How to work G10?

[FlaMtnBkr]

I am in the process of trying to put some G10 scales on a Spyderco Mule.

I got it cut into slabs with a tile saw that uses water to cool and keep dust down.

I tried a scroll saw and ruined the blade and ate the teeth off in about 30 seconds. I managed to get it cut up some more with a bandsaw but don't really want to destroy a blade roughing out one handle.

I was trying to rough out the handle shape so I decided to put it on the mill. It gets very hot and I ruined the temper in the end mill I was using but at least it is still cutting. However, it gets really hot. I am trying to use oil to lubricate and keep cool but it basically vaporizes the oil as soon as I squirt some on.

So what is the trick to this stuff? Once I get them roughed out I am taking my cheapie belt sander out side to sand it to shape and start contouring it then finish by hand.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I was hoping to start back playing with making knives but unless I find a way to work this stuff better I guess I will be sticking with wood.

Thanks!!!

Ryan

 

[dl351]

Hey there. The problem with G10 is that it is made of fiberglass. During my summer job deburring at a machine shop, I learned that diamond tipped cutters are usually used on G10 because the fiberglass eats up end mills pretty fast.

From personal experience, I went through 3 or 4 scroll saw blades to rough cut 1/8" thick G10 handles. Taking it to the belt sander seemed to work best. Here are the results from my limited experience with G10 (the thin black and tan layers are the G10):

Micarta seems much more friendly to saw blades, but IMO doesn't look quite as nice. Good luck with your knife!

Oh, I'd recommend some sort of respiratory protection once you tale it to the belt sander, too.

 

[AcridSaint]

Cuts fine for me on a metal cutting bandsaw. If you don't have one and your other options aren't working, then you may drill around the profile and then break it or cut it with a cutoff wheel or the like and then grind it to shape. I have done this before I had a bandsaw setup.