That's what is needed - good quality tutorials. Keep it up mate! Very very good! How are those perpendicular blocks called (I mean the ones you put the knife on to drill holes)?
Good tips. No matter how many year's I've been a knife Smith, I still learn from others tips and idea's. Blacksmithing is a craft that will I & you will always learn and grow no matter how long you've been doing it for. There's so many great learning videos and this platform is a great device to do just that.
Well thought out presentation. You obviously know what you're doing and how to transfer that knowledge to your audience. One of the most intelligent tutorials on UA-cam.
I watched this video a few weeks ago. Until then I always had trouble with the pins lining up after drilling the scales. Using 1-2-3 blocks with a small clamp is the perfect method for keeping everything lined up. Yesterday I drilled 6 small holes in a small boot-knife handle and every pin was aligned perfectly with the holes I drilled. Perfectly!!! Thank you for making this video and making my knife making so much easier… 🐳
Great demo and explanation. I use,a similar method when doing my fit ups. Couple tricks I use are to put a L or R o the scales in pencil to avoid switching them and I also slightly enlarge the drill hole from the inside of the scales, being careful not to go more than half of the thickness. This seems to help with alignment and ease if putting the pins in.
Nick Riggi very nice! I like the labeling of left and right. My Corby holes end up slightly oversized after reaming with the counter bore bit. Thanks for watching!
This was so great. I always struggle with the handles. Just a tip about the Corby bolts. Most of the Corby's are metric, so if you get some metric bits it will save having to sand down the outsides to fit the hole.
Definitely one of the best and clearest tutorials on handle construction I've seen. I loved it. Many thanks. I'm putting antler scales on my full tang, which is probably a similar density to your Micarta, and burns easy. So thanks for all the tips. I will be sure to turn my sander down. I loved the angled block too, and the high tech pencil.
I don’t have any power tools besides a powered drill, but I decided to put new scales on my grandma’s favorite kitchen knife after the original ones fell off. Gotta day, it’s hard seeing my week’s work of hand sanding and hand sawing done in what seems like two days.
Thanks for this video its very informative. I will use several of your techniques rather than the haphazard way i made my first knife handle. Gonna give it a try at the shop Saturday. Thanks again!
As a beginning knife maker I wanted to take the time to thank you for all your training videos and sharing your knowledge. I find them extremely helpful. Good job!
Another good video man. I made a knife about 3 years ago and I carry it every day. I put my scales on pretty much how you do, but with straight pins and a piece of stainless tubing for a lanyard hole. I carry it every day. Not long after I made mine, (and I'm embarrassed by this, but i work a lot of overtime and have a sideline business) I started a knife for someone else. I think with the slower pace Covid19 has brought on and the change of work schedule, I hope to get back to that knife and finish it. Hopefully the guy will still buy it. If not, I'll give it or sell it to someone else and start on another. I'm really enjoying your channel and the way you teach. You might be a better teacher than knife maker....that sounded bad. Hopefully you know what I mean lol
Lol, I know what you mean for sure. Maybe it's true! I do really enjoy the video making process and managing this channel. It pushes me to try new things too, which is a plus. Really glad you enjoyed this one. Good luck sir!
Great Vid thanks for that, is there a name for the clamp that is bolted to your drill press bed? I've seen people using these but can't find them anywhere :) I use a vise grips but a fixed clamp would be better I think.
Watched this a few times now. Always pick up a few details not mentioned in other vids. Did you make your step down bit for the corby fasteners? Thanks
Thanks for all your videos. So we should epoxy and pin/bolt? Is it standard practice to epoxy when pinning scales on? Why use removable hardware like corby bolts if we epoxy the thing on anyway?
When using corbies it's standard to also use the epoxy, not only for a hold, but also as a seal. So as not to rust under the scales. Once a corby is ground, it can't be removed. If you're using removable handle scales with bolts that can be easily removed, this can be avoided since the user can take the knife appart and oil.
