A couple tips on hidden tang construction

That debonder wouldn't be mostly just acetone, would it? I got some acetone on a CA finished handle the otehr day and it removed the 5 layers i'd laboriously slathered, setting me back more than a few minutes. From my observation it'd work in much the same way you describe. I like CA, but have trouble finishing the front edge of a handle cleanly if there is no guard.
 
wordsmith said:
That debonder wouldn't be mostly just acetone, would it? I got some acetone on a CA finished handle the otehr day and it removed the 5 layers i'd laboriously slathered, setting me back more than a few minutes. From my observation it'd work in much the same way you describe. I like CA, but have trouble finishing the front edge of a handle cleanly if there is no guard.
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I dont think acetone will do the same thing as debonder but maybe I should test it to see.
Note, this is "thin" CA and flows great. The thick stuff would need to be moved around and would build up very thick.

I used to sand the layers back down and then apply another coat but got cloudy results because the sanding marks were visible through the clear coating. This method of using the debonder to smooth after sanding seems to fix the cloudiness. If you get CA on the blade it comes back off with a new razor blade or dissolve it off carefully with the debonder.
 
clemsonreeder said:
Bruce, are you keeping the CA off of the guard as you apply it?
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Its on the guard too but is getting thinner each time I use the debonder. The guard will need some final sanding as its only down to 500 grit right now.

I am progressively going higher in grits and should arrive at about 2000 and then furniture polish. I dont like buffers.
 
Thanks for all the good tips in this thread Bruce. I have not made a knife in months due to the fire. I should be back up and running in my new place in Montana in about another month. But, I have been reading here almost everyday and I know my next knives will be a leap above the last ones simply because of the knowledge gained.
 
ib2v4u said:
Thanks for all the good tips in this thread Bruce. I have not made a knife in months due to the fire. I should be back up and running in my new place in Montana in about another month. But, I have been reading here almost everyday and I know my next knives will be a leap above the last ones simply because of the knowledge gained.
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Hi Jim, Its sure nice to hear from you again. It went silent around here for too long. Sounds like youve had a rough ride the last year or so but what great plans you have now. Good luck my friend.
 
Here is the finished knife and handle.
I do like this finish because it is rock hard and can be polished or satin finished all depending on the disired look. It may be slippery when bloody but the design of the handle and a finger guard will keep the hand safe from the sharp blade. The full beauty and depth of the grain is visible.
I dont think its as difficult to do on wood as most of the other finishes. There is some question whether it needs any added finish on a stabilized wood and I think with this particular piece with the stabilizing process used it benefitted from the added hardness. I dont like the fact that my finger nail could leave an impression as it was. Some hardwoods are so hard they cant easily be scratched but this buckeye burl was light in weight and too soft for me.

Anyway thanks for looking and listening to my ramblings.

100_3432_edited.jpg


100_3433_edited.jpg
 
Bruce Bump said:
There is some question whether it needs any added finish on a stabilized wood and I think with this particular piece with the stabilizing process used it benefitted from the added hardness. I dont like the fact that my finger nail could leave an impression as it was. Some hardwoods are so hard they cant easily be scratched but this buckeye burl was light in weight and too soft for me.
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Bruce I thought the stabilization process was supposed to harden a soft wood to where the extra hardness of a finish was not nessecary or I thought it was supposed to make it like are real hardwood.
 
WadeH said:
Bruce I thought the stabilization process was supposed to harden a soft wood to where the extra hardness of a finish was not nessecary or I thought it was supposed to make it like are real hardwood.
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Stabilized woods can still be softer than I like. Redwood seems to be the softest and lightest in weight. This one was stabilized by Burl Source and is actually a free piece to try. I talked to Mark after I did the CA treatment and he said a few of the Buckeye Burls got out lighter in weight and has an improved method now. Its probally just me but I like em hard and heavy. Not all wood is created equal. Actually some of the stabilized wood cant show its real grain beauty. This one looks really deep and clear. The pictures cant do it justice.
 
Bruce Bump said:
Blade Magazine asked me to do a gun/knife "how to" but I dont see how I can do that in only a couple pages. I have hundreds of photos of several of my projects. I just cant skip important steps so it takes a boat load of space.
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Bruce,
If you have the article/tutorial/WIP written, maybe it could be done in multiple part installments. I would love to see it in print. If it's already written, it should take some editing and figuring out which pics are most important to include. Besides, a 12 part tutorial on how to build one of YOUR pieces should increase distribution!!
Love your work, and thanks for sharing it with us. Rex
 
Hi Bruce, I have to ask. When you say smooth the finish out with your finger, is it a bare finger or gloved? I've never used debonder before.

Leadfoot
 
Leadfoot2 said:
Hi Bruce, I have to ask. When you say smooth the finish out with your finger, is it a bare finger or gloved? I've never used debonder before.

Leadfoot
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Hi Leadfoot,
I use a bare finger but I understand latex gloves are the way to go. The debonder will desolve the super glue enough to spread it fairly smooth so final sanding is much quicker. As stated before I get cloudyness trapped between coats if I sand each coat. I only sand the final coat so it needs to be pretty smooth from the debonder.
 
Bruce Bump said:
Hi Leadfoot,
I use a bare finger but I understand latex gloves are the way to go. The debonder will desolve the super glue enough to spread it fairly smooth so final sanding is much quicker. As stated before I get cloudyness trapped between coats if I sand each coat. I only sand the final coat so it needs to be pretty smooth from the debonder.
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Bruce,
I have seen photos showing your hands so I can believe it when you said you use a bare finger. Some of the wood turners will use the plastic from a baggy between their finger and the glue. I haven't tried it so you should pay close attention not to glue the bag to the wood. Probably not the healthiest thing to do but many a day I go home with dry glue on my fingertips.
 
Beutiful knife Bruce! I know it's "old hat", been doing hidden tanges for years, but it was still a good tutorial and I got a couple ideas on easier ways to do things, thanks.:thumbup:

Now, what caliber does it shoot?:D
 
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