# Summer project



## batagor (Jul 11, 2012)

Hi guys,
I have a little project making a handle knife that I would like to attach to ........ Artifex Gyuto 240mm. 
I am planning to convert the handle to wa version. I am using a flame wood on the bottom, 2 metal spacer and on top is a black african ebony. I tried to stabilized them with Minwax wood handler and attached all of them with gorilla glue and some power glue. 

Am I doing it right? I really would love some input from all of you since I am sure most of you know better than me. I just started this about a month ago from reading this forum and some other forum. (by the way, pardon my English since it's not my first language)

One more question, how do you post picture in this forum?

Thanks a lot guys, 

Joe


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 11, 2012)

Hi Joe,

Gorilla glue is an excellent glue because it is strong and water resistant (I think...), the only thing to pay attention to is that it expands while it dries, so you need to clamp the pieces together. Am not sure what flame wood is, maybe we use a different name for it? Do you have a picture of it? In general, the most important thing is that the wood is dry and has been matured/seasoned for some time. The longer it has been seasoned, the less likely it will be moving with changes in climate, humidity etc. But if you had the wood at your place for a few weeks or longer so that they can adjust to your climate, it should be o.k. to combine these woods. Not sure if that helps....

As for the conversion, others have more experience with that, so I won't say much. I think this knife doesn't have a bolster, right? That makes it much easier for a conversion. Good luck, and please show us pictures. We all love to see what others are doing and love to learn from each othere here!

Stefan


----------



## batagor (Jul 11, 2012)

Stefan, how do you post picture? I have some picture I took with my phone. The wood I bought at Global Wood Source at Santa Clara, CA. The said it's a flame wood. I am not sure myself. I was actually looking for burl and got some burl (i forgot the name) and it's not stabilized.


----------



## Namaxy (Jul 11, 2012)

Stefan - 

I have been wondering for a while about the method of attaching different pieces. It appears that when the handle is simple wood plus, say buffalo horn, that it's like mortise and tenon...IE the horn is hollowed and the wood handle material pushed into the horn so that the knife tang actually sits in the wood. But in the case of all wood multi peice handles, with or without spacers, do you mortise and tenon at all, or just glue the components together and drill pilot hoes through all three for the tang?


----------



## Taz575 (Jul 11, 2012)

Here is a post I did where I tried a different way to do a Wa looking handle. I am going to do an Artifex converted to Wa style handle soon!
http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/6514-Another-Wa-these-are-growing-on-me!


----------



## batagor (Jul 11, 2012)

I tried yo do it different with you. I glue with the space with gorilla glue. The 2 space with super glue with( previously i did it with gorilla glue but it fell off when i sand it.i am planning to drill the top for the blade to go in. 

Can someone teach me how to post a picture please. Thanks


----------



## batagor (Jul 11, 2012)

test 









This is the Artifex that I tried to mirror finished. no more ....... Artifex logo.


----------



## batagor (Jul 12, 2012)

how do you make the wood shiny?


----------



## Taz575 (Jul 12, 2012)

Woods get shiny when it's highly polished or sanded with a fine grit of sandpaper, or a shiny finish is put on it. 400-600 grit sandpaper will start to get it shiny if it's oily or been stabilized, but it depends on the wood and if it is stabilized or not. Some people use a buffing wheel. I prefer to hand sand and then apply a finish to it.

Are you reshaping the tang at all for your handle to slip over the original tang of the knife or are you making the handle larger than the existing tang??


----------



## batagor (Jul 12, 2012)

I am planning to reshaping the tang actually. make is look like a lolly pop stick to fit in the wood. How do you take out the original handle?

I stabilized the wood but only with wood hardener which in one forum I heard that you use wood hardener, aceton and wood polish mix together. will I get a different result? I have stabilized one burl and It still feel empty and a lot of air pocket in the wood. I have not try to polish it tho.


----------



## Taz575 (Jul 12, 2012)

I use a pointed metal punch to mark the metal rivets in the middle of the rivet. This helps to keep the drill bit from wandering too much. I then drill out the rivets with a drill press; I use a 1/4"-3/8" bit so when I drill the middle, I drill the head off of the rivet and I can drive out the shaft of the rivet. I drill the rivet from each side. The second generation of Artifex, once the rivets are out, the handle scales should come off easily. The first generation of the Artifex had the handles epoxied on as well; I used an old chisel to pop them off. The second generation has a dark grey/silver/black grip and the first generation had a matte black grip.

Once the handle is off, a Belt Sander or Dremel tool will work to reduce the tang in width.


----------



## batagor (Jul 13, 2012)

Taz, 
Thank you very much for the information. I will try to remove the handle next ween on my day off. 

You seems to knife about the Artifex, have you try to rehandle it yourself?


----------



## Taz575 (Jul 13, 2012)

I've done 6 rehandles of the Artifex so far and I am going to try a Wa style conversion on the next one


----------



## macmiddlebrooks (Jul 13, 2012)

Do show when you do it, I'm sure we'd all love to see it.




Taz575 said:


> I've done 6 rehandles of the Artifex so far and I am going to try a Wa style conversion on the next one


----------



## Taz575 (Jul 13, 2012)

It will be in the Hobbyist forum when I do it.


----------



## batagor (Jul 13, 2012)

Wow Taz that is nice. If everything gone well, I want to do some rehandle my Hiromoto AS. 
I think I have done it the other way around. I should have rehandle western style than conversion Wa....
dang


----------



## batagor (Jul 24, 2012)

Hi guys, I got some problem, how do you make the hole for the blade to stick to the handle?
I tried to drill it with 7/64" drill but it only goes about 2-3" deep. how long it is required to hold 240mm blade?


----------

