Handle Advice

[outdoorcode]

I decided to take the plunge and attempt to make my first knife. I have a Roselli UHC hunter blade, a pre made sheath and a block of curly birch & bolster. So far I have managed to make the curly birch into a very very rough shape, but much too big. I'm wondering whats the best way to actually make the handle? i.e removing larger amounts of wood (in a controlled manner), shaping and finishing ?

I have spent a while looking at previous thrads but I don't seem to have found a tutorial for this :(

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/outdoorcode/H1.jpg

Andrew

[tomtom]

i just drew it on, sawed as close to the line as i dared.. then spent ages with some coars sand paper strips.. it will remove quite a lot of wood quite quickly when you get going.

[Knife-Man]

a wood rasp is good bit does have a tendacy to split wood off parts where you dont want it removing.

[Bogflogger]

Have you seen ZDP189's "Easy Scandi Tutorial" on the main website?
Good Luck with it!:D

[outdoorcode]

well so far I did draw a rough out line and I have been at whittling away at the block, but its getting to be hard work trying to thin it down, I was wondering about a file, if I had though on I would probably have spplit the block to start with :rolleyes:

[outdoorcode]

Have you seen ZDP189's "Easy Scandi Tutorial" on the main website?
Good Luck with it!:D

I di, but "File carving and finishing and buffing took another 4 hours. (Actually more, because I had to fill small a natural knot in the wood.)"
seems to cover the actual making of the handle shape, which is problem no. 1

[Stew]

This is a fairly good pictorial:

http://www.algonet.se/~diver/knivskola.html

(it does have words too but it's in some bizarre language I don't understnd! :D )

[outdoorcode]

thanks stew that helps too, where do I get Epoxy from ? B & Q :)

[Stew]

Yeah - B & Q, Homebase, Woolworths, Wilkinsons, etc.

Go for a long setting one though, not the 5 minute stuff. It means it gives you time to get it all lined up nicely and fitting proerly before it sets.

[mikehill]

Araldite Precision is the stuff, 2 hours ish.
Mike.

[outdoorcode]

Thanks, do they sell a 36 hour setting one :C I see wet & dry mentioned a lot, is this really good for rounding off? I think I best mention I don't send much time reading about the mechanics of knife making as it was always one of those "one day I'll have a go" things, but today was that day :D

[mikehill]

Wet&Dry is for finishing, 600-1200 grit. I take most material off an a cheap grinder with a 2" belt. Only around £30 :) If you get one, go easy though ;)
Mike.

[Bogflogger]

Yes, Araldite precision is the epoxy to buy.
Clean everything up with wet/dry and then degrease it with meths/white spirit before glueing up.
Leave everything clamped up for 12 hours minimum to get a really strong bond.

[dBu24]

For a first project I'd put aside that pricey Roselli blade and the nice curly birch block and go for a simpler job, maybe even with a mock blade of plain flat steel and some simple pine wood. Only after you feel comfortable with your tools, materials and skills, take out your priced blade and go for the masterpiece of your life.


Be aware that it might take more than a couple weeks.


Best luck and enjoy your new knife-making hobby


David B.

[Tiffers]

When I did the chunky monkey I removed a load of the excess with a dremel as removing it by whittling simply wasnt possible on that ebony. Then when it got more or less into what I thought was the right shape I set it into a vice with the blade clamped and the handle coming out towards me. I then used strips of wet and dry that were about an inch wide. If you back them with a couple of thicknesses of masking tape, making the tape about 4" longer either side than the strip. Then fold that excess into itself to create "handles". Then using a bootstrapping motion you can sand away to your hearts content. Be warned though that this is a very quick way of suddenly removing too much wood!

Tiffers

[mic201m]

Probably a silly question,

But I presume you have already drilled the block for the tang and or fitted the blade to it . If not it will be very difficult to hold steady and do accurately ?

regards mic

[JKD]

(it does have words too but it's in some bizarre language I don't understnd! :D )

It's swedish! And it's not that bizarre :D
Maybe there is a word of two that you can pic out that is very simular to the english word.

[Stew]

It's swedish! And it's not that bizarre :D
Maybe there is a word of two that you can pic out that is very simular to the english word.

I know but it might as well be martian to me! :lol:

[JKD]

The best way to remove wood is to use a saw. Sounds simple doesn't it :D
When you don't dare to saw any closer to your presumed handle line use a belt sander to remove the rest of the unwanted wood.

And a tip to you, if it's your first knife:
When you think that you handle is slim enough, make it even slicker.

[pennillion]

I will put my pennies worth in i think. Hope you can follow.
1. drill handle block and attach blade and bolster with epoxy resin, key between bolster and wood, and make sure the bolster is at 90 degrees to the blade otherwise it will look totally weird.You can key tang as well for better adhesion
2. draw the shape of the handle on one side of the wood
3. cut OUTSIDE the lines by about 3 or so millimetres using a bandsaw or coping saw.
4.draw the shape of the handle on the wood as seen from above the blade and cut the same as in #3
5 Now you have a very rough shape of your handle
6 Now the good bit. using a rasp (10" half round is a good start). file the first corner carefully,shaping a curve from the side of the handle to the top.BUT DONT FILE THE VERY TOP OF THE HANDLE OR THE SIDE yet as you can end up taking to much off.Repeat on all four corners until you have a rough rounded handle with the top bottom and sides still flat
7.Take the handle and study it....see how much more has to come off....see how the line of the blade runs into the handle on all sides, and when your ready, start to shape the rest of the handle CAREFULLY. You can always take a bit more off but its hard to add a bit back on.
8. Your pretty close now when the top and sides are now shaped with the rest of the handle. study the shape again and get out the sandpaper...now its just the fine tweaking.

This is a basic step by step and i hope you can follow my ramblings

This is just one way of shaping a handle and being a newbie myself i have found that it works well for me and gives a pretty good result. Make sure the blade is protected while you are working as you dont want to slip onto the blade and damage it or yourself.
Hope this is of even the slightest help to you
regards
Mik