How to apply a proper/professional handle cord wrap (epoxied)

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Thanks Mike,
Opticon is a very useful resin. It can stabile fossils and cracked ivory nicely, as well as gemstones and materials with inherent cracks.

My preferred resin for paracord is Clear Coat by System Three. It is low viscosity and penetrates well. A 12oz. kit is around $45USD.

Opticon is a bit hard to get the ratio right with 10 drops A and 1 drop B. Most folks use 8:1 ratio, to assure full catalyzation. Ounce for ounce it is about the same cost as Clear Coat, but I think the System Three epoxy is a better material for paracord handles.

Be aware that Opticon has a limited shelf life and may not cure right ... or go solid in the can ... beyond 24 months from the manufacture date. I have seen and heard of people being shipped cans that were many years old from suppliers that have slow turnover and from online second sellers who buy up the out-of-date stock from places that are dumping it and sell it on eBay, etc.

They say it can be restored by warming the can in a pot of hot water, but I have not tried that. Just like crystalized honey can be heated and made liquid again, it is not chemically the same after re-liquidation, I suspect the resin has changed, too.

System Three and West System resins have an almost infinite shelf life if stored at proper temperatures.

NOTE:
Having a vacuum chamber helps a lot with deep penetration with things like Opticon when filling cracks.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Stacy! I knew a jeweler and lapidary had to know more about Opticon than I did. Good comparison and case for Clear Coat. I remembered Opticon from using it many years ago, but that was years ago, and the viscosity and penetration came to mind, so...
Thanks, again!
 
in my fairly limited experience, paracord does not really absorb epoxy very well. Certainly not nearly so well as hemp or cotton. The experiment I used was wrapping something, applying the epoxy and then cutting it open to see what the result is. Removing the core of the paracord might allow more thorough penetration, but then you lose mass. Heat definitely helps with getting the epoxy to soak in, but it also speeds up the curing time.
In the end, experimentation will be the best way to inform your process, imo.
 
The core of the paracord will be taken out. 👍🏼
 
You can also consider shoelace since you are going to gut the paracord. The paracord sheath is synthetic and won't accept epoxy as readily as cotton. Cotton shoelaces are often used as an alternative to real silk Ito.
 
Well…first go at the handle wrap…I ended up using water thin CA glue. (While I wait for epoxy to arrive) Please ignore the hack job of a mod to the Kershaw Amphibian. I really just wanted to see if I could do a wrap that looks half decent.

The paracord does not want to “fold,” rather it wants to twist. I may try the next with a shoelace to see if I can get it more uniform.
It is comfortable.

C3D0EB8A-964E-4C3E-95D7-B304BAAF71B5.jpeg
 
It might help if you ironed the Paracord first?
I dunno though, I didn't iron it when I did it, but I don't notice it twisting either...
 
https://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/tsukamaki.html

Here's a useful tutorial. I have followed it and also watched some videos. The key for me is to go slowly, one row at a time and make sure it's exactly how you want it. It's quite frustrating, but you do quickly get the hang of it. Probably worth getting ito wrap vs Paracord. I don't always bother with the little paper pieces shown in the tutorial. A little dab of CA on the side of the handle can secure one row before you move to the next. You need the wrap flat and folding over precisely, not getting a spread out twist. You also want the over/under strands to alternate with each pass.
 
Richard338 said:
https://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/tsukamaki.html

Here's a useful tutorial. I have followed it and also watched some videos. The key for me is to go slowly, one row at a time and make sure it's exactly how you want it. It's quite frustrating, but you do quickly get the hang of it. Probably worth getting ito wrap vs Paracord. I don't always bother with the little paper pieces shown in the tutorial. A little dab of CA on the side of the handle can secure one row before you move to the next. You need the wrap flat and folding over precisely, not getting a spread out twist. You also want the over/under strands to alternate with each pass.
Click to expand...
That I did not know. I purposely made the over/under strands the same on purpose. Haha. Oops. Thank you for the info.
 
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