Grandpas boning knife scale replacement project.

[hawgrider]

I posted this knife up in another thread at Prepper Forums so you've seen how bad the wood was its been that way for a few decades as Grandpa had it wrapped with electrical tape :vs_shocked:

So one of members from PF contacted me and offered to help me out with some really neat knife scale stock
Common Name(s): Purpleheart, Amaranth

Scientific Name: Peltogyne spp.

Distribution: Central and South America (from Mexico down to southern Brazil)

Rot Resistance: Purpleheart is rated as being very durable, and resists both decay and most insect attacks, though it has been reported to be susceptible to attack from marine borers.

https://www.wood-database.com/purpleheart/.



I just got them in the mail yesterday so the project begins and nope I've never done this before so here we slowly go.



https://i.imgur.com/FGREVtv.jpg
Step one I peeled off the old wood and then.....

Did a bunch of research on how I was going to attach the new scales. I think after seeing several ways to pin them or use Cutlery Rivets I think Im going to use epoxy and brass rod pins. Ive got lots of cleanup to do so this will be a slow ongoing project while I fit it in with my day job and my after work leather work and other duties. I'll post up the progress as it happens.

and a HUGE thanks to the kindness of that PF forum member who provided the wood stocks and sent them to me no charge.
(I'd name him but I didn't ask him if I could so unless he pipes up its a secret)

[hawgrider]

This was the real bad side-

https://i.imgur.com/TyqF7h1.jpg

[Inor]

Be careful with the Purpleheart. It has some kind of natural irritant in it that really messes with my breathing. It is the only wood that I ALWAYS wear a mask when I am working it. But it is hard as bullets and finishes beautifully.

[hawgrider]

Be careful with the Purpleheart. It has some kind of natural irritant in it that really messes with my breathing. It is the only wood that I ALWAYS wear a mask when I am working it. But it is hard as bullets and finishes beautifully.

I read that.
I may have to sand and trim outside I have paper mask but I also have a beard so the mask will be semi useless.

This stuff is dense and as hard as a rock. It also seems to be great on rot resistance. Have you ever stained this stuff Inor?

I may just use a oil finish like Birchwood Casey gunstock oil? Dunno know yet.

[Inor]

I read that.
I may have to sand and trim outside I have paper mask but I also have a beard so the mask will be semi useless.

This stuff is dense and as hard as a rock. It also seems to be great on rot resistance. Have you ever stained this stuff Inor?

I may just use a oil finish like Birchwood Casey gunstock oil? Dunno know yet.

I rarely stain any wood stuff I make. Also, with Purpleheart, I would be really reticent to stain it because the color might come out really weird. But I notice you have a couple extra pieces, so maybe try it on one of them and see what it looks like?

For knife handles, I usually just finish them with 3-4 coats of food grade mineral oil (butcher block oil). It soaks in fast and gives them a good water resistant finish.

Edit: Funny story... I was making some pens from Purpleheart. I was turning the pen bodies on my lathe and had an itch in my eye. Without thinking, I reached up and scratched it without washing my hands first. My damn eyes swelled shut from the oil in the Purpleheart! I looked like I had gone a couple rounds with Mike Tyson!

[hawgrider]

I rarely stain any wood stuff I make. Also, with Purpleheart, I would be really reticent to stain it because the color might come out really weird. But I notice you have a couple extra pieces, so maybe try it on one of them and see what it looks like?

For knife handles, I usually just finish them with 3-4 coats of food grade mineral oil (butcher block oil). It soaks in fast and gives them a good water resistant finish.

Edit: Funny story... I was making some pens from Purpleheart. I was turning the pen bodies on my lathe and had an itch in my eye. Without thinking, I reached up and scratched it without washing my hands first. My damn eyes swelled shut from the oil in the Purpleheart! I looked like I had gone a couple rounds with Mike Tyson!

Yikes Yeah From what I read some can really have an allergic to the purple wood but they say its rare... So automatically if its rare means i'll be one that affected by it :)

[shootbrownelk]

What's the maker's name on the blade of Grandpa's boning knife? I can't make it out, not that it matters. Old knives are always the best.

