Recommendation? Is it possible to cure a slight bent of bone scale? [Results!]

[Alex.Y.]

or it was cut from a curved piece of bone and kinda has memory

I never thought of that! Might be the case.

Initially I checked the slabs, of course I did, and they were absolutely fine.

Well, I don't have a workshop of any kind, just some tools in my apartment, so I can't really use something as a grinder for many reasons like space, noise, dust etc. Of course it could have been easier that way and with some practice too, but I have what I have and try to get the best of it. Sandpaper on a flat surface is an interesting idea though, thanks!

 

[Horsewright]

Gotcha. Yeah either too much heat when initially flattening, the natural curve of the bone or (and this just occurred to me but the bone wasn't dry when shaped into scales.

The practice with that grinder is improtant. I don't anymore but I can't tell ya how much skin I lost getting stuff flat first. Lots! Working on 20 knives right now and three have bone scales.

 

[Alex.Y.]

the bone wasn't dry when shaped into scales.

Visibly it was dry, but I guess you mean some inner wet on micro level.

I can't tell ya how much skin I lost getting stuff flat first. Lots!

Wow... Maybe some gloves made of thick and strong leather could help? I made me some.. err... leather shields to cover my hand outside and a thumb for such jobs. You can see it works even for the hand tools.

Working on 20 knives right now and three have bone scales.

Cool, do you plan to show them somewhere here?

 

[meako]

Dare I say that this has been? A learning? Curve?

 

[sf fanatic]

Dare I say that this has been? A learning? Curve?

Dare I add the scientific/medical term, peyronie’s curve?

 

[Alex.Y.]

Dare I say that this has been? A learning? Curve?

I guess my English is not good enough, I don't understand. Could you please explain?

 

[Just Tom.]

I guess my English is not good enough, I don't understand. Could you please explain?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_curve

Of course, it could be that your English is perfectly fine, but your response was a toungue-in-cheek way of telling him his joke wasn’t funny…

And just in case:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue-in-cheek

By the way, your English is very good

 

[Will Power]

I don’t usually like to disagree here Will, but the way language evolves I prefer to side with Bladeforum’s common usage. Whatever that may be.

Alan, disagreeing is fine and even good and you are always articulate and reasoned. We are here to disagree sometimes as it's a forum As I said, it's all legit but a matter of preference, my beef with covers is that I suspect it's derived from Modern knives where you can easily change slabs in seconds or they are inserts or just embellishments. You can't change the 'covers' on a Traditional knife without a major dismantling process. However, I know a lot of people here prefer the word, it might be BF common usage...but in other areas of BF the common usage for Traditional knives is 'those Grandpa knives'

Thanks, Will

 

[Will Power]

Alex.Y. Done good work there and made for an interesting and practical thread As for English or any other languages for that matter, native-speakers often use the 'worst' and simplistic forms of their language so relax.

Next time you try this you might opt for putting a flexible sandwich layer between the scales and the metal, a coloured liner or spacer often red, black or white to compensate for any curvature or subsequent movement of the scale or indeed as contrast.

 

[Horsewright]

Visibly it was dry, but I guess you mean some inner wet on micro level.


Wow... Maybe some gloves made of thick and strong leather could help? I made me some.. err... leather shields to cover my hand outside and a thumb for such jobs. You can see it works even for the hand tools.

View attachment 2084984
View attachment 2084987


Cool, do you plan to show them somewhere here?

Just not the dexterity needed using any kind of glove. The trick, I've found is to grind a 45 degree angle on each end with the top extending past the bottom. This allows me to grab that scale and expose the bottom of the scale with out exposing digits. Most of the bone scales that I work with are .140 to .170 inches thick so not a bunch to grab a hold of.

Ya bet, I'll put some pics up here for you of the knives in this batch once I get them finished. I will finish sharpening them today and start on the sheaths. Here's some of them clamped and drying.

We got bone, elk, ironwood, buckeye burl, sheephorn and bocote in that pic. Originally four knives with bone scales in this batch but I wasn't happy with one of the bolsters on one of them and tossed it back in my blade box. I'll saw off the bolster and scale later and re use the blade.

 

[meako]

I guess my English is not good enough, I don't understand. Could you please explain?

Your English is fine...its just that nobody thought my joke was funny except me...im mean come on guys learning...because were learning about knife building and ..curve ..because the bone scale was ...ahh forgeddit.

 

[joeradza]

Will Power I'm confused, let's vote.

 

[Rsmith_77]

Your English is fine...its just that nobody thought my joke was funny except me...im mean come on guys learning...because were learning about knife building and ..curve ..because the bone scale was ...ahh forgeddit.

I got it
And to a native English speaker it was hilarious

But alas he is not an English as a first language person

So now you're on the chopping block
We gonna have to pare away your faults
You apparently lack the right Koalaficatins to tell jokes

 

[Will Power]

Will Power I'm confused, let's vote.

OK but I control the voting machines....

