Sculpting Micarta?

mogmz

mogmz

Joined
Sep 1, 2002
Messages
977
Hi, I'm in the middle of redoing the handle of my Himalayan Imports Khukuri. What ive done is saw off the rat tail tang and wood handle, and weld on a 1/4" x 1" x 5 1/2" stainless steel bar for a handle. Now i have these two Canvas Micarta scales that are 3/8" x 1 1/2" x 5" that i am attaching to each side. This is the my first knife project and I'm looking for advice as how to sculpt the micarta pieces to the shape i want (grinder/belt sander?) and as well as how to add a good texture to them (they come flat and very slick).
 
Don't Worry This Stuff is Not Too Bad !! Sand it with a Belt Grinder !! The Smooth Texture will Go Away Quick !! Finish Sanding About 400 Grit
 
Wear a mask. It can be filed and sanded to shape. Wear a mask to protect you from dust and resin fumes, especially if you belt sand.
 
Please use a respirator while working with Micarta. Most materials used in knife making can be quite hazardous to one's health!!!

On that note, locking the blade in a vice is almost essential. Some coarse files will eat away the micarta. A nice one that is corved on one side and lfat on the other would be great. After the file, go with 60-80 grit paper, then 220 grit. To get a textures surface, blasting it would help a lot. I don't really know how to get a nice textures surface by hand. Lately I've been wondering about finishing micarta to 400 grit, buffing it to even things out and then taking a synthetic steel wool pad to the micarta. Play around a bit.

If you have access to a belt sander, then your job will be much easier. You can work against the platen (steel plate behind the belt that gives a flat surface to grind against). This will help you take away large amounts of material. Then you can use the slack portion above the platem or remove the platen alltogether, to slack belt sand. This will smooth things out.
 
It's easy to burn Micarta with power sanding, so be careful. You can use a sharp file but it'll take a while. Just be careful if you use a disc or belt sander because it is easy to burn the Micarta base or the epoxy that holds it together, and then you have to sand until you get under the burn. That's a lot of work! Good luck and post a picture if you can when you finish!
 
Thanks for all the info and ideas, the pic (or khukuri ;) )might not turn out as well as the 'real knife makers' out there but i will post pics when im done :D :D
 
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