Noob Q

[Eli Jensen]

So I feel a little silly asking because no one else has asked and its a fairly critical step. How do you drill the slot on a handle block? I understand how to cut the slot in a guard, but not something deep like the block. I resort to staring a thread to ask this but have exhausted all other searches.

[Doug Lester]

I lay out the center line in both directions on the end of the block that I'm going to cut out. I also extend the center line down one of the faces of the block that will become the side of the handle so that I can find the center again to drill the pin hole. Then I mark out the width of the tang at the union with the blade centered. I use these marks to drill on the center line parallel to the sides of the handle with a bit that is a little smaller than the thickness of the tang just inside the marks for width of the tang. I then drill the same size hole at the intersection of the center lines.

Next there are options. One is to get a router drill bit and join the holes. These bits look like a cross between regular drill bit and a circular file. The down side is that you probably will not be able to reach the bottom of the holes with them unless you keep you tang short, as in a stub tang.

Another tool that I have used to to get a tile coping saw with a round carbide cutter blade. Take the blade off the saw and cut the loops off the ends. You can insert one end into a pin vice or just wrap it with tape to form a handle. This will give you a somewhat wide hole so you will want to have your tang at least 1/8" thick. Just insert it in the center hole and hog out the web between it and a side hole and then repeat for on the other side. A round needle file can be used the same way but it's a lot slower. A flat needle file can be use with the above steps to make the tang hole wider

You also may have to resort to burning the tang in, especially if you use the drill-router bit to connect the holes. I wrap the blade in wet leather for a heat sink to protect against overtempering the blade and clamp it into my vice. I then heat the end of the tang red hot with a propane torch and then slip the handle block over it and apply pressure as the hot steel burnes it's way in. I recommend that you put a leather glove on the hand that you use to hold the block just in case the tang goes off course and comes through the side. On top of the the wood can get surprisingly hot.

One problem that I had when I started was making my hidden tangs too lone. Three inches into the handle block is fine. If you have to make on deeper, I once put a 6" tang on a seax that I made, start out with regular size bits. Then go to longer bits as needed. The shorter holes will help keep the longer bits in line.

If you want to do a through tang lay out you center lines and holes as above on both ends of the tang and drill one end. Then make a jig with a short screw sticking through a piece of wood. Clamp it too the table of your drill press with the tip of the screw centered under the chuck. I use a straight rod in the chuck to help center the screw. Then put one of the drilled hols over one of the holes and line up the drill bit on the corresponding mark on the other end of the block and drill it out. You migh have to extend the holes with a long bit to join the. Use the carbide rod from the tile coping saw or a needle file to cut out the wood between the holes or just burn it out.

Doug

[Ray Rogers]

You asked about a slot rather than a hole so I'll tell you what I do to create a long slot. This just adds some variance to Doug's description, not really much that's new.

First off, most of my knives are stub tang so I rarely need a hole more that 2.25" deep but the hole I make is a fairly close fitted slot. I make the slot by drilling three holes to the required depth using a drill slightly larger than the thickness of the tang. Then, the web between the holes is removed with a Roto-Zip bit mounted in my Harbor Freight handpiece (a Dremel would work just as well).

Like Doug, I have a process for figuring out where to drill and where to put the pin and so on but this simple method is all that's needed to create a fairly deep slot in wood or Micarta and most natural handle materials. It literally takes less than 10 minutes to make a slot this way ....

[Eli Jensen]

This is the correct bit?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...32&R=202502532

[WBE]

There is no need to over engineer this process. A quality epoxy will take up any slack, and a pin is unnecessary. Randall Knives have not used pins since the mid or late fifties. If there were problems, you can bet they would go back to pins.

[Doug Lester]

That is not quite what I ment but it looks like it would do.

On using a pin, do as you wish. Just glue them in or back it up with a pin. Personally, I like the little bit of insurance but if it were for a reproduction of a knife that didn't use a pin then I would just glue it in. From what I've read of cutting competions at least one pin is required in all knives entered into the competion. There is also a question of how well different epoxies hold up over time. That's why I use Acraglas bedding compound.

Doug

[Ray Rogers]

That looks like the bit I use. You can usually find them in hardware stores too. Other manufacturers make similar bits but, so far as I have seen, the Roto-Zip brand is physically longer than the others. They work very well and last a very long time. I think I'm still using my original package from 10 years ago ...

[Eli Jensen]

Cool I'll pick some up tomorrow. What RPM do you use them?

[Ray Rogers]

As fast as you can spin them. I think my HF piece of crap does a bit over 20,000 rpm....

[Eli Jensen]

Are ya any good at fixin stuff? I've got a Dremel XPR 400 you can have, but needs work. It was a total beast - high torque at 30,000RPM before the puff of smoke.

I've got the Dremel 4000 now. About and inch longer and at least twice as much cooling, as the 400 ran hot. Supposed to be "top of the line". Stays cool but the torque is a joke compared to the 400.

[Ray Rogers]

Thanks, but I have a Dremel. I call the HF unit 'crap' because that's what it was when it came out of the box. I wanted a Foredom but the HF unit was only $50 at the time (12 years ago). Still, after I re-engineered the little beast it turned into a fairly decent tool. I use the heck out of it for all kinds of things now and it does well enough for me ...

[ckluftinger]

I've used the same techniques as already described - except the Dremel. I'll have to try that. Mostly files, rasps, etc. The jig pictured here works really well for centering the holes if you have to drill from both ends. Another technique, rather than making a slot is to drill a big hole and insert two wooden splints on either side to make a slot. I use hardwood doweling for this and glue them in with the tang in place. Even faster than rasping or filing. I have a jeweller's saw for cutting out the web between the holes as well. Burning in the tang works well on big pieces like swords. Not so good on antler (Ugh!). I guess it depends on the size of the tang, the size of the grip, and the material. On antler I prefer to dig out all the pith and replace it with a combination of hardwood and epoxy.

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