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Fit & Finish Fit and Finish = the difference in "good art" and "fine art." Join in, as we discuss the fine art of finish and embellishment.

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  #1  
Old 04-28-2014, 09:35 PM
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ATalley ATalley is offline
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Bolster fitting to Scale Question

Hello, I've been working on projects as time allows. Between all that life offers, I still carve out time for this addiction. (I am fortunate enough to have an understanding wife who's blessed me with Twins!) as a side note, after 20 months of diaper changes x2, this evening I was thrown up on for the very first time! (excluding college of course...) http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/im...ilies/puke.gif

Ick. Just Ick.

Sooo... Let me start this by saying I really enjoy reading everyone's posts and seeing the inspiring work everyone does here.

Bolster question for the wise and experienced who gather at this fine site. (I'll take the knocks for being a newb and asking newbie questions)I'd like to see a consensus. And I just might be Over-Thinking it...

-First bolster set for me, I've rough shaped my handle material, rough fit my bolsters, and I'm confident I stopped the taper of the tang close enough to not throw off the flat of my brass bolsters. I've squared off and faced my scales.

How rough/fine should I sand the mating surface of the ironwood scale that is going to meet with the brass?

Should I leave it at 36 grit? I was thinking of stepping it to 120 grit on a surface plate. should I step it to a finer grit?

I plan on using Accra-Glass and applying a very light, thin coat between the brass and ironwood, not enough to create a gap when it dries, but just enough to provide a bit of cushion and some adhesion. The bolsters will be pinned to the steel, no epoxy, mechanical only by 4 - 3/32 pins.

I really want this joint to be air-tight. I have some fine tuning to do b/c of the tapered tang and the 90 deg joint b/t the brass and the iron wood. I understand it won't be square completely (I don't have a mill.) but it's got to look and be right. no short cuts. I have not drilled/fitted the pin holes in the ironwood yet. One day I'll find the gumption...

Like many - Sink or Swim seems to be my learning curve. Any comments and thoughts, shared experiences will be greatly appreciated. I've added some more pics to an album if you'd care to look see

Thank you all for your time, I apologize if I've rattled on...

Respectfully,
Alex







Boy does the couch smell bad...Ick.


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Last edited by ATalley; 04-30-2014 at 05:42 AM. Reason: added overall photo
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Old 04-28-2014, 10:31 PM
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Fulmaduro Fulmaduro is offline
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Alex, looks great so far! My first knife was a skinner with 416 stainless bolsters, and I glued with Acra-glas and pinned with 2 pins. I then glued on one scale and let dry. Then I drilled through my existing tang holes for the pins through the scale. Next day I glued on the other side and drilled out the 2nd scale going through holes I drilled the day before. Then glued in my scale pins. Worked great for me, but...

I found out that I should have contoured my bolsters to nearly finished dimensions before attaching the scales because I somehow ended up grinding my wood edge below the surface of the bolsters while trying to contour my rough bolsters on my grinder. The belt somehow slipped down below the bolster edge and left me carefully hand sanding the junction between the bolsters and the scales. THIS was after I carefully ground down my bolster contour even more to fix the mess. Took an additional 4 hours work to fix.

It came out great but had a near coronary during the whole process! I had a flat full tang, nothing tapered. Hope this helps you avoid my mistake. Good luck, lets see more pics when she is done!

Tony Z
Kansas City, MO


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Old 04-28-2014, 11:36 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Twenty months with twins and you've only been puked one once, that's not bad. I was puked on more than that and I was just the uncle. Of course they might have been expressing a personal opinion.

You might want to put a piece of vulcanized spacing material between the scales and the bolsters. It makes kind of a nice contrast and can hide things if the surfaces are just a smidge off. However, don't expect miracles if you fit is really bad. However you seem to have kept the joints square with each other.

As far as how fine to sand, I wouldn't go too fine, especially if you are using a strip of liner there. Anyway, the main attachment will be from the pins.

Doug


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Old 04-29-2014, 01:32 PM
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SVanderkolff SVanderkolff is offline
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A couple of things. I would suggest next time you take the tapering of the tang right t the plunge cut. That way you have a flat surface over the whole of the handle and bolster area. Second, two pins are more than adequate for the bolsters, I use 3/32 pins. More pins means more opportunity to create a pin problem. I will normally sand the handle material to 100 grit on both the bolster joint and the tang joint surface. If you can make a few divots in the tang surface of the handle material to give your epoxy a bit more to hang on to. Make sure oyu have finished the blade side of the bolster completely before you permanently attach the bolsters, just makes it so much easier. Project looks good so far, lots to learn yet.
Steve


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Old 04-29-2014, 03:46 PM
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i recommend glue under the bolsters as a moisture barrier. Looks good


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Old 04-29-2014, 07:33 PM
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ATalley ATalley is offline
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Wow! Thank you all for your input! And quick too. I knew that I could count on you all for some experience.

Tony, I didn't think of finishing the scales and bolster more before affixing them to the knife! Good lesson. I'll try and work that in my methodology.

Doug, I'm on the fence about liner material between the boosters and wood scales. I was thinking if I did brown/yellow/brown vs a single layer of yellow. I worry that the brass would drown out the yellow alone, so I don't know?.. lots to think about. Also if I did that is need to do the same to the tang side. Hmm

Steve, I do have a lot to learn, and I feel I've found the right place to frequent. Something about birds of a feather flock together....it did not occur to me to grind the taper to the plunge line! Definitely two pins on the next one, and farther away from the edge. (The pins are 3/32 in dia. Type-o...sorry dagnabbit)

Austin, that is a very good point about moisture barrier.

I will post more pics as this project progresses. I am very appreciative of your comments.

Stay Safe


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"We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends." Shel Silverstein

Last edited by ATalley; 04-30-2014 at 05:46 AM.
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Old 06-26-2014, 10:59 PM
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ATalley ATalley is offline
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I got it done, and it actually turned out better than I thought it would! I really like the acid etch...although I would have liked it to be less streaky, I'll have to experiment with applicators next time. I think I found soft toilet paper worked pretty good, decently even and wide enough to get the whole blade in one swipe. you can tell i used a q-tip on the pile side, and the tp on the mark side..big difference

The huge brass bolsters don't weigh as much as i thought they would either, I was able to cut enough material, and carve out the single scallops at the front enough to drop some weight., next time they won't be as deep (And two pins are the order! Steve )








Comments welcome! I definitely learned a lot on this build. It makes me want to build more, for sure. Thanks for all your advice


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"We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends." Shel Silverstein

Last edited by ATalley; 06-26-2014 at 11:04 PM.
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Old 06-27-2014, 08:04 AM
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SVanderkolff SVanderkolff is offline
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Good looking knife. You will be amazed at the new things you get to learn each knife you make.
Steve


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art, bee, bolster to scale joint, bolsters, brass, coat, epoxy, flat, handle, handle material, ironwood, knife, material, newbie, pins, rat, sand, scale, scales, steel, surface, tang, tapered tang, throw, wood, wood to brass


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