damascas bolsters

[goldenbolster]

Can someone tell me how to attach a damascas bolster? If i pin in won't it ruin the pattern? Should I solder it? J B weld it ?I have a few ideas but at $50.00 a set I don't want to experiment. Help please. These are going on a full tang hunter. Thanks for the place to go to ask these questions you guys are great.

Stephen Reed :confused:

[Steve]

I've seen it pinned on, and it looks OK, but it does interrupt the pattern.
Dogget puts screws into the bolsters, and it looks like a folder application, and it looks good, I think. Solder would work, unless youre trying to solder it to a stainles blade, then expect problems with getting a good flow of the solder through the joint.

Go here to see some of Dogget's bolsters of various types. http://doggettcustomknives.com/srj.htm

Good luck., Steve

[AUBE]

you can use hidden pins.
what i do to make sure its on a bit more secure is drill through the blade and half way through one of the bolsters,tap the holes in the bolsters with a bottoming tap. do the same for the other side (making a new set of holes through the blade). now you should have 4 holes through the blade and 2 holes halfway through each bolster that are tapped. now youll drill through the blade holes with a slightly larger drill...tap those holes with same size tap. now use some threaded rod(or a screw and cut the head off later) and screw it in the bolster holes. cut it off so it extends no further than the thickness of the blade. now if done correctly you should be able to place the bolster above the holes and either press or hammer(using light strokes) the threaded rod thats protruding from the bolster, into the threaded holes of the blade.

what this does is mush the threads upwards and makes it a real bear to get off. kinda the same theory as "zip" ties(little plastic ties that only tighten, never loosen).

ive used this method a few times and it works well if done right. it is a permenant attachment so make sure you do it right! definetly practice on scrap pieces til u get the clearances correct.

i also chamfer the ends of the rod so they fit in the holes better, use epoxy to aid in the hold and seal out moisture. normally i use 1-72 threads..much smaller than that and i had trouble with the rod wanting to bend.

this is what i do for hidden pins on fixed blades..for folders i just use flathead screws and go from underneath the liners.

[goldenbolster]

Thanks for the responce guys. I had a similar idea but I will try yours tapping the threads sounds like it would hold very tight. My idea was to drill a hole thru the blade, then drill halfway thru the bolsters. cut a rod just alittle shorter than the total length of the drilled holes thru the blade and bolsters and epoxy then together with the rod in place. I was thinking with it clamped until it dried it might hold. Oh yeah I would put two rods per bolster for added support. What do you think and suggestions are welcome.

Stephen Reed

[AUBE]

it might hold that way, but whenever something "might" work it kinda scares me. you can always give it a try and once its cured take a chisel shaped object and try to pry it off and see how well it holds.
you could do that method and take a dremel tool with a small burr and gouge the inside of the hole..then take a sander or file and gouge up the pin(or use threaded rod). that way when u glue it together the glue is in the grooves on the rod and pin...so if u try to pull it apart you actually have to break the glue itself instead of just breaking the seal of the glue sticking to the objects.
hmm i just reread that and im not sure how well i conveyed the idea across. basically your making threads out of glue...kinda like a crappy helicoil setup...wont be as strong as threads(but easier) but stronger than just glue and straight pins.
is it a somewhat flexible blade? if it flexes at all it will really try to pop that epoxy seal apart

-Jason Aube

[goldenbolster]

It's not very flexable its fashioned after the sg4 on knifekits.com. But i agree with you why use what might work when you've told me how to do it correctly. I really don't want to pin them all the way through and your advise is proven so I'll try it. I'm still open to other suggestions but I will try the hidden pins after i practice with some scrap first. Thanks again

Stephen Reed

[SVanderkolff]

I like that idea. I will have to give it a try. Anyone know where to get 2-56 bottoming tap in Canada?
Thanks for the info.
Steve

[george tichbour]

Make one up by grinding the spiral tapered point off a regular tap.

Start the hole with a tapered tap and finish tapping with the modified tap.