Tinker Knives were introduced in the May 25, 2008 post and since then the “tinkering mind” has been active in experimenting with another way to install a pocket knife blade into a wooden handle.  That is the way the “tinkering mind” works, trying to make something out of nothing by trying different approaches to come to the same conclusion of  “I made this myself.”

An earlier version was described in the May 16, 2008 post of “Making a Knife” by mortising into a thin strip of wood an area to receive the tang end of a pocket knife blade that would be sandwiched between two strips of wood held together with five minute epoxy.  Sometimes a pocket knife blade may be too short to leave enough usable blade if enough of it was mortised into the wooden handle.

Another strengthened method is needed and into the tinker’s mind came another “try this and see” experiment.  And it worked, so well did it work that the “tinkerer” had to continue to “tinker” until there are five TINKER KNIVES II to show in the photos.

The steps in making this version of a Tinker Knife begins with cutting a five sixteenth brass tube into a length of an inch and a half.  Next squeeze about three eighths an inch of one end of the tube in a vise into an oval opening rather than the round opening.  This allows for  more of the tang end of the blade to fit into the oval.  It may be necessary to file the tang end of the blade to fit  into the oval opening.  Small nails are used as shims to slide down each side of the blade’s tang after it is inserted into the oval opening.

Once it is determined that all these parts fit together, the next procedure is to use masking tape over the other end of the brass tube so that when epoxy glue is put into the tube it will not run out.  Place the tube in an upright position between the jaws of a vise, mix up five minute epoxy, fill brass tube with epoxy, insert the tang end of the blade, insert the nail shims on each side of the blade and let epoxy cure.

Cut out a handle blank of approximate size for the handle to be whittled to shape and drill a five sixteenth inch hole in one end the depth of the brass tube.  While drilling, the hole may need to be widened slightly so that when the tube is inserted into the hole filled with epoxy glue there will be room for the glue to surround tube.  Make a test “fit” of the brass tube and blade into the hole drilled in the handle.  When it slides in with ease, mix up five minute epoxy glue, fill the hole with epoxy, insert the brass tube housing the blade into the hole squeezing out epoxy while seating the brass tube firmly into the bottom of the hole and cap off the top of the brass tube with a mound of epoxy where it comes out of the hole.  Let the epoxy cure thoroughly and finish shaping the handle by sanding it smooth.

Apply two application of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish.  When the finish is dry sharpen the blade and begin carving.  Tinkering allows for experimenting with a handle shape that is comfortable to carve for long periods of time and in various positions.  Laminating up different kinds of wood can create a handle of beauty and also utilize small scraps of wood that has found new life as a carving knife handle.  All this makes a “tinker” out of me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~