I'm a about 1.5 years in self taught with some online help. I haven't been utilizing the internet nearly as much as i should so there's a lot I still don't know. I've gotten the handle attachment process down at this point but I don't know what's up with the hollow ground part of the tang. I been drilling extra holes to help with weight/adhesion. Is the hollowed out tang for the same reasons?
Yeah pretty much same reason. Weight reduction. Maybe a slight case for saying you have some more space for epoxy to bond, but I don't think that really matters much.
When you and down the sides with the corby pins in, how do you get the sandpaper marks out of it? The pins are always scuffed when I get done sanding the sides down.
Great video, thanks for making it. I am stuck on one thing, though, and maybe you can help. I peen in pins to hold on the scales and backspring (I make slipjoints, mostly), and by the time I have filed and sanded the handles to shape, the mushroom head has been ground off and there is nothing holding in the pin except for a little glue in the hole. I am working with tiny, 3/32" or smaller pins. Got any advice? Thanks!
Hey man, just some thoughts... no expert here. When you peen the pins the mushroomed top is not all that holds the pin in. It actually reverse tapers the pins on the ends.... I think... If there is some room in the hole for them to do so. Also many makers use straight pins with just epoxy and they hold up very well
It will help you to use a tapered reamer first, to allow more room for the pin to expand into, then when your done, there should still be enough of expanded tapered pin.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. All my stuff is at a perfect 90’ angle, but when I drill holes and go to stick pins into them it’s like the holes are off. I follow the exact steps you use in this video and use a drill press. The holes line up while they’re stacked up under the knife, but as soon as I take put a scale on both sides of the knife my pins won’t fit anymore and it’s like the holes are off. It makes me think something is crooked but I can’t figure out what. I’ve had the issue with many different types of scales from many different places. Also how would you our knife scales onto a stone washed knife without messing up the stone wash on the spine?
Man I'm not sure what's going on with your builds, I haven't had issues with this method. As far as keeping the stone washed finish you can build takedown scales like this - ua-cam.com/video/PkkVVYiNrrY/v-deo.html Or permanently like this - ua-cam.com/video/CbOj-k7M1us/v-deo.html
Thanks for the videos suggestions I'll give them a watch! And it's all trial and error right? I'm relatively new to the hobby. I got started about 5 months ago thanks to your videos. Saving up right now to get a 2x72 and get more serious. So I still got a lot to learn.
@@RedBeardOps thanks for the reply! I just saw a cross section view of a corby fastened handle and understood the mechanics. Makes a lot more sense now :)
how do you make sure your tang stays flat for a good mating surface between the scales and tang during the hand-sanding of the tang? i've been using the surface grinder to get the tang real flat but have to sand the knife to get the finish which inevitably gets rid of some of the flatness where i'm hand-sanding (up by the front of the handle)
I surface grind to around 320 grit so there really isn't much more material to remove at the ricasso. You can take it to the surface plate with some sand paper if you get out of flatness
At about 7:22, you caution against getting epoxy into the female part of the corby. Why is this? Do you put any epoxy on the male side to bond them together?
Yes it doesn't seem to be an issue to get epoxy on the male side. Getting epoxy in the female end can sometimes cause it to get trapped in there and thus not allow the male side all the way in. Since the epoxy is pretty non-compressible; this can cause the corby not to completely tighten down in some cases.
Since you have a drill with a depth guide for corbies you do not need to adjust the depth gauge of your drill. We would drill with the drill setting if we had a simple drill. Simply rest your micarta on your drill plate and drill fearlessly, when the tip of the drill driver touches the metal plate you are ready.
I have a question: My knife is 1/8 inch thick, and I have some scales that are 1/4 inch each. Would that be thick enough in your opinion, or should I aim for 3/8 inch scales?
I liked your video, Be careful with that phenolic material you used. I work in a machine shop where we mill it. It has many chemicals in it including formaldehyde. When you route it the dust will give you a nose bleed! Just a heads up.
That's what is needed - good quality tutorials. Keep it up mate! Very very good!
How are those perpendicular blocks called (I mean the ones you put the knife on to drill holes)?
