My First Attempt & Second

[dlr110]

Well guys, here is my first attempt at making and replacing my own scales.
The was an old $1.99 knife from the junk pile and I thought it would be a
good one to learn on. I used wood because I figured that would be the
cheapest to make mistakes with and learn what not to do. Everything was
going ok until the wood split. I now have an old Richards blade and backspring
to try again.

[doglegg]

Good going David. A great learner.

[treefarmer]

That’s the way to get started, David. Keep it up. I wish I had made time to do more than clean and sharpen all these years.
Treefarmer

[Old Folder]

Great starter David.
I'm with treefarmer, I'm a professional cleaner.

[cudgee]

Well guys, here is my first attempt at making and replacing my own scales.
The was an old $1.99 knife from the junk pile and I thought it would be a
good one to learn on. I used wood because I figured that would be the
cheapest to make mistakes with and learn what not to do. Everything was
going ok until the wood split. I now have an old Richards blade and backspring
to try again.

Mistakes will always happen, but that is the best way to learn, especially not to maybe do it that way again.

[dlr110]

Thanks everyone. Cudgee you're right this little knife was full of lessons and what not to do on this next knife.

[tallguy606]

I think micarta instead of wood would be a better choice. Easy to work but won't break or split,

[Ripster]

Thanks everyone. Cudgee you're right this little knife was full of lessons and what not to do on this next knife.

David ,that’s the way to get after it, great idea with the wood . It’s a very exciting part of the hobby, you will do well. Let us know how phase 2 goes with this one , thanks for sharing . Take care stay warm and safe this evening.

[Reverand]

That was a beautiful choice of wood. It has very pretty burled grain lines.
I also used wood on my first few. It is easier to work with than most materials. Red Cedar is soft to work with, beautiful, and does not split easily.
Keep trying. You do learn more on every time, and you obviously have enough talent to be good at this.

[Jeffinn]

That’s a great first effort!
Some woods split easily and others don’t so sometimes it’s just a matter of selecting the right wood.
Jeff

[glennbad]

That looks like a great first try! Don't get discouraged if you have a setback, and as was mentioned, use micarta. It's more forgiving.

[dlr110]

I think micarta instead of wood would be a better choice. Easy to work but won't break or split,

Does it cut, sand and shape easily?

[Jeffinn]

I think micarta instead of wood would be a better choice. Easy to work but won't break or split,

Does it cut, sand and shape easily?

Micarta is really tough.
Personally I think Micarta requires power belt sanders for the shaping portion of the show. It’s a pretty hard material. The final sanding can be done by hand with varying grits of sandpaper.
Polishing for my Micarta handles is done with a low rpm bench buffer and a couple of different polishing compounds.
Others may have a different opinion.
Jeff

[dlr110]

Thank you Jeff. I have a liner lock frame that needs handles so I ordered some black linen Micarta. I'll give that a go and see how I do with it.

[dlr110]

Here is my 2nd attempt. This is an old Richards knife that each side was a beat up tin clamshell attached to the liners. So I cleaned up the liners, the backspring, new brass pins and polished up the blade. The wood handles are a light curly maple that I cut and shaped. Then I added a light coat of Howard’s Finish on it to bring out the wood pattern a little better. And this time I didn’t crack the wood! Every edge is very flush, the blade centered easily and has a very good snap to it when closed. I’m happy with this one.

Please offer your comments, critiques or questions, they will help me to get better.

[Ripster]

Wow , David , that’s got to be just a great feeling. Looks Super! Really good choice of Wood , it’s really neat grain . You got it going on now Sir . Thanks for sharing your journey with us

[doglegg]

That one turned out excellent. What beautiful handles. I like the direction this is going.

[cudgee]

That is great work for anyone, little lone your second job . If i can give you some advise, not telling you what to do, just might help you down the track. Keep as many off cuts of wood as you can, and experiment with different finishes, you will be amazed at some of the results. Keep posting all your results, both successes and not so successful, we can all learn from one another. Have a good week, take care.

[glennbad]

Love the wood on that one!

[dlr110]

That is great work for anyone, little lone your second job . If i can give you some advise, not telling you what to do, just might help you down the track. Keep as many off cuts of wood as you can, and experiment with different finishes, you will be amazed at some of the results. Keep posting all your results, both successes and not so successful, we can all learn from one another. Have a good week, take care.

Thank you cudgee, that is a great idea. As a matter of fact I used a small piece left from the jigsaw to see how this one would look. I'll get a small box to keep under the work bench and throw the pieces in there for later.

[Jeffinn]

Here is my 2nd attempt. This is an old Richards knife that each side was a beat up tin clamshell attached to the liners. So I cleaned up the liners, the backspring, new brass pins and polished up the blade. The wood handles are a light curly maple that I cut and shaped. Then I added a light coat of Howard’s Finish on it to bring out the wood pattern a little better. And this time I didn’t crack the wood! Every edge is very flush, the blade centered easily and has a very good snap to it when closed. I’m happy with this one.

Please offer your comments, critiques or questions, they will help me to get better.

That one turned out beautiful!
Jeff

[herbva]

Nice work David.That wood has a nice grain pattern. I agree with the suggestion that you experiment with micarta. I used to use a lot of it when I was getting started, and still use it occasionally. It is much more forgiving and you won't have those frustrating cracks that sometimes happen with bone or wood. After I attach the scales, I use a sanding drum with 80 grip on my drill press to do the rough sanding. It saves a lot of time!

[Old Folder]

That's gorgeous David, well done.
Gives me some initiative to rehandle an old Camillus advertiser I have.

[Reverand]

Beautiful! That is extraordinary grain. You did a great job with that knife!

[wv trapper]

Outstanding work, the figure in the curly maple is beautiful!!!