Advice on homemade micarta method

[artney_iv]

After some research into the various forums out there, this seemed to be the best source of knowledge as it always shows up in my internet searches when I hunt for the answer to a problem I'm experiencing. This is my first of hopefully many posts so a short introduction: I'm Shane from Mid-Missouri and knifemaking is a very new experience to me. I've only been doing this for around three months so I have A LOT to learn.

Right now, I'm particularly interested in finding out how any of you folks have tackled the homemade micarta task. I have produced successful material and even have a couple knives with handles on them as a result but my methods seem a little unorthodox.

I am not making hidden-tang knives but I am wrapping my material around the tang as though I were, then sanding the edges down so that they are revealed. This method saves a lot of time but has some very noticeable drawbacks. Firstly, it allows for very little shaping around the base of the blade, which is vital in producing good lines on your work. Secondly, it causes a lot of excess resin to be squeezed out onto the blade as shown in my picture (If it works). This is manageable with some sanding and finishing, but the bottom line is that it's messy and just seems wrong.

After this experience, I tried wrapping the blade in masking tape to keep the resin from seeping out and coating directly onto it but this had only marginally better results.

Has anyone else attempted something like this and figured out what I haven't? I've gone ahead and ordered some micarta and G10 to play with because I'm thinking the homemade micarta experience is one that was good to have but needs to end unless I can figure out a better way to do things.

 

[Mudbug007]

Maybe you could contact this guy. Seems he has a 'handle' on it I've been meaning to try a knife with a wrapped handle, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[video=youtube_share;xuiBha4kT6o]http://youtu.be/xuiBha4kT6o[/video]

 

[spareparts]

I've been doing alot of wrapping lately. I'm no expert knife maker but one thing that makes it come out much better looking is putting on a bolster or guard before wrapping and then tape up the rest of the blade. I generally make my guards from homemade micarta because I lack the skill and resources to do brass or steel right now; slot them, then epoxy in place. Once the epoxy is set on the guard begin the wrapping process. I don't have tutorial pics but below are some finished pieces made from Cold Steel knives

Using the factory guard:

I like to work in about three phases. First layer is only a few wraps. Let cure, dremel out any resin pockets, sand it well so the next layers adhere. Repeat the process until the handle is two or three times bigger than what the finished handle will look like (I make my micarta guards two to three times bigger as well). Sanding between phases is important otherwise your successive layers won't stick well and in some cases just come apart.

To compress each phase, I use regular saran wrap. Wrap it very tightly from bolster/guard toward rear of the handle. Then wrap very tightly with masking tape. Put the whole thing in a plastic bag and submerge in warm water (will cure faster). Peel off the saran wrap after about an hour, it comes off easier while the handle is mostly cured to a hard stage but not fully cured.

Hope this helps somewhat.

ETA: if you don't want to do a bolster or guard then you need an oversized slotted block of wood that slips over the ricasso area secured with a clamp. Put a layer of plastic wrap over it so your micarta doesn't stick to it. You'll have to find a way to keep resin either from seeping up under the block or removing the block if it does. Sometimes I use cooking oil and a q-tip and apply it to areas likely to be a problem, just be really careful not to get the oil on anything else. This will give you a flat surface for your micarta to butt up against as you're wrapping it. When the resin cures remove the block and shape your handle. The red one in the pic below is an example of this method

 

[spareparts]

Here's another project that might give you some ideas.

Homemade micarta bolster and liners with stabilized wood:

 

[Langadune]

I am not making hidden-tang knives but I am wrapping my material around the tang as though I were, then sanding the edges down so that they are revealed. This method saves a lot of time but has some very noticeable drawbacks.

Have you considered making your material separately from the knife? Make a set of scales then epoxy them to your tang. The method you're using works for a hidden tang style but seems like a great deal of extra work if you're just sanding back down to what are essentially scales.

 

[artney_iv]

I tried that method first thing and wasn't pleased with the results. It didn't turn out flat enough to fit to the tang. I think it may have been because I was using a very thin linen material wrapped in wax paper, which produced some ripples in the sides. I imagine that milling or sanding the sides down to flat would work out but the scales weren't thick enough to be able to lose much. Tried the same method with thicker material thinking it would be more sturdy, not to mention take less time to build up a thick scale. The problem was that I purchased card stock, which the resin didn't penetrate so that was a waste. Oh the joys of learning curves.