Scrap Metal Therapy thanks man, those a 3-2-1 blocks. You can find them for a good price on Amazon!
excellent video. Thank you. I'm glad you didn't have obnoxious music playing in the background.
It’s 12:15am and I’m finishing my first knife, this video helped me so much. Thanks man!
Heck yeah! Thanks Austin. Glad you liked it!
Good tips. No matter how many year's I've been a knife Smith, I still learn from others tips and idea's. Blacksmithing is a craft that will I & you will always learn and grow no matter how long you've been doing it for. There's so many great learning videos and this platform is a great device to do just that.
Cheers Renee! Glad you liked it
Placing the bits in the holes!!! Brilliant!
Glad you liked it!
Well thought out presentation. You obviously know what you're doing and how to transfer that knowledge to your audience. One of the most intelligent tutorials on UA-cam.
Hey, I really appreciate that! Thanks for your comment.
I watched this video a few weeks ago. Until then I always had trouble with the pins lining up after drilling the scales. Using 1-2-3 blocks with a small clamp is the perfect method for keeping everything lined up. Yesterday I drilled 6 small holes in a small boot-knife handle and every pin was aligned perfectly with the holes I drilled. Perfectly!!! Thank you for making this video and making my knife making so much easier… 🐳
Glad it worked for you! Cheers!
I'm 3 knives in now and my last glue up felt very chaotic. I will reference this over and over to shoot for your calm and collected demeanor.
Good luck Chris! Use long setting G-flex and it takes the pressure off!
Great demo and explanation.
I use,a similar method when doing my fit ups. Couple tricks I use are to put a L or R o the scales in pencil to avoid switching them and I also slightly enlarge the drill hole from the inside of the scales, being careful not to go more than half of the thickness. This seems to help with alignment and ease if putting the pins in.
Nick Riggi very nice! I like the labeling of left and right. My Corby holes end up slightly oversized after reaming with the counter bore bit. Thanks for watching!
One of the best videos I have ever seen on here
Thank you sir! Glad you enjoyed it.
Great "how" to video for beginners....Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is really going to help me as i have struggled with handles for a while....Thank you!
Heck yeah sir, Glad it helped you out! Cheers
This video was the best tutorial I have ever seen. I am using it to build my first handle!!!
Heck yeah man, glad it was helpful!
This was so great. I always struggle with the handles. Just a tip about the Corby bolts. Most of the Corby's are metric, so if you get some metric bits it will save having to sand down the outsides to fit the hole.
Cool, thanks!
Definitely one of the best and clearest tutorials on handle construction I've seen. I loved it. Many thanks. I'm putting antler scales on my full tang, which is probably a similar density to your Micarta, and burns easy. So thanks for all the tips. I will be sure to turn my sander down. I loved the angled block too, and the high tech pencil.
LOL, thank you sir! Really glad you got something out of this tutorial. Have a great weekend!
I don’t have any power tools besides a powered drill, but I decided to put new scales on my grandma’s favorite kitchen knife after the original ones fell off. Gotta day, it’s hard seeing my week’s work of hand sanding and hand sawing done in what seems like two days.
Lol, cheers sir! No one starts off "fast"
A lot of smart stuff in this video. Thanks, I'm just starting to build knives and I'm listening to everything I can.
Good luck with your builds!
Top shelf tutorial my man, others should be taking notes. Well done
Hey Tom, really happy you liked it!
About to finish my first knife thanks to your advice
Thank you! Good luck!
Thanks man
Thanks brother this tutorial help me to fixed my broken handle🙌🏽💪🏽
Glad it helped!
Thanks for this video its very informative. I will use several of your techniques rather than the haphazard way i made my first knife handle. Gonna give it a try at the shop Saturday. Thanks again!
Awesome! Glad you found value here. Hope it goes well this weekend!
Video is great as always. I’m in the handle process and I’ve been afraid to start doing it for over a week now. This tutorial definitely helps!
Glad it was helpful!
