How to Sculpt Handles

theWeatherman

theWeatherman

Well-Known Member
I was hoping you guys could tell me about sculpting handles? What is this really called and how do you do it. I have asked some people and they don't know what I am talking about or they don't have the time to explain it to me.

Any of you guys care to enlighten me about the specifics? How it is done? What tools can be used? How to finish the scales after the shaping? How to space the gauges, etc?

Sculpted Handles.jpg

Thanks!
 
Hi Brian, Hope I can help you out here, Hope I understand what your asking. How I have done what your picture shows, is just use a Dremel tool with a sanding drum and sculpt away ! Use your imagination and create what you have in your mind !
068.jpg
This is a Neck Knife I did with a Corian Handle and sculpted
 
I think the dremel sanding bit is too big a radius for what I was thinking, like the picture I originally posted. However, that is a good idea if I knew about the right bit to use.
 
Small wheel, Very small wheel

Like a flex belt over a pin
Highly doubt someone hand filed those scales.
They do the same thing to G10/Micarta
 
For real small cuts, try a very small burr bit, 1/8" shaft, in your dremel at a low speed until you get comfortable with the cut it will make and how long that cut will take. I would use single cut teeth, solid carbide. I found them at a large industrial supply house, MSC DIRECT, as small as 1/16" diameter. They will cut almost anything, including hardened steel and come in about a dozen different shapes.
the old sailor
 
stabber said:
Small wheel, Very small wheel

Like a flex belt over a pin
Highly doubt someone hand filed those scales.
They do the same thing to G10/Micarta
Click to expand...


Your correct. The person who did those handle scales for the folder said he had tons of tools that took him 30 years to do but he didn't have the time to tell me about how he did it.

What is a flex belt over a pin?
 
scott.livesey said:
For real small cuts, try a very small burr bit, 1/8" shaft, in your dremel at a low speed until you get comfortable with the cut it will make and how long that cut will take. I would use single cut teeth, solid carbide. I found them at a large industrial supply house, MSC DIRECT, as small as 1/16" diameter. They will cut almost anything, including hardened steel and come in about a dozen different shapes.
the old sailor
Click to expand...

This isn't a bad idea either, but the only thing would be that it would be like carving, and harder to make it all even and uniform compared to something that was like a file. Now, if I had some way of using a small wheel with a belt on it that would be the way to go, but I only have a 2x42 craftsman.
 
And after not figuring the multi quote thing out and reading the linked thread above, and only having a 2x42 craftsfman, I think the dremel with a 1/4" sanding drum or a 3/8" sanding drum would probably do it. Thanks guys!

A file would work but that is a big time consuming project compared to a drum.
 
theWeatherman said:
Your correct. The person who did those handle scales for the folder said he had tons of tools that took him 30 years to do but he didn't have the time to tell me about how he did it.

What is a flex belt over a pin?
Click to expand...

This is what I meant by Small wheel, I have a 5/16" diameter small wheel that would also do what you have shown, a Flex belt is a J weight Like the Hermes superflex J weight belts I get in 120, 220, and the 600 Grits I use for most all of my handle sculpting in wood or Synthetics..
I think they are the RB346 series of belts by Hermes. I use these for sharpening as well.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives,com
 
I'm guessing it would take 15 minutes per scale with a good coarse file to rough them in, but then again getting the cuts sanded down to 600grit is going to take awhile...
 
I have a dremal with a flex shaft and use the sanding drums. I use the larger one on bigger knives and the smaller on small knives it is real messy and you (NEED) to wear a resperator.
But it works real well and only takes maybe 10 min on large knives. You can check out My facebook Spry Knives and look at my album to see examples. Also you can get 60 grit sanding drums and for me they work the best. After sculpting I eather bead blast or hand sand if I want smooth.
MoblMec
 
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