Making my own micarta

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Øystein Lytskjold

Joined
May 8, 2011
Messages
18
I found a thread at another knife forum explaining how to make your own micarta. Yesterday i tried making some with an old cotton t-shirt and polyester. I figured i could use cotton from a t-shirt just as well as cotton from jeans(the tutorial says i should use old jeans).
I have never handled real micarta, and as such i don't know how it is supposed to feel. However i feel that something is not right.

When i try filing it down i get a nice pattern, but it becomes fairly rough and i can feel the cotton fibers sticking out like the fuzz on a peach.

Is this how micarta is supposed to feel?
If not, do you think it is the cotton or the polyester that causes it?


Here, have a look-see:
imag0004ad.jpg
 
part of the problem is the file - try one with finer teeth or try sanding it.
 
I've tried all that, it doesn't really work any better. I tried first with a really coarse file, then some coarse sandpaper(180) and then finer and finer sandpaper(up to 1200).
 
You didn't get adequate penetration of your epoxy. The glue should soak through all the fibers.
Why not just buy real Micarta?
 
Bill DeShivs said:
You didn't get adequate penetration of your epoxy. The glue should soak through all the fibers.
Why not just buy real Micarta?
Click to expand...

Aside from that, it looks like you did not use enough resin. It looks too dry to me.
 
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