Zirconium bolsters

kuraki

kuraki

Fimbulvetr Knifeworks
Joined
Jun 17, 2016
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I'm working on a project with a buddy and we're brainstorming what he'd like to have. Kitchen knife with zirconium bolsters is what I was thinking would be pretty sweet, however, I can't think of a good way to do it. I don't want to screw/bolt them on, and I don't think I can through pin and peen, because polishing and heat coloring would have to come after they're attached and that doesn't sound like it would work. Soldering, I don't know if it can be soldered, however if it can that might be the best option.

Any ideas? Basically a western handled kitchen knife with zirc bolsters and damascus blade.
 
Mechanical attachment is easiest. Soldering zirconium is like soldering titanium, it doesn't work.

Make sure you have a class D fire extinguisher nearby when you are working zirc. It is a very reactive material. The chips and dust can spontaneously combust.

Chuck
 
I know you said you don't really want to but in my oprinion I would do it just as if I was doing a folder and use very small screws...2x56 or even smaller 1x72....I think if what your trying to accomplish is to have a nice consistent look and not have pins screws bolts ect.. standing out I think if it were pins or a couple small screws the pins would stand out much more. UNLESS you can get pin stock that is made from zirconium....I have never seen pin stock from zirconium but I am sure they exsist somewhere that would be the only way to get a mechanical hold and not have the screws pins ect standing out.you could get small black screws and heat color the zirconium black and it should blend in fairly nicely...good luck sounds like a cool project never seen zirconium on a kitchen knife!
 
As I recall you are really good with machine tools. I'm not at all, so these ideas may be impractical.

If you were to mill a pocket in the bolsters and tap several holes you could affix a plate made of a solderable material to the inside and use it as a go-between.

Alternately you might mill two shallow, blind T-slots in the bolsters, their channels being in line with the length of the knife. The beginning would be milled larger to accept a fastener head.

Something like the fasteners you are having made could be used as a stud in the blade, to go in the slot. If you made the slots increase in depth slightly, you could use the scales to provide the force to keep them in place. The idea being something like the built in keyhole shape used to hang stuff on your walls.

I'm not sure if there is enough material thickness in a bolster for either idea to work.
 
We talked about that, but my stock is only .250 thick and we both want a little more sign space so to speak.
 
Ok, not sure if this will work but you have machining experience...

Make two circular discs of zirc. Tap a blind hole into the center of each one. Tap a hole through your tang where the bolsters will go. Thread a bolt through your tang that sticks out on each side. Then screw your round bolsters to the bolt (epoxy at the same time). Then grind down the bolster at the spine and at the bottom so it matches the shape of your tang.

To attach your scales you will have to deal with a radius, but it would look nice I think.
 
Maybe you could have the bolsters screwed in at the part of the bolster closest to the butt of the knife. You will cut a little shelf at the part of the bolster where the screws go in so that way a scale can be cut to cover those screws and sit flush with the main surface of the bolster.

So viewed from the side your bolster would look like this. (Ignore the periods)

______________
|.........................|__ <~Screws go in here
|_________________|
 
I'd probably go with hidden press-fit pins and epoxy, too. Lots of nice knives have been made that way... it's an old trick for putting dammy bolsters on a full tang knife with no fasteners showing.
 
That's the way I'm leaning now. I think, absent solder, having an epoxy bed sealing the joint would be best.
 
does the design have a shoulder as in for a hidden tang?
if so, cold fit press fit, .002 under so it buts up against a square shoulder
 
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