# Does Ironwood shrink?



## TRfromMT (Jul 24, 2018)

I finished this small bowie with an ironwood handle and copper guard. Completed it about 6-7 weeks ago.

The piece of ironwood was sourced online from a seller with a full website, deals in Arizona ironwood almost exclusively. (Not an eBay store/merchant, but a legit .com domain).

I only had the material a few weeks before starting the project. I did not age the material at all.

I don't recall this when I competed the handle, but now there is an ever-so-slight ridge at the point where the copper and ironwood meet. It's maybe the thickness of a sheet of paper. You can just tick your fingernail on the edge of the copper all around the perimeter. There are zero gaps at the joint, and you can only feel it going on the copper, not going on to the ironwood.

The ironwood is finished with a few coats of Tru Oil and then waxed.

Since completing, it has been in my hot garage, in Colorado with like 13% humidity.

Thoughts? Does ironwood shrink?

Other knives I have done with full tangs and ironwood have never pulled back from the tang.

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 2


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## Mike1950 (Jul 24, 2018)

Did you check moisture content when you got it? all wood shrinks when it dries.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## TRfromMT (Jul 24, 2018)

Nope. I don't own a meter. 

I always work with professionally stabilized material, or ironwood which is not stabilized. 

I just figured ironwood would take years to change, not weeks. So, I'm wondering if I just didn't notice the ridge (although I can't imagine how it could have been there after all the hand sanding).

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Jul 24, 2018)

TRfromMT said:


> Nope. I don't own a meter.
> 
> I always work with professionally stabilized material, or ironwood which is not stabilized.
> 
> I just figured ironwood would take years to change, not weeks. So, I'm wondering if I just didn't notice the ridge (although I can't imagine how it could have been there after all the hand sanding).



My "stabilized" HRB shrunk back- It came from Minn. humid- to me- the dry desert like you. I doubt if it takes years- thin material.


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## Mike1950 (Jul 24, 2018)

PS- Buy a cheap meter- General at Lowes. $30 - it will save ya.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## barry richardson (Jul 24, 2018)

I have worked with a lot of desert ironwood. My experience is that once seasoned it is very stable. It is possible the your wood was not completely dry.....

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike1950 (Jul 24, 2018)

and I have a spendy pinless- I never use it- The general takes a lickin and still is close to pinless reading

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## dehn0045 (Jul 24, 2018)

I'm surprised it didn't crack if there was that much shrinkage. Also, I would expect it to be a noticeable gap at the bolster (not sure if that is the proper term for the brass component). Being unfamiliar with knife-making, I could certainly be missing something. There should be almost no shrinkage with the grain (longitudinal), so I'm a little confused how shrinkage could cause this issue without seeing other problems. Just my 2 cents...

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Nature Man (Jul 25, 2018)

Did you glue tang in position, or is that a screw/bolt I see to hold it? Or both? I just can't imagine that much shrinkage along that axis. Chuck


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## TRfromMT (Jul 25, 2018)

Nature Man said:


> Did you glue tang in position, or is that a screw/bolt I see to hold it? Or both? I just can't imagine that much shrinkage along that axis. Chuck



The hidden tang goes about 80% of the way into the handle. It is fully epoxied on the tang and at the copper. The pin is a copper pin, also fully epoxied.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## FLQuacker (Jul 25, 2018)

That is very nice!

I have one Mike refers to (pin meter) and it works great.

Amazon

Reactions: Like 1


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## against.the.grain (Jul 27, 2018)

Beautiful Knife

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Hawker 1 (Jul 28, 2018)

I buy damaged and flawed knives that are of no use to anyone but me .

Reactions: Funny 1


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## robert flynt (Jul 28, 2018)

Yes, Desert Ironwood does shrink. Not sure why but have had that happen. The best thing to do is to put a decorative metal space on before the handle material. Make the handle slightly larger where it meets the spacer, then round the overlap to the same size as the spacer. By doing this it want show if the wood expands or contracts.

Reactions: Like 2


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