Hidden Tang Question

B

bmills

Well-Known Member
Can you use two pieces of wood, bone, whatever scales and mill, or chisel out the outline of the tang on the inside of the scales so that it appears the handle is one piece? If done correctly, super flat mating surfaces and properly epoxied, would this work? Thanks.

Bill
 
YEP! That's what most of us call a "mortise" or "rabbit" tang design. The trick is to make sure that each side of the handle material (the inward side) are perfectly flat and true, and then cut/mill out 1/2 the thickness of the tang from each. Ya gotta make sure the front ends that meet up with the back of the guard fit perfectly too.

The method is the primary that folks like Jerry Fisk, JR Cook, and many of the other top Bladesmiths use for "hidden tangs".
 
Yes, Bill you can. But you want to pin the handle. Clean you grinding area and save your dust from your handle material. Put it aside. If you have any cracks where your seam is fill it with super glue and add the dust you saved. It will look close to one piece but there is always a seam.
 
Thanks for the replies. Yes, I realize that pinning is necessary. I don't have a mill, so what would be the best method of removing the material? Would a dremel and a routing attachment work? Would that be effective for micarta and hard woods? Thanks for the help.

Bill
 
Bill, I have done this by putting a piece of fiber spacer material between the 2 handle slabs then glueing it all together.It will add a pin stripe effect. Use all the info before,getting them flat,saving the dust,etc.Then just drill the hole for your tang,using a drill press,hand drill.
Dan
 
If you have a drill press, a flat end endmill bit works great for the inletting.
I used a Dremel for quite a few hidden tangs before I had funds to buy a drill press.
Yep on the (hidden) pins, too.
I like DB's advice.
 
John,

Do you mean using an end mill in the drill press and plunging the material out, or, using a cross vise and actually missling the material out? Thanks, I hope I made that clear.

Bill
 
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