

so my question is, what's going on? what was once smooth and presumably cured glue has risen up, or all other materials have shrunk. anyone else have this issue?

thanks!
 
I would say the wood moved - not unusual at all. I've had that to happen many times, a yr or so later the wood/tang or wood/spacer joints wouldn't be as smooth as when built. I can't imagine G-Flex epoxy moving like that.
 
Do you have any pictures of it? I don’t have any ideas, but a picture might help. Between wood and Micarta, I can see the wood moving and causing this, if it looks like what I think it does. Between resin/micarta, maybe temperature differences could cause movement.
 
Hello. While researching this I found a post on KDogs from Jan 7 2020 that may have the answer.

"Another test I conducted... "glued" G10 to full tangs, let it cure for a week, and then into a can of water overnight...... next morning the G-Flex did not "let go" but there was a noticeable swelling in the glue joint,"

I don't know if moisture in fact had anything to do with the proud glue lines but it may be possible, especially with the kitchen knives.
Just food for thought.
 
i have a picture but you can't see anything from it. i figures it's a combination of things. i never thought of the epoxy swelling from water though. i'll probably do some testing and see what i can figure out. thanks for the input.
 
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