May I suggest if you are only using epoxy that you use a better quality epoxy than the stuff available at your local hardware store?
I recommend Quik-Cure epoxy.
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/index.php? ... cts_id=569
It is available from most knife maker supply houses. I use it because it has more flexibility than most other epoxies and is less prone to sheer forces. Sheer forces occur when items that are glued together are subjected to sudden deceleration. This occurs when a knife is dropped (or used to hammer with) and typically the frame hits the floor and stops and the Law of Inertia kicks in to play. The handle tries to continue to move, causing sheering forces on the handle itself. Vibration adds to the equation and helps to sheer the epoxy bond. Without pins in place to hold the handle to the rest of the knife, all the stress is put on the epoxy bond itself. Now, the bond does not sheer every time, but eventually it probably will give way and the handle will fall off.
Quik-Cure is the only epoxy I would trust on a knife without pins in the handles. If the knife will be a safe queen and never used, it is probably fine and most any epoxy will work if you prepare the surfaces properly. I like the knives I make and repair to be used, so I use Quik-Cure & I pin the handles as well.
Surface Preparation-
Be sure to roughen BOTH surfaces to be glued. 36 grit sand paper works well for most things, the rougher the better in most cases. I have some ½” diameter sanding drums for use with rotary or flex shaft tools. I found some 24 grit drums that I use with my Foredom to roughen the outside of the liner to which I glue the handle. I usually use 32 grit belts on a belt sander to roughen the back side of the handle material. I have found it critical to clean the material after roughening it. For cleaning I use 99% isopropyl alcohol, available for a couple bucks at a local pharmacy. It cleans better than most cleaners, dries in seconds and leaves NO residue. Any soap product, Simple Green, Fantastic, or cleanser will leave residue that can cause the bond to fail. The same is true of petroleum-based cleaners, even ones as volatile as lacquer thinner will leave enough residue to weaken the adhesive bond.
After the surfaces are prepped, I double check the fit, mix the Quik-Cure in equal parts, coat one surface and clamp the pieces together. Watch for shifting of the pieces when you clamp them. In about 10 minutes (at room temperature) I unclamp the work and peel away the glue around the edges of the work before it sets up entirely. I wipe the edges, especially around the bolsters when I clamp it, but there is usually some that oozes out; that I peel away.
If you want a good tutorial on glue, read the “Glue Wars” at KnifeForums.com:
Glue Wars-
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/showt ... hp?t=27463
I called one of the guys who did the testing in the Glue Wars, Tracy Mickley, and asked him what, in his opinion was the best all-around best adhesive for knife making. He said the best he tested was a golf shaft adhesive. The Quik-Cure is a privately labeled version of the golf shaft adhesive they tested.
I love Quik-Cure and use it for 95% of the knife gluing I do….but I still pin my handles. I don’t trust any glue 100%.
I hope this is helpful.
Good luck
