Making Micarta?

[Omega Leather Works]

Definitely! I just made some micarta out of a worn-out pair of Diesel Jeans and that resin. I cut them into 4"x7" strips, saturated them with the mixture, and alternated outer and inner layers. Wax paper, 4 clamps, 2 pieces of flat wood, and you'll be set.

Word to the wise: That stuff cures WAY faster than you think. I had about 4 minutes to work with this stuff until it turned the container into a big HOT block. It slightly melted the plastic container I mixed it in. Make sure you have VERY good ventilation, or just do it outside. Nasty stuff.

Or in a really big shop.

JSM, have you tried it yet? I think you had a knife that had a piece of my micarta on it now that I think about it. The scales themselves may not have been perfect (I honestly can't remember what they looked like) but the micarta was solid.

 

[phillipsted]

Anyone ever made wool micarta or flannel micarta?

Fod over at ShadeTree Phenolics made some mycarta with multi-colored yarn all wadded up. He called it "Clown Vomit"...

There have been some threads on someone building some mycarta using micromesh metal screens. It looks sorta like damascus steel when you finish. Interesting, but expensive and hard to work, evidently.

I've always wanted to try some patterned silk - but I fear that it might be too thin to work well.

TedP

 

[parbajtor]

cut them in 2" x 12" strips. Get fiberglass epoxy. Build a "press", easily done with 2 boards and some c-clamps. Now, the tricky part is mixing the epoxy with the hardener as the amount will depend on the jean's absorbency. If you mix all you think you will need it may harden too quick and you may need to prepare some more in the middle of the process. I use 2 oz. paper dixie cups measured to an ounce and add 10 drops of hardener individually. After one cup is done, then do the same with another cup.

Saturate the strips with the epoxy, then wrap the wet "slab" in wax paper and tighten in the press. give it 2 days to fully cure, then cut/shape.

If you feel like experimenting with colors and depth patterns, bleach and/or dye some strips and alternate when making the slab.

I use "cling film" instead of wax paper. I think you guys call it Saran wrap? I also just weigh the top board down with my jewellers anvil. I clamp one edge of the material stack, like a book, flip the material back on itself, then lay a sheet, soak in resin, lay another sheet on top, more resin carry on until no more strips of material.

 

[tatfiend]

A minor correction to the posted info so far.

The resins mentioned and shown by JSMcustoms and zuluninja are POLYESTER resins I believe. Epoxy resins typically use equal amounts of resin and hardener and the two parts look almost identical and have similar viscosities. Polyester resin uses a small amount of catalyst/hardener mixed in with the resin to initiate the hardening process. IIRC Polyester resin is typically cheaper per quart but is not quite as strong or stable under UV exposure and heat as epoxy resin.

Originally Micarta used Bakelite resin, one of the original plastics which dates back to before WW1, per Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micarta