Help square/ flat grinding end of handle material

[Cdwglass]

Hello guys, I am a newbie. I have been lurking around this forum for a few weeks and have learned a lot from you. I have a question that was probably covered in a basic wood shop class (which I did not take). I am trying to make a handle on a full tang knife out of 2 handle materials. How do you grind/sand the ends that meet each other and keep them flat and square? Is there a jig that I can buy or make for this? I have a belt sander and disc sander as well as elbow grease sanders. Can someone give me some direction? I am talking more specifically about small pieces.

[Doug Lester]

Ok, I think that I know what you're trying to do. First of all, you'll need a square. A back saw with rather fine teeth would help too if you don't have something like a bandsaw.

Establish a straight edge on the scales if one doesn't already exist. With your square, here is where one of those small squares comes in handy, lay out a 90 degree angle to make your cut. It wouldn't hurt to mark the edge in pencil that you are measuring from just in case the edges of your blanks are not parellel. Do this with all four pieces. You don't have to worry about making the cut exactly 90 degrees to the face of the blank just be close. Any error here will be corrected for later.

If you are doing this step on a bandsaw, check the squareness of your guide with the square, the markings on the guides are frequently a little off.

Next you will need to prepare the ends for gluing. You could glue the butt ends as is but you may end up with a gap between the two woods is there is any shrinkage after the scales are applied. It is better to dovetail the joint. This will be easy to do with the disc sander.

Again check the squareness of your guide with your square. Set the table on the disc sander at an angle and lock it in. The exact angle is not important but the angle on the table must not be changed until all the ends are sanded. When you have the ends sanded all you will need to do is to flip over one of the scale blanks and the ends will fit up against each other. Glue the ends together and let the joints dry then you can sand the blanks to the same thickness, if necessary.

Let me add one other thing. If you want a specific face of the scales to show you will have to do a little planning ahead. Remember to get reciprical angles on your scales you had to flip one over before glueing. If that is the case you will have to sand in the angles with one blank of a set with the desired side up and the other piece in the set with the desired side down so that it will be on the same side of the blank when you turn it over for glueing. Also to make a V point when the handle is viewed fromthe edge you will also have to altenate which piece is sanded good side up and good side down when you sand in the angles on the other scale pieces. Of course this only applies if you are particular about which side is up on the finished scales.

Doug Lester

[Cdwglass]

Thank you Doug, I understand what you mean and I will try that when I get home tonight. I appreciate your help, as I said I am just getting started, and am sure I will have more questions.