As a beginning knife maker I wanted to take the time to thank you for all your training videos and sharing your knowledge. I find them extremely helpful. Good job!
Thanks Clifton! Much appreciated!
Thank you for sharing, very good video I will follow the instructions thank you, have a nice and safe day, from Uruguay
Thank you! You too!
Thank you for the video. New to this and gave me a good direction to start.
Good deal Steve, Glad you got something out of it!
Nice and simple !! luckily I have some hand skills and other cross pollination skills that will help cause you make it look too easy
Glad you liked it!
Just glued my handle on following your advice!
🇬🇧🤜⚡️🤛🇺🇸
Heck yeah sir! Really glad to hear that
Another good video man. I made a knife about 3 years ago and I carry it every day. I put my scales on pretty much how you do, but with straight pins and a piece of stainless tubing for a lanyard hole. I carry it every day. Not long after I made mine, (and I'm embarrassed by this, but i work a lot of overtime and have a sideline business) I started a knife for someone else. I think with the slower pace Covid19 has brought on and the change of work schedule, I hope to get back to that knife and finish it. Hopefully the guy will still buy it. If not, I'll give it or sell it to someone else and start on another. I'm really enjoying your channel and the way you teach. You might be a better teacher than knife maker....that sounded bad. Hopefully you know what I mean lol
Lol, I know what you mean for sure. Maybe it's true! I do really enjoy the video making process and managing this channel. It pushes me to try new things too, which is a plus. Really glad you enjoyed this one. Good luck sir!
Great Vid thanks for that, is there a name for the clamp that is bolted to your drill press bed? I've seen people using these but can't find them anywhere :) I use a vise grips but a fixed clamp would be better I think.
MrSoloun I found that clamp at harbor freight. It’s specifically made for drill presses. I think it was around $15
What angle did you cut your wood scale jig to? I really appreciate you doing the videos as a newbie it helps a bunch
They Dave! I love doing them. The angle is ~45 degrees.
Why the hell have i never thought of drilling BOTH sides at the same time?!! As long as the left/right orientation is correct....Thanks man!!!
Heck yeah John, give it a go! I love this method and still use it almost exclusively
@@RedBeardOps worked like a charm!!!
Watched this a few times now. Always pick up a few details not mentioned in other vids. Did you make your step down bit for the corby fasteners? Thanks
I did make one back in the day, but eventually bought one for them... it worked much better IMO.
Who doesn’t love a helicopter flying situation!!!!?? You take all the fun out of it.
LOL
Awesome.. I was looking for a good shot of your 45 degree angle sanding jig and how you attached it to your work rest, found it, cheers
Hey Steevo! Check out a few of my most recent full tang knife build, I have some good shots of it in there. Have a great week!
Which video is that? Title? Thanks @@RedBeardOps
@@wenwren being 4 years ago I really don't remember what video I was referencing. You may need to dig.
Awesome informational educational video experience Y'alls God Bless Ya 🙏
Thank you! You too!
Hi Mr Keeton. I am wondering if you have a suggestion list for knives handle profiles. Thanks.
I'm really not sure how to answer!
Great video, thank you. Can you give me some information on your belt grinder?
Right now I'm using the North Ridge grinder and really like it. www.northridgetool.com/grinders/
That is a very nice knife.👍
Thank you!
Great except i have just one suitable power tool and that is the drill press
Are the screw slots cut off or ground off on the belt sander at some stage?
That is correct. They're ground down. ua-cam.com/video/vuVv91NoIjw/v-deo.html
“Helicopter like situations at the drill press” - haven’t we all been there lol
lol
Thanks for all your videos. So we should epoxy and pin/bolt? Is it standard practice to epoxy when pinning scales on? Why use removable hardware like corby bolts if we epoxy the thing on anyway?
When using corbies it's standard to also use the epoxy, not only for a hold, but also as a seal. So as not to rust under the scales. Once a corby is ground, it can't be removed.
If you're using removable handle scales with bolts that can be easily removed, this can be avoided since the user can take the knife appart and oil.
