Durable brass lacquer?

[AimlessWanderer]

The mods I'm planning and getting geared up for, is making Swiss knives with brass bolsters like traditional folders, but with the regular compliment of scale tools (which is a slightly tricky affair).

As I'll be doing a few of these, and swapping between which I carry, as most of us do, I was wondering about how to keep the brass shiny. Is there a known hard lacquer for knife bolsters? Most lacquers tend to not be durable enough for pocket wear.

Renaissance Wax sprung to mind for when items are in storage, and to stop any chemicals in the leather pouches I intend making for them, speeding up the tarnishing. Of course the other option, is just to leave them raw, lat them colour naturally, and repolish everything if it starts looking how you don't want it.

Any other ideas or wisdom out there?

[SteveC]

Lacquer will wear away in the pocket. I say leave them raw and polish if and when you want to.

[AimlessWanderer]

Lacquer will wear away in the pocket. I say leave them raw and polish if and when you want to.

Thanks Steve 

That's certainly the way I'm leaning, but I noticed Terry's (NutSAK's) stag scaled, bolstered mod, which was still gleaming several years after construction, and thought how nice it would be to have one or two of my mods - the dressier ones - retaining that gleam, rather than having to rebuff it every time I have cause to get suited up or whatever.

[Fortytwo]

I'll have to keep my eyes on your topics here because you seem to be aiming in the same general direction as I am. For the question at hand I have yet to see if it will last but i did get some great looking results going: File -> 600 grit paper -> 1200 grit paper -> Chrome polish applied with a leather strop.

[AimlessWanderer]

I'll have to keep my eyes on your topics here because you seem to be aiming in the same general direction as I am. For the question at hand I have yet to see if it will last but i did get some great looking results going: File -> 600 grit paper -> 1200 grit paper -> Chrome polish applied with a leather strop.

You're going for "traditional" swiss knives too? It'll be interesting to see how our methods compare 

Thanks for the method report  I haven't gotten that far yet (and it will be a while before I do), but I'll also be going file then 600 grit, but then onto some small micromesh pads. I'm planning on peening after the 600 grit stage, and polishing as a final process.

Well, that's a rough approximation anyway, as depending on the construction, which will vary from knife to knife, I'll be doing double and triple stage peening. Some will need the inner pins peening to the liner, then the scales peening on, then the bolsters completing - and others will need the scales pinning to the liners before any of the four main pins get finished off.

I'm not making life easy for myself   

[hiraethus]

If it makes life easier the fourth pin on a 91mm SAK - the one that doesn't have any tools pivoting on it - can be left floating in the knife.  It doesn't need to be pinned to anything, as the liners and springs hold it in position.  Either counterbore the scales and allow it to protrude slightly or make it slightly shorter than the distance between the outer liners/scales so it sits within the tool stack itself.

[hiraethus]

As for lacquer, I'd guess that most won't be durable enough.  Progressively finer grades of sanding then a high polished finish will probably be fine.

[AimlessWanderer]

If it makes life easier the fourth pin on a 91mm SAK - the one that doesn't have any tools pivoting on it - can be left floating in the knife.  It doesn't need to be pinned to anything, as the liners and springs hold it in position.  Either counterbore the scales and allow it to protrude slightly or make it slightly shorter than the distance between the outer liners/scales so it sits within the tool stack itself.

That's an interesting approach that I hadn't considered  I'll certainly give that some thought, as that's the pin most likely to interfere with scale detailing 

[AimlessWanderer]

As for lacquer, I'd guess that most won't be durable enough.  Progressively finer grades of sanding then a high polished finish will probably be fine.

Cheers Chris. It's looking like we're all pretty much of the same thinking here 

[Fortytwo]

I'll have to keep my eyes on your topics here because you seem to be aiming in the same general direction as I am. For the question at hand I have yet to see if it will last but i did get some great looking results going: File -> 600 grit paper -> 1200 grit paper -> Chrome polish applied with a leather strop.

You're going for "traditional" swiss knives too? It'll be interesting to see how our methods compare 

Thanks for the method report  I haven't gotten that far yet (and it will be a while before I do), but I'll also be going file then 600 grit, but then onto some small micromesh pads. I'm planning on peening after the 600 grit stage, and polishing as a final process.

