More on sculpey as knife embelishments

jim moyer

jim moyer

Joined
Dec 8, 2005
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Sculpey is a great product and I have used it for years for sculptures. The first one is straight out of the oven for a clients gun case. The other is copper clad via electro-forming. I know these photos are not knife related but food for thought for knife embellishments.

1sculpey.jpg

1sculpey2.jpg


I have not used it for scales but will give it a try.

The secret for extra strength is the use of armatures. Armatures can be made of anything that will withstand the 325 baking heat. In these pieces I used a hardwood prior to building with clay. For scales I would probably use thin aluminum, plywood or masonite strips or whatever your imagination comes up with for rigidity.

Small sculpts, butt caps, scales. bolsters, which do not require an armature can be made and sent to a foundry for sand casting and patinas.

Jim
 
I've used it for gaurds and butcaps for a while now.....Works great.
 

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Cool pics and knives, You just gave me an idea for a project I am working on.

Thanks for the feedback.

Jim
 
Don't know if thats where this thread is coming from, but I bought some for a mosaic pin type decoration. Just fill a thong hole liner with sculpy and bake. Use as pins. That bear was really detailed! I like that work!
 
Electroforming is when you take a non metallic item and plate it like the old baby shoes of years ago.

Basically you buy a metallic paint for electroforming and than spray or paint the object to be plated and than electro plate the item. You can plate with copper, brass, bronze, nickel, gold etc.

Here is a starting place for you.

http://www2.goldtouchinc.com/reqinfo.html

They will send you a video and price list.

This is there home page.

http://www.goldtouchinc.com/metalforming/

Happy New Year,

Jim
 
Thanks for the info. Have you tried it on carbon steel knives to see if you can nickle (or chrome) plate them to keep them from rusting so easily?
 
No I sure haven't but the thought is worth pursuing for a couple of test blades. A chromed bumper will stand a lot of abuse. I did gold plate a blade once but was not well received in my knife world. But my customer base, buyers that is, are completely different than most.
 
very interesting...:thumbup:

Nowicki - can you explain your process more?
 
Here is another link that shows the process where they took plaster, painted with metallic paint and then electroplated from a reusable mold.

http://www.bjsco.com/id7.html

It would take the rest of the year for me to write a book on this art form so if you use google and the key words

art of electroforming

You will find many applications used.
 
Not muck to it. Make your blade as if you are doing any hidden tang construction. Skip the guard and butcap process. Set the handle as if the guard was in place. Mold the guard and or butcap in place with your fingers. Bake at 225 for 1/2 hour. Let cool and grind or drill as needed. Careful, it gets hard but not as hard as steel so it grinds quickly. It also shrinks a little in the curing process. It's bake temp is low enough it won't effect heat treat.

Larry
 
just thinking out loud....do you remove it before baking it? How sticky is it? Available in other colors? Where do you buy it?
 
I get it at Kraft stores. It comes in colors. Kids use it for school projects. It is not real sticky. Colors blend if you mix them to much. Leave it in place when you bake it.

Daniel Koster said:
just thinking out loud....do you remove it before baking it? How sticky is it? Available in other colors? Where do you buy it?
Click to expand...
 
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