What's going on in your shop?

opaul said:
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I'm still working up enough courage to try my first stacked handle. But, I'm still unclear how to finish the butt end. In an earlier photo it looks like the stack is compressed using a bolt & nut on the cap to compress the stack..
If it's not too late could you show photos of what the butt end cap pieces are & how they fit? Specifically, I'm baffled how to finish the joint between the screw and the nut so that there isn't a fine crack/line showing. Or, do you put a cap-like nut (like an acorn nut) that sits over the screw end? Is there ever a need to tighten the nut on the screw if the leather stack shrinks?
Thanks in advance, I learn a lot watching your (and others) WIPs.
 
MTBob said:
I'm still working up enough courage to try my first stacked handle. But, I'm still unclear how to finish the butt end. In an earlier photo it looks like the stack is compressed using a bolt & nut on the cap to compress the stack..
If it's not too late could you show photos of what the butt end cap pieces are & how they fit? Specifically, I'm baffled how to finish the joint between the screw and the nut so that there isn't a fine crack/line showing. Or, do you put a cap-like nut (like an acorn nut) that sits over the screw end? Is there ever a need to tighten the nut on the screw if the leather stack shrinks?
Thanks in advance, I learn a lot watching your (and others) WIPs.
Click to expand...
I’ve done it several ways but I always (so far) have used a threaded bolt soldered to the tang to clamp the leather washers to the handle. The butt can be finished off with a blind threaded butt cap or thru drilled threaded butt cap. On this knife I thru threaded a micarta spacer and then epoxied a solid micarta butt cap over that.
I use compressed sole leather so I’m not thinking the leather is going to shrink.
Here’s a photo what I just described.
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Did a rehab on a knife for a guy on FaceBook. No idea who the original maker was or the steel used.

Before:
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After removing the rust on the hollow grind, EDM stones/sand paper to a 600 grit handrub, cleaned up the handle with 320, 400, 600 sandpaper and multiple coats of Tung Oil and a new Battleship grey kryptek sheath with Molle clip! I left some of the dents in the handle because I didn't know if they were pins or Corby's and didn't want to blow through them. Handle was a bit thin already and I didn't want to make it thinner!
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Spent 5 hours grinding on hardened S90V 120-16 micron grits and got it pretty shiny! 5" Shechita with black SureTouch handles

Curtains in the reflection:
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Shechita 1.jpg

62 HRC Elmax feels soft after S90V! Stabilized Aqua color scales, toxic liners and black frame. Debating if I want to square up the front of the handle and do a black G10 guard/toxic liners or keep it like this?
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Bühlmann said:
@opaul , you can't just drop knife steel like that on a post about butt caps and not mention it. C'mon man, details!
Click to expand...
Ok. :>}
I like to secure the knife handle with a threaded rod soldered to the tang. I leave the threaded rod long enough to extend past the butt while Im fitting the bolster, etc. once I have everything fitted up I use a fostner bit to drill out the butt end deep enough to keep the nut below the end of the butt cap. The nut permanently secures the handle to the tang via the threaded rod. I leave about 3/16” of the threaded rod proud of the nut. This is all epoxied up during final assembly, except the counter bore hole from the fostner bit. That space is saved for the plug.
I then use the fostner bit to drill into the material I’m using for the butt cap. I then cut around the ‘circle’ made by the fostner bit
to make a plug to fit in the butt countersink. It’s about 1/4” or so in height. I drill the center of that to set over the threaded rod sitting proud of the nut. I glue the plug to side grain that matches the handle. Once that’s set up it’s a matter of fitting the piece so it sits flush on the butt.
That’s epoxied in place. I use tape to clamp it during the epoxy set up.
End result looks like this. Next time I’ll do photos. African Blackwood BTW.
5B6A63F9-149B-496D-B99B-1493CC376EEE.jpeg
 
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