Keeping bevel clean while gluing up?

Mark Barone

Mark Barone

Well-Known Member
Just wondering how you keep the bevel clean and untarnished, scratched, during the latter parts of the process. Sometimes I use blue tape and it seems to leave marks.
 
Chris Railey said:
The easy way is to wrap in a blue shop towel then use tape. I spray some of them with Plasti-dip spray paint first if I am afraid they May rust.
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Do I recall correctly that plasti dip spray will peal off? If not, how do you remove it?
Gonna try that blue towel trick, thanks!
 
MTBob said:
Do I recall correctly that plasti dip spray will peal off? If not, how do you remove it?
Gonna try that blue towel trick, thanks!
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The Plasti dip is just thin spray rubber. It peels right off. I prefer it to coating in oil simply because it is cleaner. The humidity here is terrible so if I leave a blade in my shop for a few days it will rust. The rubber prevents that. Its not tough enough to just use the rubber so you will still want to wrap with tape or towel and tape.
 
Another "TRICK" I learned was to heavily wax the blade near the Ricaso then wrap Blade on painters tape. Epoxy your scales down. Dont do anything to the squeeze out on Ricaso, let it dry then go back with a razor type knife catch that Epoxyand snap it off. First coiuple blades are scary but it works GREAT!
 
Gliden07 said:
Another "TRICK" I learned was to heavily wax the blade near the Ricaso then wrap Blade on painters tape. Epoxy your scales down. Dont do anything to the squeeze out on Ricaso, let it dry then go back with a razor type knife catch that Epoxyand snap it off. First coiuple blades are scary but it works GREAT!
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I’d like to try that. It seems like when I clean the ricasso off with acetone, I’m taking some out under the scale.
 
Gliden07 said:
Another "TRICK" I learned was to heavily wax the blade near the Ricaso then wrap Blade on painters tape. Epoxy your scales down. Dont do anything to the squeeze out on Ricaso, let it dry then go back with a razor type knife catch that Epoxyand snap it off. First coiuple blades are scary but it works GREAT!
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How do you get the wax placed >exactly< at the ricasso-to-scale line? It would seem, that if not exact, there could be wax under the scale or unprotected areas on the ricasso.
 
Just wondering how you keep the bevel clean and untarnished, scratched, during the latter parts of the process. Sometimes I use blue tape and it seems to leave marks.
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I don't use anything to cover blades, but just try to be mindful, cautious, and blow away swarf with compressed air as I go. Most "staining" that can happen from various wood dusts are easily cleaned up during final finishing with a dab of flitz or similar metal polish. Some woods, such as cocobolo, some walnuts, and rosewoods have oils/resins that will literally etch into non-stainless steels, so you have to be extra careful with those.

The reason I don't cover blades when finishing handles is because I'm always grinding a bit, and then looking at/sighting down the blade/handle to ensure that things are even and balanced side to side, top to bottom, and all the way around. If you cover blades, then you can't sight down the spine, edge, or anything else to ensure you're grinding evenly. And when you aren't constantly looking as you grind, that's when you come out with a handle that is "lop-sided" or it makes the blade look like it juts off to one side or the other when looking down the spine from the handle end. It's just another one of those things that come along with knifemaking that you have to learn about, and figure out how to counteract. ;)
 
To avoid the ricasso mess I simply do not put epoxy all the way to the end of the scale. I guesstimate how much squeeze-out I will get from the clamping pressure and I stop my epoxy before that point. Works like a charm.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
I don't use anything to cover blades, but just try to be mindful, cautious, and blow away swarf with compressed air as I go. Most "staining" that can happen from various wood dusts are easily cleaned up during final finishing with a dab of flitz or similar metal polish. Some woods, such as cocobolo, some walnuts, and rosewoods have oils/resins that will literally etch into non-stainless steels, so you have to be extra careful with those.

The reason I don't cover blades when finishing handles is because I'm always grinding a bit, and then looking at/sighting down the blade/handle to ensure that things are even and balanced side to side, top to bottom, and all the way around. If you cover blades, then you can't sight down the spine, edge, or anything else to ensure you're grinding evenly. And when you aren't constantly looking as you grind, that's when you come out with a handle that is "lop-sided" or it makes the blade look like it juts off to one side or the other when looking down the spine from the handle end. It's just another one of those things that come along with knifemaking that you have to learn about, and figure out how to counteract. ;)
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Yes I understand what you are saying. I don’t usually grind but I like to see the whole knofe even as I contour the handle.
 
I neglected to say anything about gluing, but was reminded when I read Chris's post. Always totally finish out the front of scales, or guard before gluing. False fit everything (put it in place in such a manner that it's removable), then use Vaseline to cover the blade, and front of scales or guard.... then gently take it apart, glue and reassemble. Any glue that overruns onto areas that have Vaseline on them, will cure and at worst, have to be "popped" off, with a sharpened brass rod (or other material that is softer than the steel, so it does not scratch). Cleaning off the Vaseline isn't a major chore, and it's sure much easier than dealing with a stray glob of epoxy that has cured where you don't want it. ;)
 
This thread is really helpful, addressing one of the frustrating little assembly steps. It's giving me lots of ideas to try.
Thanks.
 
I had the same issue with blue tape. I read on one of the forums something that really helped. Tape the the blade first with Teflon plumbers tape then electric tape. Maybe not the cheapest but work fantastic. Also I don’t tape to the scales edge. I leave a space there so I can clean the epoxy. You don’t want epoxy in your tape.
 
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