Hey! .. Until now, the way I fit my guards is:
1. tight fit my guard, then hammer the guard with heavy, but well placed taps to take out any movement between the guard/tang so it becomes completely stiff.
2. Sodder it. Pain!!
First, I hate soldering. Sometimes the solder sticks, and sometimes it gives me a hard time. I watched Bill Morans video on ABS, and he said that lead soldering guards is mainly to prevent water from getting in, than anything. So, seeing as my fits are really tight, can I just JB- weld the inside all up? I mean, I could just put it on there to start with, fit the guard, then remove all unwanted glue.
Would that work? Any reasons you would not, and what do you do in your experience?
Thanks guys!!
Joseph
Oh, and while you are answering: How do you post pics? I tried to upload, but they keep failing. Maybe because I have windows 8...?
Joseph,
Press fit guards can be fitted with JB Weld, or epoxy. I prefer epoxy, because the small metal particles in JB Weld can cause scratches on the front of your guard, or ricasso during clean up. Perhaps it's just my technique. I know a lot of guys use JB Weld. Maybe I just need to be more careful……
Where exactly are you trying to post a picture? In a post, or in a photo gallery?
In my Handles and Guards class with Jim Rodebaugh, MS we press fit the guards and back filled them with epoxy. The method taught created a very tightly fitting guard and works very well. I use G Flex 650 epoxy.
Joseph,
I like to press fit all of my guards but I believe that a moisture barrier is always a good thing. For that reason, I have come up with a concoction of my own that I feel works better than JB Weld. It will provide the moisture barrier with the advantage taking a polish rather than showing a dull grey that you get with a JB Weld.
To make this concoction mix 4 drops of AcraGlas Resin with one drop of AcraGlas Hardener. Mix and add as much Atomized Stainless (also available from Brownell's) as needed to make a good paste. This has a 100 year life before degrading as well as providing an excellent moisture barrier.
Gary
Good tip Gary , thanks for that . Another trick to make sure the joint is fully coated with the epoxy, warm the metal and epoxy with a hair dryer and the epoxy will thin out like water and fill any spaces.
Great- thanks guys!! Seems as though I will not have to use Solder any more- Yay!
I will have to try that Gary..thank you for the tip...
Never had problems with JB weld scratching, but I do it pretty carefully, so maybe that's why.
Thanks again, stay sharp!
Great tip Gary! I will give it a try.
Dan Cassidy
Journeyman Smith
Send an email to Dan
Gary,
Are you using AcraGlas Gel, or just AcraGlas for your "concoction"?
Funny this topic is up here now. I also tight fit my guards with the back side cut out enough to file the shoulders on angle for tight fit. I then fit back side in with jb weld. However, on the knife I'm working on now, the guard was actually angled back slightly instead of level or angled forward. This was not acceptable. I wondered how hard of a tap it would take to loosen the jb weld. ( never took one off before) . I got the smallest hammer out and just barely tapped the end of tang with guard sitting flat on my jig for removing guards, and it popped free very easily. I thought it would have taken more to get it off. I got to looking at the jb that was in slot and in one corner there was no jb weld. This stuff is very stiff and hard to get complete coverage. I built a new guard this morning and used acraglas epoxy instead of jb weld. It is thin enough and flows much better and I'm sure I have complete coverage now.
Jim
Thanks for sharing this, Jim. I've used JB weld in the past and am part way through fitting a guard up. I may very well try my acra glass this time around.
Jeremy
Jeremy Lindley, Apprentice Smith
