# Another WA handle



## birdsfan (Sep 19, 2020)

Totally digging this box elder burl. Cant decide whether to fill the small bark inclusions with some CA glue or just leave them. I kind of think that they go with the rustic look of the blade.


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## Carl Kotte (Sep 19, 2020)

Nice!!!


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## inferno (Sep 19, 2020)

sand off some wood dust with fine sand paper, then mix with CA or epoxy and fill the holes.


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## birdsfan (Sep 19, 2020)

I did save some of the fine sanding dust for just that purpose. Which do you think finishes better, the CA or clear epoxy? I only have the real thin CA.


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## inferno (Sep 19, 2020)

dont know to be honest. the epoxy will probably be more durable in the long term. thinking heat/cold/chemicals/oils etc.


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## inferno (Sep 19, 2020)

also if this is an oily/fat wood you might wanna clean the holes with brakeclean before you fill up with glue. glues dont adhere well to oils and fats.
try it on a scrap piece first.


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## birdsfan (Sep 19, 2020)

Thanks for the insights Inferno! This block was stabilized so I think it should bond well on this piece. However, I have some other unstabilized wood that I plan to use in another project where that may come into play.


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## Giovanny Torres (Sep 19, 2020)

This is what I aspire to achieve one day, top notch.


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## birdsfan (Sep 19, 2020)

I appreciate that Giovanny! I am an amateur tinkerer like you. Just like to have fun with them. You will see some fine craftsmen on this forum though. They produce some really first class work.


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## Tim Rowland (Sep 19, 2020)

Getting really nice crisp facets now! Looking great, keep it up.
I would suggest a med. thick CA glue.
They inclusions in burl may look awesome and give character but they also provide an area for a stress fracture, and those are bad mmmkay.


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## birdsfan (Sep 19, 2020)

Thank you Tim! That is a really good point. After doing this work I would kick myself in the a** if the thing broke off in the middle of service.


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## cotedupy (Sep 21, 2020)

Smart work hombre! (As ever  )

For filling - something I do is fill, usually with cheap 5 min epoxy, and then sand after about 20 or 30 mins, before it has set completely hard. It gets some of the wood dust in there and gives a seamless colour and finish with the rest of the wood.

Tho tbh following advice from Tim R, or anyone else, is probably a better bet!


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## PappaG (Sep 21, 2020)

I like the spacers a lot. Really nice job. I've left my project handles sitting in my garage for a loooong time. I almost ready to take another crack at a nice wa handle..... But I'm super amateur at this...


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## ma_sha1 (Sep 21, 2020)

Looks awesome!


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## Caleb Cox (Sep 21, 2020)

I fill burl checks/flaws with medium CA glue, thin for really small ones, not bothering with dust. The repair tends to disappear with clear CA, perhaps leaving an area with a slightly different shine if you're looking REALLY close.


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## birdsfan (Sep 21, 2020)

Thank you so much Cotedupy, PappaG and Ma-sha! 

What I have read and looked at on YT seem to indicate CA glue is the preferred method. Some of these inclusions are decent sized, so I think something more viscous is probably what I need. This knife will be a work knife so I definitely want it sealed. I may experiment with some blended dust and some just clear glue and see what the finish looks like after sanding. The wood certainly has enough feature that it should blend in either way. It would be good to get first hand experience doing it both ways and see how it acts. Didn't work on it at all today because I was putting some finishing touches on a knife display rack. Will probably post some pictures of that too.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 21, 2020)

This looks incredible! I can only hope to make a handle like this some day! Awesome work!


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## birdsfan (Sep 22, 2020)

Thank you Seth! I have every confidence that you will have a knack for it, considering the fine work you have already created!


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## JoBone (Sep 24, 2020)

I’m the future, it’s a heck of a lot easier to make those adjustments before attaching.

If it’s small enough I use CA for repairs and epoxy for the bigger bits. I also keep different dusts around for filling. Sometime black looks good, which can be achieved with ebony dust, graphite or a black CA (starbond medium thick black)


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## birdsfan (Sep 24, 2020)

I agree entirely. I kind of liked the rustic character of the inclusions, so was going to leave them, but Tim warned me about the potential weak points that they might present. Actually knocked the handle off to fill the gaps. I fine sand with sandpaper spray glued to a piece of tile. Would have been pretty tough to get in there cleanly with the blade on.

Thank you for looking out for the newbie! Your work is awesome!


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## birdsfan (Oct 15, 2020)

A couple of new projects I finished recently. Not all wa handles. One wa, one western, and credit @Chang for letting me check out some heart shaped handles that he had in his collection. I have yet to use one at work, but I would agree with him that this is a very comfortable handle design.

A one piece wa in cocobolo






A western rehandle from a similar block of wood.






Yoshikane with walnut burl and horn ferrule






Mazaki KU in natural koa, copper spacers (rear one for balance. Mazaki is a sturdy beast) and burl ferrule









And finally the new Konosuke HH with stabilized mango and blond horn









Working on this stuff is loads of fun. Problem is, I have almost finished rehandling all of the knives I like to use. Hmmmmmm......buy more?


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## AT5760 (Oct 15, 2020)

That Maz handle is really nice.


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## birdsfan (Oct 15, 2020)

Thanks AT! I dig the koa. It is unstabilized so I hope it holds up well. It is kind of a rustic handle for a rustic blade.


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## Chang (Oct 16, 2020)

Don't worry @birdsfan , besides from the western wa we have planned, I have a couple more designs for you to keep your hands busy hehe


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## birdsfan (Oct 16, 2020)

Hey @Chang ....I was trying to justify buying more knives!


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## cotedupy (Oct 16, 2020)

These are pretty smart... I definitely need to get my hands on some proper posh bits of stabilized burl!


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## NO ChoP! (Oct 19, 2020)

Terrific work! 

When working with burls with checks and inclusions, I will usually sand once with 80 grit, clean it up and paint the entire handle with a thick coat of CA. Then I finish with my normal progression, checking to make sure the CA is removed from the flat surfaces and only left in the voids. Good piece of mind.


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## birdsfan (Oct 19, 2020)

Thank you NO ChoP! That is a good tip. I had never thought to do that. I have been sanding the handle to its final shape, then just filling those gaps with CA. I have noticed that sometimes there is a slightly noticeable difference in the finish between the areas where I used CA vs those that I didn't. I guess the other benefit would be that some deep grain lines would be filled as well.


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## cotedupy (Oct 24, 2020)

I'd definitely second that recommendation, it's what I do (just with epoxy).

A handle might look like this before going back onto an 80 grit belt sander, very lightly, to remove just the excess epoxy, and then proper shaping and hand sanding...


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