My way of doing things was a little different to the professionals
. This is the first Scandi that I had made so I was a little nervous about it and I also wanted the easiest method of construction that I could get, my choice was probably wrong to start on something like this (a bit ambitious).
Firstly I fitted the blade and the Ferrule together, I used needle files to get the hole as close to the exact diameter/size of the tang as I could and then used a homemade knife vice to slide it into postion on the tang using a little epoxy just to hold it where I wanted it.
I had already cut and drilled each of the pieces of horn and wood along with the nickel silver spacers so they fitted within 2mm of where I wanted them on the tang (as dave said a lot of use of needle files to get them as close to exact as I could).
I then epoxied the holes in the individual peices, between each layer and the tang of the blade itself. Then I slid the seperate peices into place and compressed them using the vice.
Leave to set for 14 hours or so whilst you get on with something else (an evening out with friends and a good nights sleep). In the morning I took it out and went to work on shaping this.
So I clamped the blade in a multi position vice and went to work with files (not a rasp) and then Sand paper working from 80 Grit upwards.
Untill I ended up with a reasonable shape (I work by eye and feel on things like this).
At this stage I move through the grits upto 2500 Grit wet 'n' dry (inbetween each grit I give a wipe down with a spirit) before polishing it using a polishing mop with abramax grey and then nothing fitted to a drill. Then it has plenty of coats of Tung oil. Now the knife is pretty much finished I make a sheath specifically for it (I am not overly happy with this one and am thinking about making another).
I have got power tools here as you can see, but the only one that got used on this was the drill. It is a lot easier to work the handle like this as it gives you time (hence is more forgiving to mistakes). Basically the construction of all scandi's work pretty much the same, but there will be minor variations in the way that each maker makes them and in the materials used. Some like using shellac as it has properties that epoxy hasn't got, for me though epoxy is more available so that is what I use.
. This is the first Scandi that I had made so I was a little nervous about it and I also wanted the easiest method of construction that I could get, my choice was probably wrong to start on something like this (a bit ambitious).Firstly I fitted the blade and the Ferrule together, I used needle files to get the hole as close to the exact diameter/size of the tang as I could and then used a homemade knife vice to slide it into postion on the tang using a little epoxy just to hold it where I wanted it.
I had already cut and drilled each of the pieces of horn and wood along with the nickel silver spacers so they fitted within 2mm of where I wanted them on the tang (as dave said a lot of use of needle files to get them as close to exact as I could).
I then epoxied the holes in the individual peices, between each layer and the tang of the blade itself. Then I slid the seperate peices into place and compressed them using the vice.
Leave to set for 14 hours or so whilst you get on with something else (an evening out with friends and a good nights sleep). In the morning I took it out and went to work on shaping this.
So I clamped the blade in a multi position vice and went to work with files (not a rasp) and then Sand paper working from 80 Grit upwards.
Untill I ended up with a reasonable shape (I work by eye and feel on things like this).
At this stage I move through the grits upto 2500 Grit wet 'n' dry (inbetween each grit I give a wipe down with a spirit) before polishing it using a polishing mop with abramax grey and then nothing fitted to a drill. Then it has plenty of coats of Tung oil. Now the knife is pretty much finished I make a sheath specifically for it (I am not overly happy with this one and am thinking about making another).
I have got power tools here as you can see, but the only one that got used on this was the drill. It is a lot easier to work the handle like this as it gives you time (hence is more forgiving to mistakes). Basically the construction of all scandi's work pretty much the same, but there will be minor variations in the way that each maker makes them and in the materials used. Some like using shellac as it has properties that epoxy hasn't got, for me though epoxy is more available so that is what I use.
