Tang help, rebuilding a muela mirage

[Retired Member southey]

Hi chaps, I damaged the kraton handle on my muela so I am rebuilding it, Is there enough of a tang to do a bowie style handle do you think? with a single pin, I cut the guard off the old tang extension and will thin it down, remove the black and polish it up, also what wood would you recommend?

Cheers for any help dudes!

 

[Ex member - Bilgerat]

Mmmm..Muelas.... Never did like them after I found that they forged the Steel Blade into an alloy handle on some and the others (Wiv a few exceptions) were not full tang......

I would be very tempted to shorten up on the guard (Take out the Ricasso). (Carborundum saw). And get the handle a bit longer that way.

Do you need the guard?

I have made Handles out of Oak and Beech without any problems however have always had full tangs..

Strangely I made a half tang knife handle outa Pine (Unknown type), to save a folder that had disintegrated...

Had only about an inch of Tang embedded into the Handle and the four inch blade went right up to the handle..

Proved to be a useful knife fer some considerable time.....


? TIG Weld more tang on? Wiv the handle in some jewellers cool-mount or similar to stop re tempering????

Just a few suggestions.....

 

[addo]

Get rid of some of the Ricasso and lose the guard? Should be enough tang then, but obviously the knife will be changed.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Cheers dudes, The guard is staying, though in a different shape, I cant add to the handle and don't want remove any unless absolutely necessary,

 

[santaman2000]

Why cain't you add (weld) a bit more to the tang?

The wood of choice currently seems to be Cocobolo. I'd also consider Hickory or Pecan. Of course Walnut seems to work well on gunstocks; it might do well as a knife handle.

PS, Agreed. Do Not remove the guard. It just wouldn't be a Bowie anymore.

 

[Ex member - Bilgerat]

Mmmmm..... Block of Lignum and drill out the tang hole fer a snug fit...

Measure and drill the fixing pin hole...

Tempoary fix the whole knife together and rasp the handle to the shape you want....

Fine sand and smooth out (Or otherwise)...

Embed the handle wiv Glass fibre resin and pin....

Leave fer a week....

Should take a fair amount of use....

 

[Ex member - Bilgerat]

Why cain't you add (weld) a bit more to the tang?

Of course Walnut seems to work well on gunstocks; it might do well as a knife handle.

Yes, as long as there are no shakes in the wood, fer a half tang...... Very hard wood and can splinter.....

 

[Retired Member southey]

I dont have the kit to do it myself or any money to get it done by someone else, yeah dude the guard is safe, I have an angle grinder but that wold knacker the ht straight off if i was to use it to remove a cm of the ricasso and spine, wouldnt it, even going slow,

 

[Retired Member southey]

I have done a few stick and fulltangs, this is my first non of either for me,

 

[santaman2000]

Yes, as long as there are no shakes in the wood, fer a half tang...... Very hard wood and can splinter.....

That's why I asked why not weld an extension to the tang.

 

[Ex member - Bilgerat]

Don't use an angle grinder....

You will loose the tempering almost straight away..... Even going slowly... Too close to the blade here....

A Carborundum saw will fit into a 8" 10" or 12" Hacksaw frame... (8" better as you have more control) An go slowly.... Finish off with a file....

If you want to take any metal off that is..... (Just a suggestion).....

 

[Ex member - Bilgerat]

That's why I asked why not weld an extension to the tang.

Yep me too.... Better.....

 

[Retired Member southey]

Cheers chaps but adding or removing(with out using angle grind and if my current hack saw blades fail) isnt an option, but thank you any way!

 

[Stew]

You can add an extension on without welding. Let me find you a picture.

 

[Stew]

You can add an extension on without welding. Let me find you a picture.

Right, pics and work by Ian Bailey.

Ian threads his extension and adds a butt cap. I've done it with no butt cap and just had it as a longer tang in the handle.

If you don't want to go too fancy you could just peen the end over or just use a simple nut.

 

[Stew]

or there's another way!

 

[Stew]

No weld butt cap courtesy of Mike Carter:

http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?4316-No-Weld-Butt-Cap

I've not tried it but I'm pretty confident Mike knows a lot more about knives than me!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Thats a cracking idea! cheers Stew, just been playing with sanding drums on the set up i use for handles and other than polish the tang I haven't course enough grits to remove metal with out overheating the blade, Wil have a rummage and see if i have something in can use for the method shown,

 

[Stew]

Grind a bit, dip in water, grind a bit more. Or put the guard on then fit the extension - no reason the tang has to be thinned like that.

If you get stuck I can always machine some bits for you. Won't even cost you postage back.

 

[Retired Member southey]

DOH! soo the old tang extension might work,