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New handle for a Spyderco Dragonfly 2 with a single piece handle. HELP!

I have been making scales for my knives for about a year. They all have liners and ways to just "copy" everything. Especially hole placement. That is one thing that HAS to be perfect. I'm putting pictures of my progress so far and hope someone (anyone, more than one, etc.) can give me some advice. I would love to learn from other's mistakes instead of my own. :) I hope you see and figure out my thinking with pictures instead of my explaining. If you have questions or tips please ask or give. Thanks. Starting with the backspacer. I'm planning on gluing the handle sides and backspacer together. Then shaping it.

Below is part of my next step and the one that worry's me. Placing the lockbar and blade pivot holes correctly. Since the original handle can't be disassembled I'm making a template for the holes. Placing the template on my new handle material is the issue. Any tips are appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on July 11, 2013 at 20:49

Jack,

I checked with a knifemaker here and this was the thought

clamp that old handle to the new handle material and drill right through those holes That should locate the pivot and lock bar holes then work from there

Hope that helps some

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Permalink Reply by Jack Haskins, Jr. on July 11, 2013 at 21:50

I can't do that with this knife. The handle is one piece FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) so I'd need to drill through the holes in both scales. This would be ok except the hole on one side has a flat spot inside the hole. This lines up with a flat spot on the pin so it won't turn inside the knife. If I drill through the holes I'd round off the inside of this hole pretty much ruining the original handle. I don't want to do that. Thanks for the suggestion though. I'm really new at this and can use all the help I can get.

Jan Carter said:

Jack,

I checked with a knifemaker here and this was the thought

clamp that old handle to the new handle material and drill right through those holes That should locate the pivot and lock bar holes then work from there

Hope that helps some

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jack Haskins, Jr. on July 13, 2013 at 3:32

Made a little progress. The knife is pretty much working fine now. I have the handle together and the epoxy is drying. Here's pictures.

I hope I did the replying correctly. :)

Jack Haskins, Jr. said:

I can't do that with this knife. The handle is one piece FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) so I'd need to drill through the holes in both scales. This would be ok except the hole on one side has a flat spot inside the hole. This lines up with a flat spot on the pin so it won't turn inside the knife. If I drill through the holes I'd round off the inside of this hole pretty much ruining the original handle. I don't want to do that. Thanks for the suggestion though. I'm really new at this and can use all the help I can get.

Jan Carter said:

Jack,

I checked with a knifemaker here and this was the thought

clamp that old handle to the new handle material and drill right through those holes That should locate the pivot and lock bar holes then work from there

Hope that helps some

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jack Haskins, Jr. on July 14, 2013 at 9:10

Finished.

I know. I screwed the clip up.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on July 14, 2013 at 11:08

I would use the original handle as a temp plate. Draw the shape but also use something to mark the holes on the new material, through the holes on the original scales. I hope you understand what I mean.

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Permalink Reply by Jack Haskins, Jr. on July 14, 2013 at 11:37

I do know what you mean. If you are referring to the clip position that's not possible. There are two grooves in the scale that the wires fit into. They don't go all the way through the material so I can't use the original scale as a template like you can for shape and hole position. I just had to eyeball it. But in this case though I got in a hurry because it was the last thing I did and was looking forward to having it completed. My lines for the grooves were not lined up correctly. It would have been easy to tell if only I had doublechecked one more time before I cut the grooves. But nooo, not me. :( lol

Robert Burris said:

I would use the original handle as a temp plate. Draw the shape but also use something to mark the holes on the new material, through the holes on the original scales. I hope you understand what I mean.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on July 14, 2013 at 11:44

What I do some times is put the project down, until the next day. I find, I am fresh and ideas and answers come to me more freely. Although, I have been guilty of rushing to the finish but I almost always wish that I hadn't. Human, nature, I guess..