I'm a about 1.5 years in self taught with some online help. I haven't been utilizing the internet nearly as much as i should so there's a lot I still don't know. I've gotten the handle attachment process down at this point but I don't know what's up with the hollow ground part of the tang. I been drilling extra holes to help with weight/adhesion. Is the hollowed out tang for the same reasons?
Yeah pretty much same reason. Weight reduction. Maybe a slight case for saying you have some more space for epoxy to bond, but I don't think that really matters much.
Good stuff!Appreciate the share.!
Cheers sir!
When you and down the sides with the corby pins in, how do you get the sandpaper marks out of it? The pins are always scuffed when I get done sanding the sides down.
I work up the grits. It takes time for sure.
Would you make handles for a machete I have? I already have two Wenge wood scales for you to use.
Sorry Dan, I'm not taking custom orders.
Great video, thanks for making it.
I am stuck on one thing, though, and maybe you can help. I peen in pins to hold on the scales and backspring (I make slipjoints, mostly), and by the time I have filed and sanded the handles to shape, the mushroom head has been ground off and there is nothing holding in the pin except for a little glue in the hole.
I am working with tiny, 3/32" or smaller pins.
Got any advice? Thanks!
Hey man, just some thoughts... no expert here. When you peen the pins the mushroomed top is not all that holds the pin in. It actually reverse tapers the pins on the ends.... I think... If there is some room in the hole for them to do so.
Also many makers use straight pins with just epoxy and they hold up very well
It will help you to use a tapered reamer first, to allow more room for the pin to expand into, then when your done, there should still be enough of expanded tapered pin.
Great tutorial!!!
Thanks man!
What size drill bit for 3/16?
Your best bet is to measure your pin stock and find the closest drill bit in a fractional set.
Awesome video!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The knife in the video looks amazing...is it for sale?
No sir, sorry about that!
.....Awesome Video!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
How do u Finish ur Micarta handles is it just sanded to a high grit or is a oil used
Hey Joseph, I hand sand them to 1000 grit. Then just wipe them down with some car wax and a T-Shirt.
Thanks for the reply your videos have been heaps helpful
RBO,
what do you recommend for actually polishing the handles?
Really high grit sand paper (work up to 1200ish) then I hit it with some oil like balistol and buff with a micro fiber cloth.
@@RedBeardOps dude thanks for fast respond. Merry Christmas.
How did you get that finish on the blade in the start of t h e video
If I remember right that is a 320 grit hand sanded finish
I'm watching this at a time when your channel is called "Red Beard Ops", so the intro made me think I had the wrong video at first.
Lol, yes sir, had a branding change. I think this video is one of my more relevant older videos. Probably need to make an updated version!
*GREAT work! I recently posted a similar video on youtube and would like your opinion on it and the method of mounting the knife handle.*
Have a great day!
If I have everything, including rods/pins and epoxy, can I do this without the corby pops and only use these pins and epoxy?
You sure can. Cheers
The pins are called Korby fastener and the handles Scales ?
Yep, the handle scales are attached with corby fasteners.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. All my stuff is at a perfect 90’ angle, but when I drill holes and go to stick pins into them it’s like the holes are off. I follow the exact steps you use in this video and use a drill press. The holes line up while they’re stacked up under the knife, but as soon as I take put a scale on both sides of the knife my pins won’t fit anymore and it’s like the holes are off.
It makes me think something is crooked but I can’t figure out what. I’ve had the issue with many different types of scales from many different places.
Also how would you our knife scales onto a stone washed knife without messing up the stone wash on the spine?
Man I'm not sure what's going on with your builds, I haven't had issues with this method.
As far as keeping the stone washed finish you can build takedown scales like this - ua-cam.com/video/PkkVVYiNrrY/v-deo.html
Or permanently like this - ua-cam.com/video/CbOj-k7M1us/v-deo.html
Thanks for the videos suggestions I'll give them a watch!
