Resin-in-a-can...

[Christian]

I was in Michael's (craft store) the other day when I happened to notice a metal container (looks like a paint thinner can) of liquid resin. According to container, it is used for making solid clear blocks with flowers and bugs inside. (Kinda like Lucite?) I also noticed that the store carries tints in blue, green and red for this stuff.
My question (alltogether, now, everyone

) has anyone ever used this for knife handles? And if so, will the resin color like epoxy? I am just wondering, because this seems like a good material for "use and abuse" knives- light, strong, and easy to use. (assuming, of course, you know how to make molds.

)
Second question- (again, assuming the answer to the first is a "Yes"

) how do you make handle molds?

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I don't suffer from stress. I'm a carrier.

[This message has been edited by Christian (edited 27 February 1999).]

 

[Blades]

Once you have the mold, how do you keep the resin from sticking to it?? Did you ask at the craft store?? Someone there might know. Was the can big enough to dip a handle into it?? I imagine there is something you use to keep the resin from sticking inside your mold. The resin would be cool to use on my Woo to build up the handle alittle. Or if I wrapped it in cord, to seal the cord.
Blades

 

[Alan Folts]

Well the resin you are refering to should be a liquid plastic resin..

I have filled some mosaic pins and pommels with this substance because it is thin and takes a nice polish.

For handles the material may be a bit too slippery, you may need to add a fiber or a texture to keep from loosing the knife if your hands get sweaty or wet...

Blades, your questions about the mold sticking to the resin are waranted. What you need to use is called a mold release, it is usually a light oil or grease, I have used a very light coating of vaseline to keep the mold from sticking when molding resins and fiberglass in the past. Most proffesionals use a spray in mold release to keep everything from sticking, the good thing about the spray in releases is that they dont leave a brush texture on the outside of your resin, so if the mold is rather exact, you get good registration to the design of your mold..

Blades, the woo thing is a good idea, try wrapping the tang first then use the resin to bind it, just thin it a bit with some acetone and just give it a quick brush or dip, if your cord has any nylon in it, it will bond it into one solid peice...the cord will give it enough texture to provide sufficient grip also..

Hope I could help, Alan Folts..

 

[Christian]

Actually, I was thinking of making several different handle "blanks" out of this stuff and using them as master copies for the molds. Make one with a checkered grip, one with a fluted grip, single guard, double guard, etc. Then all you have to do is position the blade tang in the mold and apply the resin for a solid, cast handle. BTW, would it be benificial to have a series of small holes (say, two or three 1/16 dia.) in the tang for the resin to flow through to help with retention? And any ideas on how to make molds? And can you work it after it is set w/ files, sandpaper, etc.?
This stuff has really got me intrigued. The possiblities are limited only by the imagination.


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I don't suffer from stress. I'm a carrier.

[This message has been edited by Christian (edited 01 March 1999).]

 

[Alan Folts]

Christian, good idea, just make sure you add some kind of filer or have enough texture on the mold to make sure the handles are slip resistant, cause this stuff is really slick..

As far as making the molds go, you can make a master that you want copied into a mold. Then there are several ways to go about making a mold, if you plan to use the mold over and over, I would suggest a silicone or ruber mold, that way all you do is let the resin cure then peal everything off...if you ony want to do it once, take your master handle, make sure its sealed. Then take some plaster of paris, and make two parts that go over each half of the handle... then coat the plaster molds with vaseline, lightly, and pour in the resin..

instead of using holes through your tang, I would suggest running a couple peices of pinstock through your tang, not long enough to extend through your handle but just to float in the middle, so that when your resin sets you have hidden pins holding the tang more securely..

One more idea, instead of using clear resin try some good old fashioned fiberglass resin, cause if you are gonna color it, you might as well start with colored resin that doesnt cost as much... fiberglass resin is like 20 bucks a gallon the clear stuff is like 40 and it is softer once its cured..

If you have any other questions or ideas, and you dont wanna post them, send me an email and I can set you up with mold supplies and everything else..

Alan Folts..

 

[Ken Cook]

Blades,
If you want to resin impregnate paracord handle wrapping, I'd suggest pulling a vacume on it. If you don't there will probably be little air pockets in the wrap when you're done. This is assuming that you have access to a vacume chamber. If you don't you can always make one with a pressure cooker, a guage and a refridgerator compressor. Sounds like a lot of trouble, but it's really not too bad. The difference in results will be worth it.
Hint! get something like a margarine tub to put your resin and paracord in and NEVER fill the tub more than 1/4 full. The resin will "boil" when it's depressurized. This is not heat, but merely the air being pulled out of the resin and paracord.
This also works well for impregnating wood or any other porous material you want to work with. I've been thinking about making my own "micarta" Don't know if it will work or not.

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I cut it, and I cut it, and it's STILL too short!

 

[Blades]

A vacuum chamber!! I don't know about that. My wife might get upset if I took the fridge apart.

What I was thinking was some paracord on just one side of the knife handle, then coated with resin to keep it in place. I want to keep the back side of the handle flat, so it lays flat. Maybe a small figure 8, or my intials. The Woo is a small knife, and I don't want to increase the handle size too much, but alittle cord or grip tape would do the trick. I have grip tape just haven't stuck it on there to see how it feels. Just some thoughts.
Blades

 

[Glenn]

Blades,
Have you ever considered Tool Dip? I think that is the name. You dip your tools in it and it puts a rubber coating on it. It would be thin and fairly grippy. I do not know how it would hold up though. It is available at most hardware stores.

Regards,
Glenn

 

[Blades]

Glenn,
Yes I've considered that also. I saw some at an auto parts store that was in a spray can. I thought about using it to coat my Stiff Kiss. A thin layer of rubber on the whole knife, except the edge. Then wrap the handle with paracord. Just an idea. I kick ideas around, but never do nothing with them. This time next year I bet my Woo will be the same.

Blades

 

[Drop point]

It real easy to make a vacume chamber, Harbor freight sells a vacume pump for about $12.95, then all you need is a guage, a three way valve and some vacume hose. You can make a chamber from an old pressure cooker or some PVC pipe. Ed Schott sent me a copy of his plans and I made one in no time at all. It works really well. As for the boiling off of the resin, it is greatly reduced if you limit your vacume to 15 inches and then apply about 25 lbs. of posative pressure after you have held it under vacume for a while.
Hope this helps, just passing on what others have helped me with.
Mike C

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mconner@luminatorusa.com


[This message has been edited by Drop point (edited 02 March 1999).]

 

[clocker]

Why not just use epoxy. It's cheap, tough, fairly easy to work with. I've coated many handles with. What seems to work the best is to get the slowest curing time epoxy you can (not the 5 min. stuff), mix a bunch up quickly , then take a paint brush paint it on ,then take a heat gun and warm the epoxy up. When it gets warm enough it flows, gets very smooth (if it gets to hot it will drip).
One plus is after the first coat is on you can add something for texture, then recoat a couple of times (never done the texture myself). I thinks it's a good finish.

 

[Blades]

Ahhhh, thats an interesting tip clocker. I always end up with a mess when I'm playing with epoxy. It always clumps up and sticks to everything. I have the quick setting kind, so now I see the problem. Thanks.
Blades