Woodcraft Tanto Kit

[BrokenolMarine]

I found that I liked making knives and learned to make the sheathes to go with them. The Woodcraft knives aren't TOP of the line, but the quality isn't that bad and they will hold an edge. The one I made for my daughter is about six or eight years old, she uses it every day and it's still going strong. She loves it. Last year they had a big sale in the local Woodcraft in Richmond, deep discounts on the kits and I bought a half dozen to build for fun and practice. I put them in the box and then we decided to move. I finally got a chance to start on a kit today. I chose a tanto, Big knife to go with the cocobola grips on the 1911 cocobola grips I had made for the match .45. This is the kit.

01 the knife kit.jpg

I searched thru the wood I had set aside and chose this straight grained cocobola. It's looking good, so I squared the bottom. It's long enough it will make two sets of scales.

02 Choosing the cocobola.jpg

I cut it in half, squared the bottom, marked it and bookmatched it, cutting it down the middle opening it up like the pages of a book.

03 Bookmatched and cut to length.jpg

Once that was done, I cut the scales to rough shape and laid them beside the knife blank.

04 cut to rough shape.jpg

This sounds much easier and faster than it was. Each step takes a bit of time, especially the move between bookmatching and cutting the rough shape of the scales. I had to change the blade on the bandsaw and that... takes a good bit of time to change the blade, adjust the settings and get all the tensions correct. But, I'm old, retired, and have nothing BUT time.

Tomorrow, I'll begin shaping the scales and then mount them on the blank, then more shaping. A bit of the shaping comes first. The forward end of the scales has to be shaped before they are mounted, or they CAN'T be shaped (easily) unless you use micro files and shape VERY carefully.

[BrokenolMarine]

Once the knife is done, I'll move all the leather making gear to the shop and make a sheath to go with it. Miss the leather work as well. All this will get me out in the shop more. Tired of the recliner. Boring. You can only look at YouTube for so long.

[MuddyWaters62]

Shaping up to be another great looking masterpiece by BOM. Will be watching with keen interest.

Muddy Waters 67

[JEBar]

I have the desire but totally lack the talent and equipment to undertake a project like this .... thanks for taking us along, I am looking forward to following your progress

[markiver54]

Shaping up to be another great looking masterpiece by BOM. Will be watching with keen interest.

Muddy Waters 67

DITTO!!

[BrokenolMarine]

Daughter and fam came up for a long weekend from southern OK, no shop time during the visit. Will be back on it this afternoon or tomorrow.

[MuddyWaters62]

I bet that is nice to have family closer. Now you will get to be more real life to G'kids instead of once or twice a year visits. Here's to FAMILY PRIDE!!!

Muddy Waters 67

[BrokenolMarine]

I bet that is nice to have family closer. Now you will get to be more real life to G'kids instead of once or twice a year visits. Here's to FAMILY PRIDE!!!

Muddy Waters 67

My oldest lived about an hour away with her hubby and a grandson and granddaughter, when we lived in VA. We saw them about every two or three months. Kids had activites, parents had schedules to keep. His parents were always driving down from PA to visit, and my Ex was always sticking her nose in...

The daughter knew I understood.. and appreciated it. She called often, and still calls once a week or so.

[BrokenolMarine]

I got out into the shop yesterday afternoon after the morning doc's appt. It was a nice day to work in the shop. I put on the American Graffiti sound track, and got busy. The first step was to tape the scales together, carefully matching the shapes as closely as possible. The thing I needed to do here was round off the front edge of the scales. If you don't, it's a royal pain in the behind. It's a mistake you only make once. (If you are smart. Doing it when they are mounted on the knife blank requires HOURS with thin strips of sandpaper and VERY careful work around the front edge of the scales, or you scar the blank.)

05 rounded.jpg

The next step is to rough up the knife blank in the area that will be covered by the scales. You don't want a polished shiny metal surface, nor a glass smooth wooden contact surface to join together. A slightly rough surface to bond will give you a much stronger hold, so 220 grit and a few minutes on each side and you are golden. Again, a lesson you only need learn once.

06 rough up.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

When working with epoxy, I have found that the dual tube syringe epoxy works great. You get a measured amount of both components with a single push of the plunger. No guesswork and you aren't pushing a line from one tube then a line from another tube to mix. My only error here was NOT having at least two blanks / scale pairs ready to go; or three. The smell from the epoxy is wicked, and the shop will smell for days. May as well have more than one set to glue up, then you can spend the next few days, or a week, shaping and finishing at your leisure.

07 epoxy.jpg

I test fit the one side of the knife, making sure the leading (rolled) edge lines up. That all sides are covered. Then apply the epoxy. Clamp the scale in place, recheck, then tighten the clamps, then recheck again. Once the epoxy sets for good, it's set. Working hardness, 20 minutes, full hardness, 24 hours. I let it set up for 2 hours, then drill the holes for the screws and lanyard in the single side using the knife blank as my guide. I use the drill press to insure I get dead straight holes.

08 first scales.jpg