Making Micarta WIP

S

Spinerazor

Joined
Mar 30, 2012
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Hey Guys, i was cleaning out a closet this afternoon and saw some old jeans i don't wear anymore, so... i'm going to do what any good amateur knife maker would do, try to make some Micarta for handle scales! i cut up the jean material into 5x2' pieces and alternated 10 pieces between the black side and the other side that's kind of white black mix, this is as far as i've got but i do have some epoxy and a 12 ton shop press in the garage so i'm going out there to mix up some epoxy give the strips a soak, stack em up and squish them!, seems pretty simple, i'll, be sure to post some more pics as i figure this out.... thanks for lookin'

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So how thick you shooting for ?..The jean , has a nice look when you shape the handles. Be nice to know how it comes out for you..
 
Technically, you are making a fabric/epoxy laminate . . . not Micarta. Micarta is a thermoset which means it requires pressure and heat to cure.

Otherwise, proceed.

I'd like to see how it works out.

Mike L.
 
try polyester resin, its thinner and the denum soaks it up better than epoxy. i have made some that looks pretty cool as handle material. good luck
 
Just gave some homemade stuff a try over the weekend, I used fiberglass resin and paper. It set up way too quick, I got less than halfway through. I used the recommended amount of liquid hardener, would less cause it to curse slower?

If you look up crashcarta on youtube there is some good info there.
 
I tried construction paper using Bondo fiberglass resin. While it looked good at first, it quickly started delaminating. I believe that either the paper soaked up a lot of the resin or I pressed it too tight, thus squeezing out most of the resin.

I've had better luck using cloth and using Evercoat fiberglass resin. I buy mine from Summit Racing.

The best place I've found to get cloth of all types is Hobby Lobby. They have burlap already dyed in several colors. Plus they also carry lots of canvas and other fabric that make cool handles. They're always having a sale on their fabrics but if you're not patient, just go online and grab a 40% off coupon and either print it out and take it with your or show them the coupon on your Smart Phone. I figured it up and it was a lot less buying Denim this way than going to Goodwill and buy old jeans.

I can also get some Tandy brand leather tools and supplies there as well...
 
its true your making a laminate not a micarta , hope it works out !
ive worked for years with composites
if you need a longer cure time epoxy can be found with a slow hardener (but you cannot reduce the amount/ratio epoxy needs exact a and b )
epoxy is generally thicker and would be harder to soak through denim , i would suggest to squeegee (yellow plastic putty spreader thing) each layer
epoxy works best as a gap filling matrix so i wouldnt put it under too much clamping force .
epoxy might be harder to get a polished finish on rather than polyester resin or vynal ester .
polyester is generally thinner and would soak in better , 1.5% catalyst by volume is about minimum for a slower cure .. 2.5% for fast cure .
both epoxy and poly are promoted by heat so work in a cool and well ventilated place
both can exotherm (cook themselves generate there own heat ) this can be dangerous as fire hazard and the fumes are bad for you .

hope this is some kinda help ?

wear gloves and eye protection methyl ethyl keytone peroxide (poly hardener ) is highly caustic and will burn your skin .

have fun ! look fwd to seeing results .
 
Also MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is a well known and recognized carcinogen. Try to avoid breathing its fumes. work outside if at all possible. ... I know I know, some of us (me) have been using it for decades and working with it and have had no side effects, but thats not an excuse to avoid precautions.

Keeping the resin/hardener cool will slow its cure, as will putting it in a large shallow container rather than a smaller deeper one, because it gives off the heat it generates faster.

And both polyester and epoxy ARE theromset polymers. You can't re-melt them. Many epoxies will cure stronger and faster if heated, but often its not essential. (yes there are some that require being heated to cure too.)

Epoxy is stronger, tougher, less brittle than polyester, its also more expensive. Finally epoxies come in water clear to slightly yellow/amber colour, and from molassses to water viscosity. Check out System three laminating epoxy for water clear and water thin :) And yes West Epoxy great too.
 
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quick update: i failed miserably! lol! i couldnt get all the strips coated, piled up and pressed before the epoxy was hardening so i'm trying again, i also forgot to take pics, so i'm going to get some longer setting epoxy tomorrow to try again, i'll take some pics.....
 
This is somthing I have been wanting to try for a long time! Anyone have ideas or pics of a simple home made press for it? I'm very familiar with working with laminates and have the materials, I just need a press!

I have had some luck thinning epoxy resins with acetone, but that was for non structural applications and I don't know if it will affect lamination bond strength.

Try taking a 12x12" piece of glass (wax paper work also) and spread the epoxy out on it, then take each layer and lay it down in the epoxy and squegee it or use a lamination roller to get it to "wet," then place it in your press. If yo coat the glass with mother car wax just let the epoxy cure on it and peel it off to use it again.


-Xander
 
fast14riot said:
This is somthing I have been wanting to try for a long time! Anyone have ideas or pics of a simple home made press for it? I'm very familiar with working with laminates and have the materials, I just need a press!

I have had some luck thinning epoxy resins with acetone, but that was for non structural applications and I don't know if it will affect lamination bond strength.

Try taking a 12x12" piece of glass (wax paper work also) and spread the epoxy out on it, then take each layer and lay it down in the epoxy and squegee it or use a lamination roller to get it to "wet," then place it in your press. If yo coat the glass with mother car wax just let the epoxy cure on it and peel it off to use it again.


-Xander
Click to expand...
I'll post some pictures whenever I get my internet back to full strength, I'm currently only on my phone right now
 
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