Is there some easy way or maybe I should say proper way to get holes drilled in a tapered tang for pins, corbies, etc? I have been making tactical knives by stock removal for soldiers and police officers. I want to start forging those blades and making a tapered tang that I know would weigh less and I believe be a better knife. I am just having a heck of a time getting holes drilled straight through the tangs.
Thanks in advance.
Cal
After viewing this ABS video, I made a jig to use:
[media] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1miCYvopxI [/media]
It works every time. I have put it away since I'm working on narrow tang knives at the moment. Let's see where did I put it?
Cal,
I made one of those jigs after seeing the video as well. It works great and is very simple and relatively quick to make. You could get straight holes drilled if the ricasso is parallel and flat / true, but the jig really is the way to go, in my opinion <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//rolleyes.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />
Then again, you could forge the knife flat, surface it, drill the holes while the sides are parallel, and grind the taper into the tang. Drilling the holes into the scales requires either tapering the scales using whatever method you tapered the tang or drilling everything when the tang is still parallel and then tapering the scales to fit.
Joshua States
www.dosgatosforge.com
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A simple, easy way, without having to make another jig just for one operation, is to get a drill press vise (you probably already have one) that pivots up to vertical. Pad the jaws, and assuming your ricasso is square and centered, just tighten the vice on the ricasso area, and use wedges under the handle as necessary for adjustable support.
If you forge your tapers all the way through the ricasso(top down and or back to front)you can shim the blade at the vise, and have confidence it will hold as you drill. Use new or at least very sharp bits. Use a center drill to start your holes as a little movement can send the bit off course.
Simple, but most the expensive if you don't already have a vise. Dan
|quoted:
A simple, easy way, without having to make another jig just for one operation, is to get a drill press vise (you probably already have one) that pivots up to vertical. Pad the jaws, and assuming your ricasso is square and centered, just tighten the vice on the ricasso area, and use wedges under the handle as necessary for adjustable support.
If you forge your tapers all the way through the ricasso(top down and or back to front)you can shim the blade at the vise, and have confidence it will hold as you drill. Use new or at least very sharp bits. Use a center drill to start your holes as a little movement can send the bit off course.
Simple, but most the expensive if you don't already have a vise. Dan
May I suggest simply using the table of the drill press? A welding clamp or C clamp or three could hold the blade in place, with support wedges under the tang where appropriate.
