Bolster screws help

[kcorn]

I have ordered some .050 titanium and am about to try my hand at a liner lock. I have completed a couple of slipjoints in the past so I am not completely new to folders. My question is how do you get the depth of the screws that hold the scales and bolsters set to the correct depth inside the bolsters or scales? With the slipjoints I have just welded or soldered the bolsters on, glued the scales and pins in with 303, and then ground off the extra thickness while shaping the handle. How is this din with screws to get the right thickness and have the screws resessed properly?

[WynnKnives]

Best way would be with a counter bore so you have a flat recess for the screw to seat squarely (although I'm not entirely sure they exist in such a small size), I have to resort to simply drilling the hole for the screw head to seat inside the handle material. It's a good idea to have your drill press have a stop at the depth desired so you don't accidentally drill the entire screw hole all the way through (I learned the hard way as always).

There are countless ways to attach everything together but I've found I like using flat head screws to hold the frames and spacer together, so you can countersink them underneath the handle material. Then putting the screws to hold the handle material more towards the middle of the knife, for one I think it balances the knife out a little more and practically this allows you to attach the handle material to the frame and then sand the excess screw flush that would stick out in the inside. This way you don't have to shorten the screw little by little and hope you don't take too much away and you don't have a good thread connection.

Some materials are still held on by epoxy, some stuff just doesn't look right with screws in it, just my opinion.

Also, have you worked with titanium before? If not make sure you read up on tapping it, it's a real bear if you don't have the right for-knowledge, information, and equipment (once again learned that the hard way).

[Don Robinson]

I've always drilled and counterbored the screw holes, then shortened the screws to match.

And by the way, good advise above. Always use one size larger drill than the tap chart calls for when tapping titanium.

[WynnKnives]

What do you use to counterbore the screw heads Don? Do they make actual counter bores that small?I've never seen them, it's hard enough to find taps that small. If so where do you get them? Or do you use end mills? or? or? or? lol

[Don Robinson]

As Wynn advised above, just use a drill that's a little larger than the screw head. The screw will still tighten securely.

For larger screws I make a flat bottom drill and use that.

[WynnKnives]

Never thought about making my own bore... good idea... stolen

[jmoenck]

I don't like grinding the excess length off the liner, and buggering it up. I have a scrap piece of titanium the same size drilled and tapped the correct size for the screw. Attach the scale using one hole at a time and grind off the excess on the back side. Do this for each hole in your scale and they come out perfect. Oh, and don't get them mixed up, just in case the holes vary slightly.

[bob levine]

Why "grind" the screw off? A piece of wet/dry 320 on a piece of glass will clean the excess srew shank material very quickly

[10es&]

use-enco.com sells counterbores for screw sizes down to #2

Their prices are gennerally hard to beat.
Brett

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3