Skeletonizing tools...

tychoseven · Oct 10, 2005

Hey everybody,

I have a CRKT Ryan Plan B, and I want to skeletonize the handle to reduce weight. Ideally I'd use a drill press, but I don't have one. Can I do this with only a hand drill and the proper drill bits? The steel is AUS-6 and it's 1/4" thick. Currently the plan is to submerge the blade in water and drill the holes using progressively larger bits...that is, start the hole with a small bit and then work up to the size I want.

But if it just won't happen without the proper tools, I'd rather know that ahead of time before I try anything.

Thanks!

-Tycho-

fulloflead · Oct 11, 2005

tychoseven said:
Hey everybody,

I have a CRKT Ryan Plan B, and I want to skeletonize the handle to reduce weight. Ideally I'd use a drill press, but I don't have one. Can I do this with only a hand drill and the proper drill bits? The steel is AUS-6 and it's 1/4" thick. Currently the plan is to submerge the blade in water and drill the holes using progressively larger bits...that is, start the hole with a small bit and then work up to the size I want.

But if it just won't happen without the proper tools, I'd rather know that ahead of time before I try anything.

Thanks!

-Tycho-

Hmmm. I think you're making it a bigger deal than it is.
You should be able to get through a liner pretty easily.
I doubt, by the way, that the liner is AUS-6 - probably just the blade is. The liners are probably even softer.

I'm thinking you could probably just C-clamp the liner to a board and drill through into the wood. Use a center-punch first to make a dimple to put the tip of the drillbit into to hold it still. You shouldn't have to progress from smaller to larger either. Just use the bit you want. Do use a good bit, though. Cheap drillbits are more trouble than they're worth.

I'm sure someone to correct me if I'm wrong.

.

J. MacDonald · Oct 11, 2005

Forget it. Even AUS 6 after heat treat is to hard to drill with regular high speed steel (HSS) drill bits. The only way to do it without ruining teh heat treat by annealing the blade would be to use solid carbide drill bits that would cost almost as much as the knife itself. Unfortunately, carbide bits and a hand drill will probably cause you to ruin the carbide bits. If you had a drill press and carbide bits, you might pull it off, but other than that, I wouldn't try it.

Where in Cali are you?

fulloflead · Oct 11, 2005

jmxcpter said:
Forget it. Even AUS 6 after heat treat is to hard to drill with regular high speed steel (HSS) drill bits. The only way to do it without ruining teh heat treat by annealing the blade would be to use solid carbide drill bits that would cost almost as much as the knife itself. Unfortunately, carbide bits and a hand drill will probably cause you to ruin the carbide bits. If you had a drill press and carbide bits, you might pull it off, but other than that, I wouldn't try it.

Where in Cali are you?

I think he's talking about the handles; not the blade.
Wouldn't be hardened, no?

.

J. MacDonald · Oct 11, 2005

fulloflead said:
I think he's talking about the handles; not the blade.
Wouldn't be hardened, no?

.

If it's the same Ryan Plan B that I saw when I googled it, it's a fixed blade, so more than likely it's hard all over. Inexpensive fixed blades are rarely differentially heat treated, especially stainless steel ones.

The reason I asked where he was in Cali is that I have both a Bridgeport milling machine and some solid carbide endmills and am in So cal. I could probably help get it done if he's not too far away.

fulloflead · Oct 11, 2005

jmxcpter said:
If it's the same Ryan Plan B that I saw when I googled it, it's a fixed blade, so more than likely it's hard all over.

Gotcha! :thumbup: Somehow I was thinking it was a folder. :foot:

.

Normark · Oct 12, 2005

Hey Guys....

Are the scales going back on ??

If not,, what are you going to do for a sheath ??

The stock OEM sheath won't fit afterwards...

ttyle

Eric....

tychoseven · Oct 12, 2005

I'm up in San Jose...thanks for the offer though, jmxcpter.

Dang, I was kinda hoping I could shave some weight off the handle. Just to clarify, I wouldn't be drilling the scales, just the tang. Guess I need to find somebody local with a drill press and carbide bits.

Thanks Guys!

-Tycho-

thebladerunr · Oct 13, 2005

I did this with the cutting wheels in my dremel kit and a round jewlers file. It only took about 2 hours. When finished I just epoxyed the scales bacl on. It made a definate change for the better in the handle weight. :thumbup: