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Author Topic: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long  (Read 19125 times)

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Offline El Destructo

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Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« on: May 31, 2009, 09:46:30 pm »
OK...I was hit up to do a Build a long on how I make Handles from Cholla Cactus...The first thing I do is go out and find some dead Cholla...and thats not an easy Task in Texas....Cholla grows everywhere...but Your not aloud to be anywhere near where it grows...so I depend on a Buddy that Brush Hogs the Pipelines for a Living...and He picks up all I can use!!

First off find you or purchase some Dried Cholla...cut it to the size that you prefer for Handles...I cut mine at 4 1/2" long...

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Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2009, 09:51:49 pm »
Next thing I do is sand the ends down flat and parallel to each other on a Belt Sander....Then I glue on my End Cap/Hilt....this one here I am going to make out of Birdseye Maple....because that is my favorite Wood for Hilts...I just use Titebond 3 and a 12 inch Clamp...clamp it up and leave it overnight....OK so this is where I am at tonight...Tomorrow I will be sanding down the Maple and shaping it up...then I will be cutting in the Slot for the Blade that Jesse made me at the Classic this Year....so I'll Be Back.... ;D

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Offline david w.

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2009, 10:20:30 pm »
Looks good!  I am looking foward to this. :)
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Offline Staver

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2009, 01:57:00 pm »
You got my attention ;D  Joe H
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Offline cowboy

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2009, 02:08:12 pm »
Hey Mike - thanks for doin this! I can see where it's going but always good to see how others wield thier craft ;).
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2009, 11:46:29 pm »
OK....so tonight I took the Handle Blank and used my Oscillating Drum Sander to shape the Hilt end....the Maple is very Hard and has a tendency to burn if you aren't careful with it....I got it shaped with the Cholla...then I took it to my Belt Sander and rounded the end of it....After this I fitted the Blade to the Handle...once I got a good fit....I then taper the last 1-11/2 inch of the Handle to transition it smoothly to the Blade...

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Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2009, 11:48:07 pm »
 I then take a Dental Pick and clean out all of the Garbage that is in the Fibers of the Cholla so that all of the Matrix can be seen....this makes the Basket Weave Pattern really show better when done....Once the Dry Run with the Blade looks good....I soak my Gut Hafting in warm water now....and it is on to the Pine Resin Glue....I fill the inside hole in the Cholla up with Pitch...then shove the Blade down into the Pitch deeply to set it in good....then I heat the Pitch Stick up again and run a narrow bead all the way around the Handle to seal in the Blade as good as possible...when it starts to tack up...I then wet my Finger and push the Pitch in as far as I can to make the fit even tighter....let this Dry...then trim any excess of ...if there is any.....now I take the Gut and start at the Blade and wrap backwards toward the Handle ...pulling tightly as I go....when I get it back about an inch I tie it off by making a halfhitch knot and tuck the end of the Gut under the last of the wraps...once this is hidden...it is time to seal it all with Hide Glue....and  thats where I will stop for tonight....

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« Last Edit: June 02, 2009, 12:07:45 am by El Destructo »
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As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up ways to kill one another.Why do you think we invented politics and religion.
Think HEALTHCARE Is Expensive Now,Wait Till It's FREE
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2009, 12:09:27 am »
Tomorrow I will sand the Handle...clean up the Matrix a bit more....and stain and seal it
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As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up ways to kill one another.Why do you think we invented politics and religion.
Think HEALTHCARE Is Expensive Now,Wait Till It's FREE
Do Or Do Not,There Is No TRY
2024...We Will Overcome

Offline Staver

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2009, 08:33:46 am »
Lookin Good! 8) 8)  Joe H
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Offline cowboy

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  • Paul Wolfe. Springtown, TX
Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2009, 09:25:51 am »
Yer givin me idea's Mike - lookin good :).
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Offline cracker

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2009, 12:20:58 pm »
Good lookin work Mike.
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Offline Boudreaux

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #11 on: June 02, 2009, 09:55:06 pm »
Looks good, Glad that you did this for us. very informitive.....I would have messed it up
Boswell
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #12 on: June 02, 2009, 11:12:29 pm »
Thanks Guys....I really had a good time making this as a "How To".....So here is the Finished Knife...I used a piece of rolled up sand paper to get into the Holes in the Matrix to smooth it all up after used the Dental Pick to clean out the Holes....then I sanded it with grits from 100 to 400....then applied some Provincial Oak Stain and 4 coats of Helmsman Spar Satin Urethane....I don't like Shiny Things too much!!!  I hope that you like it...and learned a little on the Cholla Wood....it's some tough stuff and I love it's Character too... I wouldlike to thank Jesse for knocking Me out the Blade at the Classic this Year...he did a great job on it didn't He? Man that Boy can Knapp like Magic!!

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As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up ways to kill one another.Why do you think we invented politics and religion.
Think HEALTHCARE Is Expensive Now,Wait Till It's FREE
Do Or Do Not,There Is No TRY
2024...We Will Overcome

Offline cracker

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2009, 08:05:12 am »
Nice lookin knife Mike you should quit the bow business and do knives full time.Ron
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Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: Cholla Cactus Knfe Handle Build - A - Long
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2009, 09:26:36 am »
Nice show Mike. You made that endcap look way to easy.  ;) I use a high pressure nozzle on mine, it cleans the matrix out beautifully. 
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