[hawgrider]

What's the maker's name on the blade of Grandpa's boning knife? I can't make it out, not that it matters. Old knives are always the best.

German knife in the middle with the trident.

https://i.imgur.com/K3zTzkD.jpg





https://i.imgur.com/WXJxaHO.jpg

[shootbrownelk]

Thanks Hawg. There's the magic word....Solingen! I collect German stag handle hunting knives, or I did collect them anyway. I don't anymore but that German steel is hard to beat. I can't wait to see how Grandpa's knife turns out. Will you refinish the blade or leave as is?

[hawgrider]

Thanks Hawg. There's the magic word....Solingen! I collect German stag handle hunting knives, or I did collect them anyway. I don't anymore but that German steel is hard to beat. I can't wait to see how Grandpa's knife turns out. Will you refinish the blade or leave as is?

I'm thinking about cleaning it up but of course all those decades of patina will be gone. But I'm thinking with the new skins it would look better cleaned up.

[RubberDuck]

I'm thinking about cleaning it up but of course all those decades of patina will be gone. But I'm thinking with the new skins it would look better cleaned up.Ill bring some of that quick glo out next trip it seems to a gentle but strong polish we could try it on the blade you gave us they have close to the same patina

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[hawgrider]

Ill bring some of that quick glo out next trip it seems to a gentle but strong polish we could try it on the blade you gave us they have close to the same patina

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Tonight I tried tooth paste nope. Baking soda paste nope. Glasstop stove cleaner worked the best so far. Yeah bring it with you it did a nice job on yours.

[hawgrider]

Got the pins made and finally drilled the scales.
Lesson to be learned- buy a freaking drill press!!
Yeah I won't go into details about that :mad:

SOCOM and Robies idea kept me from a blowout. Nice ! No chipping that part worked good.

Had to do some work on the pins they were real tight and would have screwed me at epoxy time.

https://i.imgur.com/S5bvsRM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ScSeOqA.jpg


One of the big issues I had was on the tang there was a big high spot and the scale on one side wouldn't sit flat so that took a while removing some material from the tang. The high spot is probably why the old scale broke in the first place.

So part of being a wood guy is being able to hide your mistakes right? Ugg! I'm starting to remember why I suck at wood work. It probably would help if I had the proper tools for wood working eh!

[hawgrider]

Been a busy week so I finally got to the glue up. I used a 5 minute epoxy which wasn't a great idea because I really had to hustle to get all the pieces coated, put in place and clamped. As a result epoxy was flying everywhere as you can see As I wiped the chaos off it pretty much coated the scales and everything else.

Removed the clamps today and then will move on to the next steps of sanding some shape into the scales.


https://i.imgur.com/3PEfuXX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FGHHFA4.jpg (https://imgur.com/FGHHFA4)

[Denton]

You’re doing a beautiful job, sir!

[hawgrider]

You’re doing a beautiful job, sir!

Ah your too kind. Tell ya the truth Im getting nervous about the shaping step coming up.. one wrong move and opps took too much off yikes! I'm gonna lock the doors to try to keep "Murphy" from trying to help with the opps factor.

[Prepared One]

Looks good Hawg. Can't wait to see the final product. I don't know that I would stain the handle at all.

[RubberDuck]

I know a guy who can test it out batoning logs for you .....

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[hawgrider]

Initial clean up cut the pins and hit the belt sander I'm liking what I'm seeing.

https://i.imgur.com/NnVOSWm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0wHyze2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OiJ2QvY.jpg

[Inor]

Initial clean up cut the pins and hit the belt sander I'm liking what I'm seeing.

https://i.imgur.com/NnVOSWm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0wHyze2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OiJ2QvY.jpg

VERY Nice!!!

If you have a router, maybe do an initial cut with a 1/4" roundover bit on the top, bottom and end. That will leave you with enough meat to support your tool when you start doing the hand work. (Just an idea.)

[hawgrider]

VERY Nice!!!

If you have a router, maybe do an initial cut with a 1/4" roundover bit on the top, bottom and end. That will leave you with enough meat to support your tool when you start doing the hand work. (Just an idea.)

