Micarta finishing issues

[jtdesigns]

May seem like a dumb question, but I just got a sand blasting cabinet and i want to do some bead blasted scales. They look awesome and have great texture after blasting but are a pasty grayish color. I take them to the buffing wheel and it restores the "slick" black look but has lost too much texture. Am I doing this wrong.....maybe not suppose to buff afterwards. Looking for the best approach. Using 80 grit beads so I think it is course enough. Any advice?

 

[Marko3]

try spraying them with W-D 40 a couple times that will darken it up and still leave the rough texture your going for.

 

[james terrio]

Coarsely finished micarta and G10 is pretty much always going to have a greyish nasty look to it. Notice how when you cut it some of the dust can be almost white, even if the material is black? Same reason - it's the resins that hold it together showing up.

Lots of people do bead-blast laminates with good-looking results; I suspect they're using finer media than 80 grit.

WD-40, various oils, etc will wear off pretty quickly in use. If it doesn't look right dry, it's not right.

 

[jtdesigns]

Never thought my problem would be not fine enough media....thought maybe not couse enough. Thanks guys

 

[james terrio]

It seems to me that buffing after blasting is kind of silly. Hopefully one of the fellows with more experience blasting G10, micarta, etc. will chime in with more details on media.

 

[Dave Behrens]

Finer blasting media - thorough wash soap water scrub brush - scotchbrite pad to finish and restore som color without losing texture.

 

[Don Hanson III]

I'm pretty sure the guys blasting micarta are not buffing it.

 

[jonnymac44]

I'm pretty sure the guys blasting micarta are not buffing it.

Don, the OP actually did say he buffed AFTER blasting. I assume he's just trying out different methods to see what kind of look he can get.

I agree with Dave. After hand sanding or blasting micarta you need to wash it aggressively to remove any trace of the resin dust from the handles, otherwise it will have that cloudy look to it. After some time in the hands getting used your natural oils from you skin will also put some color back into the micarta, but I agree that like James said, blasted micarta will never be as bright in color as smooth finished. It's a trade off of sorts. You want the texture, you lose some color. You want the vivid colors, you gotta go smooth.

To the OP....each finish has it's pros and cons. Experiment with different grits and finish types and see what works for you. Also, give the appropriate finish for each knife. A damascus bladed piece with mosaic pins, etc.....you may want a high gloss finish on your handles. A stonewashed blade you're making for an avid outdoors guy who is going to put it through the paces.....blast 'em and give him some good traction for his tasks. No right or wrong answers though.

 

[james terrio]

There's also a school of thought that relies on the handle being shaped properly so it doesn't "want" to slip out of the hand, rather than needing "added traction" on it.

When's the last time a good old-fashioned plain hickory axe or hammer handle jumped out of your hand? Pretty much never, unless they're coated in slime or your hands are cold and numb/weak, in which case a rough surface isn't going to help anyway. They have swells and contours that just lock into place naturally. This technique goes back centuries.

Disclaimer: I do employ textured materials from time to time. But I've never felt a need for them on my own personal tools.

 

[woodwrkr221]

Another thing to experiment with is the air pressure. Turning the pressure down, at least when I bead blast metal, will give a less agressive finish. It's worth a try.

 

[erik markman]

There's also a school of thought that relies on the handle being shaped properly so it doesn't "want" to slip out of the hand, rather than needing "added traction" on it.

When's the last time a good old-fashioned plain hickory axe or hammer handle jumped out of your hand? Pretty much never, unless they're coated in slime or your hands are cold and numb/weak, in which case a rough surface isn't going to help anyway. They have swells and contours that just lock into place naturally. This technique goes back centuries.

Disclaimer: I do employ textured materials from time to time. But I've never felt a need for them on my own personal tools.

Good one!

 

[Mike Fennessy]

There's also a school of thought that relies on the handle being shaped properly so it doesn't "want" to slip out of the hand, rather than needing "added traction" on it.

When's the last time a good old-fashioned plain hickory axe or hammer handle jumped out of your hand? Pretty much never, unless they're coated in slime or your hands are cold and numb/weak, in which case a rough surface isn't going to help anyway. They have swells and contours that just lock into place naturally. This technique goes back centuries.

Disclaimer: I do employ textured materials from time to time. But I've never felt a need for them on my own personal tools.

Yeah, that's a good point. I often have handles that are done to really high finishes to bring out colors, grain, etc. but try to design the handle with enough curves in the right places to make it not an issue. The axe and hammer handle is a great example. After the hundreds of hours I've spent behind a splitting maul (smooth hickory handle) I can't believe that analogy never occurred to me.