Is this old Micarta?

Daniel Rohde

Daniel Rohde

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
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A friend gave me several sheets of this material and it looks like some type of micarta, it came from a electrical engineering plant and was old so it was just being thrown out. Seems like a nice material

it's sort of red maroon on top and kind of light/dark brown in the center

24699541472_92d87d8226_b.jpg
 
Cool stuff. Sure looks like micarta to me. I'd be interested in seeing it on one of your knives.
 
A lot of old Westinghouse micarta can be found as electrical salvage. I have a very large chunk of it myself, the canvas variety.
 
Looks like vintage natural linen micarta. Not necessarily westinghouse or of any particular era, there's lots of this stuff still floating around in old mills, electrical stations, factories, etc.. Micarta was used originally for insulating transformers and the like, but saw use throughout the century in numerous other applications. Insulators, molds, jigs (lots of machine shops used it for this), spacers (carburetor insulating spacers were made out of phenolics, lots of vintage ones are micarta), kitchenware, casters, and the list goes on.


Numerous domestic manufacturers existed, and most of the vintage stuff was very high quality, uniform, dense, and much more impact resistant than the modern import stuff.

Lots of it will change colors over time, although sometimes the outside color on a polished sheet had a coating, and may not represent the actual color the material will turn.. The sides where it's been cut, are usually the best indicator, if any of the edges are old (i.e. not fresh cuts, old cuts.)
 
That is micarta, though its lineage is unknown. Cool stuff. I'd use it and describe it as such.
 
Thanks guys! I'm looking forward to using it! looks pretty cool!
 
I have some, It is a cream, bamboo color on the inside and mine has some flecks of black here and there.

Just remember that on your knife the micarta over the years will turn the same red color it is now on the surface.
 
We have a bunch of stuff at work that looks exactly like that and it's pretty old also. Out of curiosity one day I took some and shaped it up and it's very grippy stuff. Would make a great handle.

Jay
 
Haha. I guess I deserved that. I meant what kinds of establishments or businesses might have old salvage Micarta? I did an internet search in my area for 'electrical salvage Micarta' but no luck. Just wondering what kind of places might have that stuff lying around.
 
Looks like a great find! Post some pics of it on one of your creations!
 
I'd look for industrial electricians, contractors, and companies in your area, particularly ones that may have done or specialize in retrofitting big installations. Or, perhaps the power company itself. If any hydroelectric facilities have been decommissioned near you, find out who stripped them, and look at scrap metal yards that may have picked up the copper- they will often have some of the other material too.
Mills may have some old stuff stashed away in their maintenance shops.
 
While it is used quite a bit for electrical insulation and such, it's also used extensively as wear liner material in places like sheet and rolling mills. If you know anyone that works in a steel rolling mill, they can probably find some in a scrap hopper. Granted, it will be chewed up and dirty in a lot of places, but there are some good portions that can be cut out more often than not.
Another option: Sometimes mills will order spare micarta blocks, liners etc... to keep in spares for a certain piece of machinery or equipment that may later be upgraded, decommissioned, or what have you. These parts are usually cut and bored to fit only on that machine, and hence become scrap when that machine/equipment is gone. If you know any long time maintenance workers or parts guys, you might see if they know of anything like that. You may be able to get a couple hundred pounds of the stuff for a case of beer or two....
 
Daniel Rohde said:
A friend gave me several sheets of this material and it looks like some type of micarta, it came from a electrical engineering plant and was old so it was just being thrown out. Seems like a nice material

it's sort of red maroon on top and kind of light/dark brown in the center

24699541472_92d87d8226_b.jpg
Click to expand...
Daniel!
You just received maybe $100.00 plus in free materials:) I think we covered this before but for any newer makers.

Micarta releases Formaldehyde when you grind it, which will embalm your brain. :eek: use fresh belts don't get it too hot and always wear a respiration when working it and even for a couple of hours after in your shop cause the stuff is still floating around.

I became so sensitive to the dust of Micarta that I can't and won't work it anymore, Even with a Respirator. instant Headache!

The Late Bob Loveless had a shop doggie that died very young, He had it autopsied and the poor things lungs were caked with Phenolic from the micarta worked in the shop so keep your pets out of the shop as well.
 
Thanks for all of the help guys! I'm looking forward to using it.
 
We used it in helicopters for flight control cable rollers and pulleys. It did not wear or fray the cables. We used to have blocks of it. We called it phenolic resin micarta.
 
That appears to be natural canvas micarta(TM). It may be old but does not appear to be vintage. Natural micarta like that will turn dark brown over time with exposure to UV light. I've seen it change colors over just a couple weeks. In testing, I've put a high UV light on that material and darkened with a few days exposure. The color change is only skin deep, or as deep as the UV can penetrate. Grinding off the darker surface will expose something that looks light brown with a touch of green. The freshly exposed material will also darken over time the same way.
 
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