off cut

[MushiSushi]

got an offcut of O1 that will make a 4 1/2 blade with a morticed tang and i was thinking of something with a slight native american flavour. Early design stages still but here's a sketch.

[Kevin]

Imteresting......the morticed tang will be made even harder by those spacers....how u gonna do it?

[MushiSushi]

now that's an interesting question ;) ... I envision a very complicated clamping jig, kind of like the box jig that I described for Dave Barker a a couple of months back, but with a few extra clamping directions.

[Dave Barker]

Can I suggest that you fit the tang to each bit first. Glue it with the blade in place and shape the shaft afterwards.?

It'l make those joins stronger!

[MushiSushi]

sounds like a plan Dave ;)
more or less the plan I had in mind too...........
I plan to make the mortice in a single piece of wood, probably maple, shape the handle almost to finish ...... and then slice out the bits and put in the spacers, assemble everything with epoxy and fit it in a box similar to the one I told you about, but with the blade in place but wrapped with cling film so that i can take it out again and fit the pins.

[Dave Barker]

Would it not be easier to glue the tang into each bit first. this way you van either avoid the pins or us the as decor. You would get a through going tang which you could put a screw on.

Or stop the tang in the last bit.

I tried doing it your way once, oh what a mess.....

Think that this way you can build a press that supports the blade and then pushes the rest together. The front piece would need to be glued to the tang first, let it cure and then add the other bits.

Might be easier this way with less work on the mitre building.

[Trond]

Oh, i think i am going to stick my nose in this thread to :D
Here is a suggestion from a guy that has done a few of these before :rolleyes:
You have your squere peace of wood, cut it where you want the spacers, glue the spacers with epoxy, press it in a box to prevent it for sliding, let it harden (the glue i mean :rolleyes: ) when it is harden, you mark for the holes of the pins, shape the handle, drill holes for the tang, glue the pins and the blade, and finaly do the finnish on the handle. and Voila a beutiful knife has beene borned: :approve:
Trond

[MushiSushi]

as an ex joiner and someone that has dabbled in model making I guess I am used to doing things a certain way. I have used the jig technique I described for joinery projects before and it worked for me and is a common technique in joinery, but that might be down to experience and practice. compared to some things I am used to doing ... like multi section poured silicone, GRP jacketed and cored moulds ... this is a relatively simple process for me

[Trond]

Oh wel, then. Go on and make it, I am looking forward to see pivtures of it when it is finnished :-)
Trond

[MushiSushi]

not knocking your method Tron, or Dave's. It's just I have done both Joinery and Model making for a living and have certain ways that I know will work. If you want to try complicated then take a look at Japanese joinery and some of the joins they use;
http://www.mjdtools.com/books/29155.htm
that'll twist your mind in knots trying to work some of them out

[Trond]

I didnt think you wher Mushi, I ment that i was looking forward to seeing the finnished knife ;-)
Trond (still grey)

[MushiSushi]

Then we're cool? :( .. are we cool? :confused: ..... we're cool :biggthump

[Trond]

We`re cool
Trond (still grey)