 

[Alex.Y.]

Of course, it could be that your English is perfectly fine, but your response was a toungue-in-cheek way of telling him his joke wasn’t funny…

Question was genuine actually, I just wasn't familiar with the "learning curve" term. I do like it more than a medical one though.

Alex.Y. Done good work there and made for an interesting and practical thread As for English or any other languages for that matter, native-speakers often use the 'worst' and simplistic forms of their language so relax.

Next time you try this you might opt for putting a flexible sandwich layer between the scales and the metal, a coloured liner or spacer often red, black or white to compensate for any curvature or subsequent movement of the scale or indeed as contrast.

Thank you, Will! And WOW, I tend to not to like any filework at all, but this is... just amazing! Absolutely beautiful ornamental work with a classic nature theme, I can't even express how much I am impressed with it. Is that an actual filework or a painting? Even if it's a painting, it is great! Could you please show some more pics of that knife? Who made it I wonder?

We got bone, elk, ironwood, buckeye burl, sheephorn and bocote in that pic.

Thanks for the pictures, hope to see them done soon! Say, all the mentioned materials, how do you find them in the matter of easiness of working with and durability on an actual knife?

Your English is fine...its just that nobody thought my joke was funny except me...im mean come on guys learning...because were learning about knife building and ..curve ..because the bone scale was ...ahh forgeddit.

Now when I got it, I can say 'twas fine.

 

[Horsewright]

Now when I got it, I can say 'twas fine.

Now thats funny says I who often types in the vernacular.

Thanks for the pictures, hope to see them done soon! Say, all the mentioned materials, how do you find them in the matter of easiness of working with and durability on an actual knife?

As far as ease of working they are all pretty similar but my processes over the years have evolved to work specifically with these materials. Bone can be a little chippy until its on the knife. As far as durability goes the bone can crack if dropped say on a concrete floor or something similar. I have repaired several bone handled knives over the years but not many considering how many I've made. Maybe one or two wooden handled ones, one sheephorn that I can recall and none from elk.

 

[ea42]

Dave your mentioning of losing skin bought back lots of memories, some recent LOL. Worst part as a newbie is feeling the piece start to slide away from you and instinctively pressing harder to hold it in place, but what you're actually doing is giving the belt a better grip on the piece resulting in it flying out from under your fingers. Of course now that your pressing harder your fingers mash down on to the belt and you see the dreaded spray of skin fly off before you can pull back. Experience teaches you that once you feel that piece reaching the point of no return just pull your hands back and let it go. Sometimes it still catches me though. It's a very delicate touch that needs to be developed to get it right.

Alex in my experience gloves wouldn't work for this kind of sanding, especially on smaller pocketknife pieces. I really need to feel what's going on under my fingers, especially the pressure I'm exerting. If you press too hard (or use too dull or too fine a belt) you wind up with upward curved edges much like what you have with your pieces. You want most of your sanding pressure at the center of your piece with a finger on each end basically just holding it in place by the edges. I also keep the piece a quarter inch or so long so that if there are any issues I have material I can trim off of each end for final fit. I should say I do all this on a horizontal belt grinder.

Will we used the term cover (or handle) at the knife factory when referring to whatever went on the scales (liners) as well, it was the proper term there as well as at most knife factories that I'm aware of. "Removable covers" is another story LOL.

Eric

 

[Alex.Y.]

Alex in my experience gloves wouldn't work for this kind of sanding, especially on smaller pocketknife pieces. I really need to feel what's going on under my fingers, especially the pressure I'm exerting. If you press too hard (or use too dull or too fine a belt) you wind up with upward curved edges much like what you have with your pieces. You want most of your sanding pressure at the center of your piece with a finger on each end basically just holding it in place by the edges. I also keep the piece a quarter inch or so long so that if there are any issues I have material I can trim off of each end for final fit. I should say I do all this on a horizontal belt grinder.

Thanks, Eric, that's an info to ponder for me. Would you recommend a belt grinder rather then a hard disk (stone?) one for a novice? I am thinking about buying one to work with in our country house, but I really have no idea if that would even work out. My plan is to buy one grinder with interchangeable grinding elements for all tasks, starting from forming a liner from brass slab or a blade from a steel bar and up to the polishing wood or bone.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks, Eric, that's an info to ponder for me. Would you recommend a belt grinder rather then a hard disk (stone?) one for a novice? I am thinking about buying one to work with in our country house, but I really have no idea if that would even work out. My plan is to buy one grinder with interchangeable grinding elements for all tasks, starting from forming a liner from brass slab or a blade from a steel bar and up to the polishing wood or bone.

Definitely a belt not a hard wheel grinder. If ya can, one with a VFD (variable frequency drive).

 

[Alex.Y.]

Definitely a belt not a hard wheel grinder. If ya can, one with a VFD (variable frequency drive).

Why? What are the disadvantages of a a hard wheel one?

Yeah, I was thinking about something with VFD, to be able to make things slow and more controllable.