Any tips on working with macarta?

A

accidentalart

Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
21
Howdy,

I'm new to the knife making work and chose macarta as my first scale of choice.

Can you point me to learning about working with it?

Do you just sand it to shape it? wet or dry? coarse then work to finer or what?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

Robert
 
Robert,
I'm not too very far from you. I live in the Katy area. As with all handle material, wear a dust respirator. I start with 50-60 grit to shape and work it with 120, 220, then to 400 grit You can go to 600 grit if you want but I rarely have.

Craig
 
In case there is a tendency to overlook it, I'll say it again. Wear a respirator. Grinding and heavy sanding makes really fine particles that will go straight deep into your lungs. Not only can you have long term effects like silicosis (scarring on your lungs), you you can also breath in toxic fumes (phenol, formaldehyde) and even, in some materials, toxic organic substances (fungi, etc). These can not only make you sick but also significantly shorten your life.

Beyond the scare tactics I just used, work in a well ventilated area. If you don't have a belt grinder, you can use rasps and files to rough shape the handle, and then clean it up with finer files and sandpaper. It finished us really well, and it makes a very tough handle that is resistant to chemicals, temperature changes, expansion, etc. For a paper or linen based micarta, you can finish it up to 600 or 800 grit for a really pretty lustor. For canvas based products, I typically finish a bit lower in grit around 400 or less.

--nathan
 
Use cheap AO belts, not expensive metal ones. The cheap ones have more open bonding (less grit too) so they don't clog as easy. Slower speed is better than higher speed when getting into the finer grits. It will burn easily on high speed with fine grit. Paper or linen micarta can be polished to a high shine with a buffer. I shape micarta with a 36 grit AO belt at medium speed so I don't throw off all the grit.
 
Great advice, I just learned some new tricks. Thanks again.:thumbup:
 
Nother plug for wearing a respirator. I wear it ALL THE TIME no matter what I am grinding. Metal, wood, micarta, does not matter. I use one of the nice ones that are real comfortable on the face, easy to take off of the face without taking it off completely. Oh, and this model directs your exhaled air down so it does not fog up your faceshield when you are grinding steel. you do have a faceshield, right?!:p:thumbup:
Respirator
http://www.boss-safety.com/shop/half-face-respirators-7500-respirator-c-415_9_14_53_656.html

particulate filters
http://www.boss-safety.com/shop/cartridges-filters-2091-filter-series-c-415_9_18_127_576.html

particluate filters and formaldehyde cartridge for micarta
http://www.boss-safety.com/shop/60925-formaldehydeorganic-vaporp100-p-238.html

use a light touch with the power tools so the stuff does not burn, you can even wetsand when handsanding, that keeps the dust down. Like you said, powertools, coarse sandpaper progressively finer works. I make sure everything is flat before anything. Then I drill my pin holes to match up the holes in the blade.I use my belt sander and the dremel for initial profiling and shaping. I find this easier with the scales dry fitted to the blade with no glue. then files to even out the dremel marks, then coarse sandpaper to clean up the file marks, then finer sandpaper to get rid of the coarser grit. if you want it to look polished, you can finish it up to 1500, or leave it a little rough and finish to 400 or 600. Take your time and your first knife and micarta can look like my first. I spent at least 80 hours on the handles to make sure I did not screw up.

PICT0087.jpg
 
Great stuff guys. I'm thinking now about a respirator :)
I've got a decent one for spray painting but might go with that more comfy looking one from Boss.

Craig, i might look you up if i run into problems, or make it west to Katy.

Thanks guys!

Robert
 
Good plan. I'd highly recommend getting the multipurpose cartridges that are rated for dust, vapors, organics, and formaldehyde. They should catch anything that we will likely see in knife making. Also, after you're done using the respirator, store the cartridges in a zip-lock bag to make them last longer. And keep in mind that particles will stay airborn for quite a while in the shop, so don't just pull the mask off when you're done grinding.

--nathan
 
Respirator for sure. I have one, but it's "foggy". I think I'll try to cough up the whole $16 for the 3M model linked above.

Don't forget safety glasses at the minimum. I prefer a full face shield, partly because I wear prescription glasses anyway and am too cheep to buy a second saftey-rated pair, but mostly because when I wear the shield and look down at the bench, my entire face and throat is protected.

Get these two things right away, it'll be the best $30-40 you spend in the shop.
 
Lately on working knives I like a rough 80 grit or 100 grit grippy Canvas Micarta. I use 400 grit around the tang and rough up the sides. Sort of best of both worlds. Smooth AND rough :)
 
Robert,

I live even closer than Craig in Katy. I live in Spring, near Spring Cypress and FM 249. Let me know if you'd like to come over and I can show you all kinds of stuff. I'll be working in the shop tomorrow (Sunday). You can go to my website and contact me from there too. Look at the footer on all the web pages.

www.knives.mlogiudice.com

Mike L.
 
Thanks Mike. What an awesome offer! We're having some company but i'll see what the schedule has in store.

Below are the scales i've been working on. I expected the natural to be a bit darker and richer looking but its very likely i'm not doing something right.

I did some wet sanding and wonder if that caused the little dust to get trapped and leave the light spots. I've used a variety of grits to try and get the light spots worked out but just can't get them to go away. It's smooth as silk all the way around.

Also, it's contoured to fit how i hold a knife for skinning, so if it looks goofy, thats just the way i hold it.

Please see attached and comment on the light spots.

Many thanks!
 

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My experience when getting uneven spots on the micarta is that there are areas that are not truly finished to the same grit as everything else. In other words, rough spots that aren't truly at what your finishing grit is. Maybe try backing up a grit and refinishing the entire scale.

--nathan
 
Nobody said it...


I can't help it.


Mi carta es su carta.


Jeez...that hurt.

HEY! EV-E-R-Y-THING HAS TO BE in at least 2 languages nowadays.

Sorry.

Shane

PS...And wear a respirator.

That's "LLUEVE PUESTO UN RESPIRADOR"

OK...no matter what language you HABLA...
 
The scales will darken up as you go up in grit. They will darken even more if you buff em.
 
Thanks everyone and especially mike who had me to his place to learn some tricks. I picked up a buffer today and boy does it make the color come out. Also make the flaws come out :grumpy: Which leads to more sanding. That's ok, i learned alot today. Thanks Everyone!
 
I am glad to see everyone being saftey conceince I am a OHSR and take saftey serious. I think my story on repirators made more people aware. I even wear mine for a 1 min job i wear it. kellyw
 
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