"If I had router I'd router in the morning" I have a hammer but no router yeah that would help a lot. Its prolly gonna be a shaky hand and the belt sander... I'm nervous lol!

[Inor]

"If I had router I'd router in the morning" I have a hammer but no router yeah that would help a lot. Its prolly gonna be a shaky hand and the belt sander... I'm nervous lol!

Just take it slow and you'll be fine. :biglaugh:

[hawgrider]

Looks good Hawg. Can't wait to see the final product. I don't know that I would stain the handle at all.

I agree to nice of wood to stain. I'm going go with oil not sure what oil yet any suggestions on oil from the wood workers?
Linseed, tung, mineral?

[Inor]

I agree to nice of wood to stain. I'm going go with oil not sure what oil yet any suggestions on oil from the wood workers?
Linseed, tung, mineral?

I would go with several coats of food grade mineral oil (butcher block oil).

Do not use linseed oil, that stuff never really dries.

[hawgrider]

Getting some shape to it. I may take a little more off the edges? Its already feeling good in the hand but I think its still a bit chunky.

https://i.imgur.com/vW6dwtr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yKjZFf0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yDYTZRD.jpg

[Gunners Mate]

Here is a knife I made with Mesquite from my firewood smoking rack used a table saw to make the scales and a wood rasp to profile and sand paper to finish, I would like to add a little checkering sometime 9801

I like the Purple heartwood you used sweet looking scales

[hawgrider]

Here is a knife I made with Mesquite from my firewood smoking rack used a table saw to make the scales and a wood rasp to profile and sand paper to finish, I would like to add a little checkering sometime 9801

I like the Purple heartwood you used sweet looking scales

Very cool knife. Did you use epoxy to attach your pins and scales?

[Gunners Mate]

Very cool knife. Did you use epoxy to attach your pins and scales?

I have not epoxyed them yet as I would like to do some checkering

[hawgrider]

Did some hand sanding with some 400 grit and hit it with some mineral oil and I'm calling this done. The color looks fantastic oiled.

Want to thank Robie at PF for the purple heart stocks and for slicing them up on his table saw he did a really nice job with the measurements I sent him they were perfect thanks Robie for everything!

And thanks to SOCOM42 , Inor and Madtrapper for the tips and input along the way.

https://i.imgur.com/iIAIiop.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UeyGVQZ.jpg

[RubberDuck]

That color and sand job really made it pop

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[Ricekila]

:thumb:

I know a Moil that needs a new blade ---

[Gunners Mate]

Ok got me motivated got mine stained 98139814

[hawgrider]

Ok got me motivated got mine stained 98139814

What kind of top finish you going to do?

[Gunners Mate]

tung oil, I have some mosiac pins somewhere that i need to find

[hawgrider]

Finally finished the protective sleeve. Played with my new serpentine stamp a bit.

https://i.imgur.com/3ixAqiN.jpg

[Dwight55]

FWIW, . . . had a short piece of butcher block from a dishwasher cabinet I made, . . . wanted to turn it into a real butcher block for canning meat, etc.

Searched my rear end off around the nearest towns for food grade mineral oil, . . . started to order it on line, . . . just for kicks and giggles, . . . I Googled the idea of food grade mineral oil near me.

The answer about floored me, . . . Lowes !!

Sure enough, . . . they had it, . . . specially formulated for butcher blocks and associated products.

I now have a really nice chunk of hard maple butcher block, . . . just need another deer to cut up.

May God bless,
Dwight

[hawgrider]

FWIW, . . . had a short piece of butcher block from a dishwasher cabinet I made, . . . wanted to turn it into a real butcher block for canning meat, etc.

Searched my rear end off around the nearest towns for food grade mineral oil, . . . started to order it on line, . . . just for kicks and giggles, . . . I Googled the idea of food grade mineral oil near me.

The answer about floored me, . . . Lowes !!

Sure enough, . . . they had it, . . . specially formulated for butcher blocks and associated products.

I now have a really nice chunk of hard maple butcher block, . . . just need another deer to cut up.

May God bless,
Dwight

I found a bottle of food grade butcher block mineral oil at True Value hardware.
Great stuff !