More on damascus micarta (raggish if you'd like)

[David Schott]

Wow...my list of "to try" just keeps growing! I'd love to make a shop knife using an old shop apron for handles....just to give it real knifemaking spirit!

 

[Tracer-san]

Some pictures I took of this knife yesterday

 

[howiesatwork]

Thanks, Nestor.

 

[Protactical]

I don't think yo have to worry too much about epoxy being carcinogenic. There are some thinners and such that get used arund it that are. Epoxy is a strong sensitizer kinda like urishiol, or poison ivy. May never bother you, may sensitize you over time, or you may break out instantly. Barrier creme as mentioned is a good way to go. I personally prefer gloves. Never wear barrier creame under gloves, it can cause a huge skin problem like the epoxy rash you are trying to avoid.

Here is an excellent soap for removing epoxy should you get some on your skin:

"Here is the formula for Gougeon hand soap for removing epoxy

6 oz Joy, Dawn, etc dish soap (36%);
4 ounces veggie oil, corn, peanut, canola (21%);
5 ounces shortening, lard, Crisco (30%);
1 ounce corn meal (5%).

Mix in blender with up to 5% water to achieve correct consistency.

This isn't a waterless cleaner. They us it in the Gougeon shop with a bucket of water, since they don't have a sink. All crew members use the same rinse water, but the cleaning effect is better than with the waterless cleaners.

These are volumetric ounces."

Though this sounds like something that might go rancid pretty easily, at least in my environment it has been durable. If I need to remove a little epoxy, I get a dab and it comes right off.

 

[B Finnigan]

Too many years of woodworking have sensitized my hands to most wood resins. After several cases of contact dermatitis I found a barrier cream called Chimal. It dries without any residue and will stand up to multiple hand washings. We all know that 90% of what we do in the shop can not be done with gloves on. Chimal cream is like wearing latex gloves except you aren't. The stuff is made for industrial demands, it's not cheap but a bottle goes a long ways.

It also makes it easier to wash off whatever you might have got on your hands since it did not soak in. Before I found this stuff I had to give up most woodworking, imagine knifemaking without ever being able to use wood for the handles.

http://skin-protection.com/

 

[kibuddha4]

I don't know about you guys, but I found that those creams don't work as well as some people think. I've been working on fuel pumping stations and aircraft hydrant fuel systems for 6 years now. Those creams still let things absorb into your skin. If I use that cream instead of using gloves then I get NASTY, painful, ichy rashes everytime. Don't trust them. That's my 2 cents. Great looking handle.

 

[rlinger]

Very interesting. The whole knife looks great too. I'll bet that stuff would look good also on a heavily contoured handle, say one with deep finger flutes and such.

RL

 

[M Wadel]

i made my first attempt of making my own micartalike material today. i just took whatever textile i could find and cut it up in pieces soaked it in some kind of epoxy, dont know what kind but it supposedly gets very hard, it works good with glassfiber. then i twisted it and put it in a 10ton press, its a thin piece now we had to clamp it because the pressure disappers quite quick. dont know how long it will take for it to harden, my father guessed in about a month or so.. does anybody know if epoxy should be baked? and at what temperature?

 

[ArielSalaverria]

Now the sheath, in thick brown leather. Handmade as always

Thanks for looking

Ariel