How to cut slot in brass for tang?

[Hood]

I'm try to make the brass "cap" that goes over the end of the knife where the blade slides into the handle. I am wondering how to cut a slot in the brass so that the tang slides in smoothly without it being jagged and distorted.

I'm thinking about just drilling a small hole in it and then filing it to shape.

Thanks

[Lin Rhea]

Hood,
      You are on the right track. Actually drill a series of holes smaller than the cross section of the tang near the back of the blade. Then, using a chainsaw file that fits into one of the holes, connect them and refine the hole's shape till it fit's the tang tightly and wont rattle when the knife is complete.

     You will need to seal the joint by using JB Weld or somthing similar to prevent blood or water getting into it and causing rust to set up. Get the hole tight enough not to rattle. Dont rely on epoxy or JB Weld alone to hold the guard.
                                 Lin

[LAR43]

I actually use a cold chisel a little smaller than the tang instead of a center punch. It makes a neat groove for the drill bit to run a straight line of holes.
Then file it to final fit & seal it up as described above by Lin.

Larry

[Hood]

Originally posted by Lin Rhea:
Dont rely on epoxy or JB Weld alone to hold the guard.

I'm not sure I understand. I want to epoxy the tang into an antler. So I need to put attach the guard at the same time. What would I use to attach the guard to the antler?

Thanks for the help!

[tomh]

you want the guard to almost be a press fit onto the tang. When filing the slot keep the front of the slot smaller than the rear. file and check. keep filing and checking. the rear of the slot can be a bit bigger so that when you tap/drive the guard on and are ready to glue up your handle, you have some space for your epoxy to fill in and waterproof the guard.

Some guys use silver solder, but that is out of my range.

Don't know if I explained that well enough, but I am new too!

[Lin Rhea]

Hood,
    By all means use epoxy, but dont RELY on it alone. As Tom mentioned, use a press fit (mechanical bond) between the guard and blade to insure that it does not get loose on you later.

 Larry, that's a good idea about the chisel. Never thought of that.
                          Lin

[Jeremy]

use a cold chisel a little smaller than the tang instead of a center punch.

Another one of those "why didn't I think of that??" moments!        

I've just been drilling a series of small holes that are quite undersized to let me correct for not drilling in a completely straight line... that's gonna save me some filing Larry!  :D

[LAR43]

 

Larry

[kbaknife]

Originally posted by Jeremy:
 

use a cold chisel a little smaller than the tang instead of a center punch.

Another one of those "why didn't I think of that??" moments!            

I've just been drilling a series of small holes that are quite undersized to let me correct for not drilling in a completely straight line... that's gonna save me some filing Larry!   :D  [/b]

And, if you use a centering drill as the first step before using regular drill bits, you'll even kick up the accuracy another notch!

[LC]

Well I do this a little bit different than everyone else I guess. I cheat. Basically I do the same thing BUT I make my tang a smidge smaller than the blade. In other words I leave my blade a hair bigger on both sides where it meets the tang so there is a hair line lip that covers any mistakes on the guard.  I use to do this with a file but now adays do it with power tools. This way you always get a nice  flush fit on the guard. I still drill pilot holes in my brass guard but use a dremel type tool with a tungsten cutter to connect the dots.

[OconeeDan]

If you are good with a drill press, you can drill through the guard and pin it.
Dan

[Bodork]

Maybe I've been cheatin' all along without knowing it. I use my dremel tool. I put four of those little grinding discs together (or however many is just smaller than the tang) and start grinding until I'm just through. Then I turn it over and grind from the other side being careful not to twist the grinder. After my slot is cut, I can get a small file in the brass to widen it until it fits the tang. One thing I have noticed on the helle blades I use, the tang is slightly thinner where the blade has been polished. Therefore, I sand the back of the tang before I file the brass too much. A snug fit at the blade is a must. One other note, I shape my brass guards AFTER I grind the slot. It's real hard to get the slot perfectly in the middle of an already shaped piece of brass. I also cut small notches on the top and bottom of the blade for the guard to sit into. Mike

[Gaur]

A trick Doug Tollefson of Lost Valley forge,MN showed me was to put a metal hardened jig on the blade and file to get perfectly flat 90 angles for a tight fit to the brass.  He then has a metal thick plate with a hole in it and you tap the brass to get a good tight fit to the tang.  He then silver soders.  Not hard to do at all.  Just add some flux and use a torch. After than the handle gets epoxy.  He puts it in a wood press and leaves it for a day.