Micarta eats router bits

[tmickley]

I was making a hidden tang knife using Micarta for the scales. I used a router to channel out a grove for the hidden tang and could watch the router bit dull and slow down in cutting. Gads this stuff is tough.
Anyway, I got it done but I'd say the router bit is toast.

Anyone have a better method for this in Micarta? I can't imagine what carbon fiber G10 would be like....
Tracy

 

[Matt Shade]

Seems like all the composites like that are pretty fibrous, or even abrasive in some cases like G10 with all the glass fiber in it. That makes them heat up faster while your machining them. If your working with HSS bits, they get soft from being overheated, and then wear down. Your best bet is to slow your machines down if possible and to stop every once i a while to let things cool down. Sharp, carbide bits might fair a little better also.

 

[Michael Bennett]

I recently did something similar. I made a laminated micarta handle, for a 1/8" blade. I cut the 1/16" recesses for the tang using a woodworker's chisel. It worked pretty well. Perhaps not as neat as a router, but there was no phenolic smell or dust. More like shavings. The brown linen micarta I have seems to work well with hand tools.

Mike