Caswell finish

[Greenback]

New to knife making. How do guys using a caswell or similar black oxide finish, keep it on the tang spine during material removal on handle?

[Rasmus Kristens]

I usually do the fitting of the tang in the handle first. Then do all the primary shaping of the handle with the blade fixed in the handle.

Also, i finish the bolstr on the front part completely.

Then i remove the blade and give the blade the finish i want.

Then i glue,fit and peen the blade in the handle. Then wrap the blade in painterstape and carefully finish the handle.

I'm not the most patient guy ever, so sometimes i mess up when doing the final finish of the handle...

This is just the way i would do it.

This is my current WIP. I think its kinda the same thing you are going for?

[dtec1]

Rasmus am i right that pic is of a HIDDEN tang knife? and Greenback i assume by your question you were talking about a FULL TANG and specificly the edges of the tang that are exposed between the handle scales? So rasmus has the easiest idea just make it a hidden tang and that problem goes away....IF you really want to do it a full tang the only way that i have found to do it that makes it easy enough to do is make the handle scales removable....in stead of using corby bolts and glue either thread the holes in the tang itself OR get a threaded spacer and put them into the holes in the tang then just use small screws through the handle material that way you screw them on do ALL the finish grinding then take them off finish the steel the put them back on....or alternatively use a handle material that will not be effected by the finish....for example i have used a synthetic i think it was a sort of acrylic (i have only done it this way twice and it was a while back but if i remember right it was a acrylic) just finish the knife as usual get all the grinding done then i dunked the whole thing in ferric chloride to etch the steel if you use a material that the ferric wont touch the handle material then you don't have to worry about it.....take a small piece of what ever handle material you plan on using and etch or what ever you want to do to see if it will effect the material....now if you wanted to do something like a cera coat paint or something like that you would have to use the first method i described and make removable scales

[epicfail48]

Its already been said, but the process is to temporarily attach the handle scales, do the shaping, then do the finish on the steel. A full tang is pretty easy to do that way actually, without any special fasteners, just put the pins in place, don't peen or glue, and shape away. Once the shaping is done, permanently attach the scales as usual.

Its a touch more difficult than the 'normal' route, but really not bad. I've done it a few times on blades I've cerakoted or stone washed, it goes just fine. Just remember to wax the from of the scales and the portion of the knife that isn't under the scales. Keeps the epoxy from sticking, makes cleanup a breeze

[Greenback]

Thanks guy. I was talking about a full tang. Never considered sampling on the wood to see how it may affect it. I also considered a temporary glue to hold the scales to final finish the heat or freeze to pop them off. That's the fun of this hobby. Trying to figure this stuff out.

[dtec1]

your better off using the bolts to "dry fit" than trying to glue temporarily depeding on the glue and the handle material it can rip off a piece of the handle material when you go to separate the glue. I have been making a lot of folders and i don't like using clamps for everything so i use crazy glue and say i want to grind the 2 liners even i glue grind then separate when i put the handle material on i glue it to the liner drill the holes and separate then use screws to hold on i have tried a fe differnet ways to separate stuff after glued and the bet is just using a couple drops of glue then when i separate i take a razor blade and wedge it between the two material and lightly tap with a hammer and the razor seperates it then acetone to clean off the glue....that being said some materials you just cant do this cause there is a significant risk of ripping the aterial apart when you try to separate.....just dry fit with corbys or pins or what ever grind then take apart

[Rasmus Kristens]

Ahh okay. Missunderstood your description :-) good luck with your knife. Let see the final result?