temporary handle?

[soundmind]

What's a good/quick process for building a temp handle?
Burn it in and pin with no guard?

I'd like to test cutting ability from my heat treat and want something sturdy. Any additional/better advice out there?

 

[Von Gruff]

Best thing is to learn your HT process better so there is no need to do that before the knife is finished.

 

[KenH]

I'm guessing it's a thru tang since you mention burning it thru. Just for testing you might wrap a few layers of tape (electrical or duck) around the tang just for testing. I surely wouldn't do much in the way of a temp handle that's just for testing.

 

[Daniel Macina]

I usually do a little paracord wrap nothing fancy as I usually break it to check grain structure.

 

[Chris Railey]

Not that I am an expert by anyone’s definition but I do at least a corsely finished actual handle to test. The reason I do is In my own limited mind, if I want to know how a finished knife is going to perform I need to test a finished knife. For instance, a rigid handle acts like a splint on a broken bone with the tang being the bone. If the tang is more rigid stress points shift to the front of the handle area near the ricasso. If the handle is somewhat flexible, like a taped handle the tang MAY share some of the load and hide a weak area of your design and process. If I were going to look at grain structure ONLY I would never forge/shape a tang to begin with, just the blade section. I hope that makes sense. Kevin if I am off base here please correct me, all of this is my opinion but if I am wrong I will switch to para cord or tape tomorrow for testing.

 

[Daniel Macina]

@Chris Railey i had never thought of that! Your probably right!

 

[soundmind]

Best thing is to learn your HT process better so there is no need to do that before the knife is finished.

Hi Von, I thought this was part of checking heat treat.
I've checked grain structure. What I see is smooth grain at the edge where I hardened it and a little coarser (not super coarse) further up where oil didn't touch the steel. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to expect solid silky grain in the whole knife on an edge quench. I know the edge is hard, only thing is not sure if I tempered too far back on the last draw and wanted to use them before I finished them.

I'm guessing it's a thru tang since you mention burning it thru. Just for testing you might wrap a few layers of tape (electrical or duck) around the tang just for testing. I surely wouldn't do much in the way of a temp handle that's just for testing.

The tang is too short - I should have clarified that. Burning it in seems the simplest and strongest way I think.

For instance, a rigid handle acts like a splint on a broken bone with the tang being the bone. If the tang is more rigid stress points shift to the front of the handle area near the ricasso. If the handle is somewhat flexible, like a taped handle the tang MAY share some of the load and hide a weak area of your design and process.

Good thoughts, Chris

 

[KenH]

Chris - you are correct, but also the type of temp handle depends on what you wish to test on the blade. "IF" the functioning of blade design and how well it works at many different uses, then you're right - a decent handle the shape of the final handle would be required.

Tang too short? Yep, I think your idea of burning a tang is is good - or perhaps just drill a round hole large enough for the tang to slide in and fill with epoxy? Epoxy covers lots of huh-ohs {g}