I know that everyone has their own way of fitting handle scales to bolsters. I feel that I can get a much better fit than I have been getting and was looking for some ways that other makers do it. Currently I make sure the handle material is square and flat as well as the bolster. With the bolster attached I line up my handle material and use a vise grip quick grip and with one end on the end of the handle material and the other on the bolster clamp it in place lengthwise. Then I drill my holes. It seems like the handle material always moves or shifts just slightly. The other question is what grit do you grind down to when squaring the handle and bolster materials? Does a better finish on these parts make a tighter fit?
Thanks, any help would be appreciated,
Chuck

I too am wondering the best process flow for this area.

For bolsters, i think you have to clamp, then drill then remove them from the knive to finish the front of them.

But for the handle scales, why can't you epoxy one side first, ensuring a good tight fit to the bolster, and then drill when the epoxy has cured. Then epoxy the second side, let it cure, and then drill through the existing holes in the first scale/tang into the second scale. That way it won't move when you drill it.

Also I have heard of people using a drop of super glue to secure the positions while drilling, and then tap them off. Double sided tape might work too.

See my tutorial here (http://www.customknifedirectory.com/CKD_TutorialFrameset.htm?CKD_Tutorials.htm~tmain) for how I go about it- it works the same for square-ended bolsters as it does for dovetailed ones. Any finish above 180 grit on the ends works fine.

I use super glue and glue one side on at a time, let it set up, drill it, then the other side and drill it after it's set up.

i usaly do about a 120 grit then glue it all together befor drilling

Thanks guys, one thing I forgot to mention is that I am making folders so the bolsters are usually fitted then removed and then put back on for assembly. I have great finish and fit when I do my final sanding. After I remove the bolsters for etching or anodizing and put them back on they seem to have moved a little and my finish is off again.
How Do I keep this from happpening?
Thanks,
Chuck

screws or pins? eather more screws or higher grade taps or mabe a pin under the bolster to help line every thing up with out changing the look of your knife

Steve Said:

I use super glue and glue one side on at a time, let it set up, drill it, then the other side and drill it after it's set up.

That's the way I do it. But, this week I tried gluing the bolsters together and then the blade on top. So I could just drill once. What difference could it make?

When I got to inserting the pins one hole didn't line up properly. I had a mess to fix up. The time I saved was wasted.

Moral of the story? I'm going back to exactly what Steve said.

Steve

if you are going to drill it all at once put it in the right order if you put the blade on top of the 2 bolsters and drill then put the blade in between to asemble if any thing was taperd slightly you can end up with a hole you cant line up or if any thing shifts when i drill more than one hole i put pins in as i drill drill one hole insert pin drill the next then put another pin by the time i drill the 3rd one i know that the first 2 are going to line up with the last becase thay are lined up by the pins

if i drill one side before the other ill use the drill table for the first one then ill hold the second side in my hand and push up to drill that way i dont get 2 holes meating at funny angles cuzz i cant always get my bolsters parilel to eachother while i know the blade is farly flat the bolsters can be taperd just enuff to make it a dickens to pin hope some of this helps

also drill one hole then take the bolster of and cleen under it some times the metal likes to pucker and that can move a bolster around and change the pin angle on the next hole

Dragon, Yes that does help.

When I super glue. I dont' get any movement. However there is nothing wrong with dropping in a pin to make sure.

Funny thing is I thought I'd get better alignment drilling all at once. Don't know why exactly it didn't work out - maybe, as you said, a bevel or something on the tang. In any case doing them separate I've never had a problem.

Steve

I do that all the time; glue the bolsters together, finish the front of the bolsters, adn flatten the back, then glue them to the tang, then drill through the tang/bolsters all at once. Make sure that the taper starts behind the bolsters, not at the front. You want everything parallel there. Make sure, also, that they are flat on the drill press vise, or table, whatever you place them on for drilling.

When using the superglue, are you using it as a temporary tacking to hold the pieces together?

How do you take them apart? Does it leave hard residue that you have to scrape off?

Or are you using the glue to attach them permanently. In Chris Crawford's slipjoint tutorial he uses superglue gel to attach the handle scales to the liner permanently.

thanks

When using the superglue, are you using it as a temporary tacking to hold the pieces together?

Yes

How do you take them apart?

I use only 2 or 3 drops. To release I use the tried and true method for home plumbing projects: Smack, Wack, and Curse. It doesn't take much. Just the right angle. Some times there are on there hard, but just change the angle of the rapping and pop!

Does it leave hard residue that you have to scrape off?

Yes - I resand the slab or bolster (I have a granite slab and a sheet of SC paper just sitting there all the time for flatten things. On the tang near the exposed area I use a touch of solvent (kerosene) and an edge of stabilized wood. on the other rest of the tang I use a hard scrapper. Mostly it rubs off.

Does that help?

Steve

I am a newbie to knifemaking. But I'd like to share a idea that I had after trying glues.
I clean my metal then I use carpet double sided tape, the white paper type. I works fine unless it gets heated,but I outline the tang in tape, then drill holes, remove the handles and stick them together wood or brass pin and shape the handles then pull apart and finish. The tape rubs and pulls easy.
Thanks
Howard

To get a nice tight fit between the bolster and the scales here's the trick.
Set your platent or disc sander up as close to 90 degrees as you can. It doesn't matter if it's not dead square.
The grit you start with depends on how clean the ends of the scales and bolster material is. I usually start with a 120 grit.
Mark the bottom of the bolster material and the top of the scales.
When sanding the end of the bolster, you want the bottom facing up.
With the scales you want the top facing up.
That way, no matter what the angle your platent/disc sander is, you'll have corresponding/matching angles on the scale bolster ends. I forget the mathematical term for it. They both go together to form an acut angle or something like that, what ever, it doesn't matter.
The kicker here is not to move the stuff side to side, just push it gently into the sander so you don't sand the end at an angle or round it off.
Once you have it straightened up, take it on down thru 220, and then thru 320 grit. The finer the finish the cleaner the joint will be.
If you want to do dovetail bolsters just angle the platent back towards you and use the same technique.
The angle you set the platent at isn't important, just don't set it at too sharp an angle or the edge of the bolster will be too thin and weak and might break off under use.
Hope this helps!!

Have a grand Christmas and a New Year better than the one thats goin out!!!!

One of my problems is that I do not have a platen on my belt or my disk sander.
I am still a newbie so I do not have all my tools yet and the knives I do make I sell at the local store for just cost. So I keep plugging away but I have been told I am getting better.
Howard

Howard, I should have been clearer in my post. The platent only refers to a belt grinder.
On a disc grinder, the disc is the surface that backs the sand paper. It does the same thing as the platent.
Don't sell yourself or your work short!!
Start making some profit on your knives and put it right back into more and better tools and equipment.
Thats a virtually never ending thing with knife making.
If you're not sure of the level of knife making you're at right now, find a knife maker you trust and send them a couple of your knives for inspection.
They can let you know where you need to improve and what price range you should be asking for your work.