And it's all trial and error right? I'm relatively new to the hobby. I got started about 5 months ago thanks to your videos. Saving up right now to get a 2x72 and get more serious. So I still got a lot to learn.
@@norcalbowhunter3264 Awesome, good luck with your builds man!
Amazing
Thank you
why do you use these corby fasteners instead of regular cylinder pins? What advantage does it provide?
Corby fasteners are common in the custom knife making world. They look like regular pins, but pull together mechanically.
@@RedBeardOps thanks for the reply! I just saw a cross section view of a corby fastened handle and understood the mechanics. Makes a lot more sense now :)
How thick were your scales if you don't mind saying.
Those were 1/4'', cheers!
how do you make sure your tang stays flat for a good mating surface between the scales and tang during the hand-sanding of the tang? i've been using the surface grinder to get the tang real flat but have to sand the knife to get the finish which inevitably gets rid of some of the flatness where i'm hand-sanding (up by the front of the handle)
I surface grind to around 320 grit so there really isn't much more material to remove at the ricasso. You can take it to the surface plate with some sand paper if you get out of flatness
@@RedBeardOps makes perfect sense. I was only surface grinding to a very rough grit. thanks as always
Couldn't you use a router table with a flush trim bit to carve the shape of the handles
Yep, I bet that would work/help
At about 7:22, you caution against getting epoxy into the female part of the corby. Why is this? Do you put any epoxy on the male side to bond them together?
Yes it doesn't seem to be an issue to get epoxy on the male side. Getting epoxy in the female end can sometimes cause it to get trapped in there and thus not allow the male side all the way in. Since the epoxy is pretty non-compressible; this can cause the corby not to completely tighten down in some cases.
What is better, permanent loctite or epoxy on threads?
When it comes to corby fasteners or loveless I go with epoxy
Sure wish I had a drill press and a bandsaw
They are great machines!
Since you have a drill with a depth guide for corbies you do not need to adjust the depth gauge of your drill. We would drill with the drill setting if we had a simple drill. Simply rest your micarta on your drill plate and drill fearlessly, when the tip of the drill driver touches the metal plate you are ready.
I have a question: My knife is 1/8 inch thick, and I have some scales that are 1/4 inch each. Would that be thick enough in your opinion, or should I aim for 3/8 inch scales?
Hi sir, I may many knives with those dimensions (1/4 scales and 1/8 blade). I like the feel of them.
What is the material you are using for the handle, you keep saying handle scales then micarda, or micarta or something? Info for beginners please!!
Sorry, here you go sir - amzn.to/467aeot
Nice 👍🙂
I liked your video,
Be careful with that phenolic material you used.
I work in a machine shop where we mill it.
It has many chemicals in it including formaldehyde.
When you route it the dust will give you a nose bleed!
Just a heads up.
Thanks for the tips!
What do you call the little brass pins??
Corby Bolts - ua-cam.com/video/vuVv91NoIjw/v-deo.html
@@RedBeardOps
Amazon here I come
That jig you made is it a 45 degree angle?
Yes sir it's about 45
Red Beard Ops ok thank you brother.
What breathing equipment are you using there.
This is the one I use. Cheers! - Resp-O-Rator - amzn.to/2M6PMN7
Can you tell me to tell me what the name of that saw is, I forgot 3:09
There are lots of brands, some cheaper than this one... but it's called a porta-bandsaw - amzn.to/3K1uNtw
I feel like every single one of these videos should be labeled "here's how to use $15k equipment to make a knife handle". Can we just get the basics?
Sounds like you'll enjoy this one then - ua-cam.com/video/nk7vu2RYxvI/v-deo.html
Great tutorial. Maybe not quite as much epoxy.
What's the thickness of the blade?
In this case it's 1/8'' stock
Boom!
🇬🇧🤜⚡️🤛🇺🇸
It would be hard to do any better that that
Thank you very much sir!
🤘
Glad you enjoyed it Toni!
Beginner don’t have fancy tools as I know
This is true
I started with Woodprix plans.
Have a great day!
My corby fasteners identify as males! LOL!
lol