shaping micarta with few tools

silverdragon33

silverdragon33

Gold Member
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Apr 30, 2007
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i wanted to add some shape (and thin down) some handle slabs on my BATAC LE but i don't really have any tools. i've got sandpaper and an extra course dmt stone. anybody have any suggestions?
 
If you've got sandpaper, all you need is a dust mask and time. :D

My suggestion is to ignore the above smartass remark and wait for somebody who knows better.
 
with coarse paper, micarta shapes pretty easily. dont bother with the stones. if you want a smoother finish once you are satisified with the shape, just use finer grit paper.
 
Sandpaper is good. I use an orbital sander, but doing it by hand is good. You might want to wrap the paper around a dowel or other rounded objects to work the curves.
 
Files first, then sandpaper. Too many times people forget to use files for the heavy stuff. They're really all you need to do a handle.
 
I like to use a 3m scotch brite wheel with my drill.
put it in the vice and use it as a mini sanding station.

I then finish hand sanding with 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper.

If ya do any g10 I recommend wearing a mask. The dust is nasty and stays airborne for a bit. good luck !
 
See, I knew some folks with some sense would come along.

Uncle_Jarvis said:
If ya do any g10 I recommend wearing a mask. The dust is nasty and stays airborne for a bit. good luck !
Click to expand...

From what I've read, even better for working with G-10 is a quality respirator. Dust masks seldom fit all that well.
 
I have some special belt sanders I use that make it easier, but I still do the final contouring/sanding by hand with different size dowels. It can all be done by hand, it just takes longer. By all means, use a respirator for either G10 or Micarta, don't take any chances! :eek:





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