Well, that's a rough approximation anyway, as depending on the construction, which will vary from knife to knife, I'll be doing double and triple stage peening. Some will need the inner pins peening to the liner, then the scales peening on, then the bolsters completing - and others will need the scales pinning to the liners before any of the four main pins get finished off.

I'm not making life easy for myself   

Yes, my plan is to make a Spartan with design elements taken from the 1890 Soldier. Mainly the bolster and the shape. I'm also planning on using some older style tools: thick tang large blade, clip point small blade, cap lifter with cutting edge and Pat marked can opener. But use a new awl and corkscrew.

I kind of wish I had a really old Spartan to work with (including the triangular awl and two point can opener) but finding one that old at a reasonable price and where the scales and liners are worn out to the point where I'd be ok with replacing them without the tools being worn out seems unlikely

[Simyo]

I’m gearing up for a similar build myself.  I want to do bolsters on a 108mm with a carbon fiber insert, with scale tools as well.  I was going to do screw together construction but I’m sure you’ve already realized that you have to cut the slots for the scale tools before you peen the liner to the scale.  Good luck and hopefully we can all share our results in the near future.

[AimlessWanderer]

I’m gearing up for a similar build myself.  I want to do bolsters on a 108mm with a carbon fiber insert, with scale tools as well.  I was going to do screw together construction but I’m sure you’ve already realized that you have to cut the slots for the scale tools before you peen the liner to the scale.  Good luck and hopefully we can all share our results in the near future.

Good luck with it, Simyo  One of my 91mm mods will be in carbon fibre. I'm hoping it will have a little better structural integrity than wood, and allow me to produce a thinner scale, while still having enough strength around the slots.

I've read that it needs sealing after working, so the sheet doesn't "blow" with moisture absorption. Do you know anything about that?

[Simyo]

I’ve only made one set of scales for a 93mm.  I didn’t go to high of grit on the handsanding because I had to rush it because I needed the alox scales as a template for another more pressing build.  I did polish it but I haven’t sealed it I’ll have to look in to the finishing process a bit more.  As far as thinness, you can run really thin carbon fiber scales, however when your using scale tools the constraint isn’t the carbon fiber it’s the thickness of the scale tools themselves.  The scales I have on my 93mm or thinner than the 93mm alox but slightly thicker than the 84mm alox scales.

[AimlessWanderer]

Your picture attachment doesn't seem to work for me 

[Simyo]

Let’s try this again, silly file size limit... apparently I can’t crop this photo small enough on my phone to post it.  Let me see if I can get an Instagram link.

[Simyo]

View this post on Instagram

one of these will work

[AimlessWanderer]

[fred2892]

I’m sure you already have a solution, but I’ve never been able to stop verdigris forming on brass that is in contact with tanned leather on my cartridge belts. I know you are looking for protective finishes on the bolsters, just be sure to use it on the back side too as I’ve had the verdigris form inside empty cartridges that aren’t in direct contact with the leather.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AimlessWanderer]

Indeed. I intent to be making leather pouches to carry them in, but don't plan on storing them in there. As verdigris is just brass "rusting" or oxidising, and doesn't need to be in contact with leather for that to happen, I want knives in storage to be visible, so if I go in the drawer and spot a hint of green, I'll be prompted to do something about it. I've had a few other items be hit with a little verdigris from time to time, but not bad, and thankfully didn't take too much elbow grease to sort it out.

[hiraethus]

Carbon fibre is pretty easy to work with, but needs very sharp tools IME.  Use blunt drills and you'll tear the fibres out of the resin.  If you're sanding, do it wet or outside, or use a mask.  The dust is horrible (same for G10, micarta, etc.).

[hiraethus]

View this post on Instagram

one of these will work

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Carbon fibre is pretty easy to work with, but needs very sharp tools IME.  Use blunt drills and you'll tear the fibres out of the resin.  If you're sanding, do it wet or outside, or use a mask.  The dust is horrible (same for G10, micarta, etc.).

Cheers Chris