Need ideas for a jig

BarryC

BarryC

Well-Known Member
I make a lot of forged full tapered tang knives and need to build a jig to drill handle material like bone and antler. I boogered up a nice set of camel bone scales trying to force the pin thru. This doesn't seem to be a problem using wood or mircata but that bone was really hard and it chipped out enough to make them unusable.

So please post up your jigs for drilling scales on tapered tangs!
 
I don't think that any jig will help you out here. What I would do it tape the opposite side of the bone scale from what you're drilling from and go slowly with light pressure.

Doug
 
I have seen jigs posted for this but didn't pay much attention because I didn't need them at the time and now I can't find them. When you have a tapered tang and flat scales the angle is going to be off slightly by the amount of taper in tang if you just lay them flat on the table and drill. So a jig is needed to level the tang when drilling the pin holes so both scales have straight pin holes. Doug, I do tape the other side of the scale so the chip out wasn't from drilling it was from forcing the pin thru both scales with the slight angle from laying it flat on the table when drilling. What I need are pics of the jig used to level the tang so the drill bit goes straight thru and there is a 90 degree hole on both scale sides.
 
Hi Barry I don't use a jig. what I do is measure the thickness of the knife from the front of the handle and the thickness from the end of the tang. Split that measurement in half and make a shim to place under the handle and knife when drilling. Works good for me just make sure you put the shim on the correct end or you will be way off, not that I have ever done that...LOL

steve
 
I found a couple pics of a jig I think will work. Thought I would post them in case someone else was interested.

These came from Tracy Mickley's site. Thanks Tracy!

drill-jig-in-use.jpg

drill_scales_in_jig_upside_down.jpg
 
The tapers are forged in so drilling them before I start hammering wouldn't be a good idea. This is why I think a jig would be very helpful.
 
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