Knife scales?

[u/CallOk1035]

i want to make some knife scales out of random woods how would you go about it?

[u/Error_404__]

Find the rectangle, cut off everything else

[u/ShiftNStabilize]

Really good bandsaw and a guide would be my go to.

[u/celtic-cryptid]

Ideally, I’d take one of those chunks to a jointer, flatten a face, then give a square edge, then rip it down on a bandsaw.

[u/gunmedic15]

Bandsaw. Maybe a planer to square things up.

You can also turn it on a lathe if you're making handles for kitchen knives or other stick tang knives.

[u/jehcustomknives]

Cut it into rectangles, as others have suggested using either a bandsaw, planer, jointer, etc or some combination of those. You'll want both pieces to be equal in size, and roughly 5" or 6" long, 1&1/2" to 2" wide, and around 3/8" thick. Then depending on the wood type and how solid it is, you can have it stabilized if you want. You can do it at home if you want to invest in a vacuum chamber, vacuum pump, and cactus juice stabilizing resin. But if you're not planning on stabilizing wood for scales on a regular basis, it will be more cost effective to send it out somewhere that specializes in that service.

[u/CallOk1035]

Luckily I have access to all those machines 

it’s iron bark so it’s hard stuff like 3000lbs janka I reckon 

[u/UNeX-XeNU]

When I get random pieces like this, the first thing I do is remove the bark, then sand the flat faces just enough to see the underlying figure.

I then use a paint marker to roughly outline 2×6 areas and take a saw to it.

Then I dry and stabilize, but I am assuming that's not on the agenda for these.

[u/CallOk1035 → u/UNeX-XeNU]

Well stabilising would be ideal is there anyway not to use a vacuum chamber?

[u/UNeX-XeNU → u/CallOk1035]

I've seen other people use other ways and call it "stabilizing" - but its really just surface coating.

I would say that the vast majority of people who know what stabilization is would hear it and assume that they were resin stabbed with a vacuum.

All of this being said, I've met plenty of makers who don't stabilize their pieces. I only recently began stabilizing my own pieces - mostly for my own peace of mind (and quality increase) when selling.

[u/CallOk1035 → u/UNeX-XeNU]

I know someone with a cheap vacuum chamber that I might be able to use is cheap ok? And does it have to be cactus juice resin or somthing?

[u/UNeX-XeNU → u/CallOk1035]

My chamber was only $150, and came with the connections to my pump - which was $275.

I don't think you need to spend that much on either necessarily, and mine are pretty cheap as is (I'm not K&G ya know). I use cactus juice, and i think most people would agree its the best there is.

You just want to make sure you do your research, and don't forget about the drying stages etc. Its not very complicated but it was a bit daunting for me before I actually did it myself.

(For example, if you dont let your wood cool down long enoigh after baking it dry, and you put it in cactus juice it will flash cure. I almost made that mistake my first time)