new scales for a mini-AFCK

[neetones]

Hi everyone. I'm going to try to put some new scales on my Mini-AFCK because some of the customizing I did on the normal G-10 went a bit too far. I'm thinking of ebony, but I need some help as to how I can accurately get the shape right and drill/countersink the holes.

I've completeed one of those Ralph 605 kits and am very happy with the results, so I have some experience. For this, would I need a drill press, or is there some other accurate way to do the holes? Thanks in advance.

Nitin

 

[Matt Shade]

It would be very very hard to drill that many holes completely square in one peice of material without a drill press.Every single hole has to match up a with a hole in the liner, and they all have to go in at the same angle (perpendicular to the liner) in order for a stress free fit. I've heard of people using those jigs that you put a hand drill in (makes it a mini drill press) with success. I don't know what they cost though. You can get a pretty nice 8" delta drill press for about $100 at lowes/home depot, probably alot of other home improvement stores. It would be somehting well worth having if your interested in doing some knife kits or customizing knives, or even making your own.

On a side note, if you do a search in the archives of this forum, or maybe it was shop talk... theres an old thread where someone here had a web page/ tutorial about customizing AFCK's. It was pretty sweet.

 

[neetones]

Thanks for the advice Matt. I have a dremel and I think I might invest the $40 or so for their drill press kit...you just attach the dremel to it and get working.

What about for the actual scale pattern/hole placement? Is there some superbly accurate technique I could use for transferring the pattern? Knifemakers? Thanks

Nitin

 

[Matt Shade]

Your best bet is probably to take the knife clear apart so that you can lay the liner flat on the micarta. Then mark and center punch each hole. If you don't have a center punch or a nail set, you can probably get by with a small nail. Punching the center where each hole goes will helo keep the drill from walking/wobbling as it first starts to cut. That shouldn't be a real big issue with micarta though. Its pretty soft.
I would cut the rough shape of the scale with plenty of room left around the edges. That way you can screw your roughed out scale to the liner, and then grind/sand/file the edges down to match.