I have 2 knives that I want to add my personal touch to. Both are Entrek knives with black micarta handles. I want to add orange liners, so my question is... what is the best way to remove some of the micarta to make room for the liners? Can I use a belt sander?
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Shaving micarta
- Thread starter droptyne
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
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I don't know Entrek knives, do they have removable scales? So then, you feel that adding liners would make the handle thicker than you want it, necessitating thinning the scales before installing liners?
Or, Are you somehow thinking of cutting a recess around the edge of an installed non-removable scale to glue liner stock into?
I hope it's the first case. A belt sander will work, as long as you are careful not to remove too much or remove material unevenly. A sharp belt will be your friend here. Keeping a set of calipers near the grinder will help you keep everything under control. After grinding, it helps to lay some 120ish sandpaper on a piece of glass or polished granite and hand flatten it further. Wear a respirator.
In my opinion, if you have access to a milling machine, that's the cleanest and best way to evenly remove thickness from a piece of micarta. Make sure you have it clamped so the top surface is true/flat to the table, and use an end mill to trim it down to the thickness you want.
Or, Are you somehow thinking of cutting a recess around the edge of an installed non-removable scale to glue liner stock into?
I hope it's the first case. A belt sander will work, as long as you are careful not to remove too much or remove material unevenly. A sharp belt will be your friend here. Keeping a set of calipers near the grinder will help you keep everything under control. After grinding, it helps to lay some 120ish sandpaper on a piece of glass or polished granite and hand flatten it further. Wear a respirator.
In my opinion, if you have access to a milling machine, that's the cleanest and best way to evenly remove thickness from a piece of micarta. Make sure you have it clamped so the top surface is true/flat to the table, and use an end mill to trim it down to the thickness you want.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
- Messages
- 5,547
If you have to remove permanently installed scales, I've had success with first drilling out the fasteners (if corbys, drill out the center, then punch the heads out from opposite sides) and freezing the knife over night, then tapping the scales with moderate blows all around to break the bond.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2006
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Unless you feel that the liners will add too much width I would just glue them on, shape to the handle, drill through and rebolt the handles in place, just check to see how much thread you have, I think there will be enough. You can try this with just a couple of drops of super glue to hold them in place while you work. If you decide it is too thick heat gently with a hair dryer and pop the liner off. You can sand the scales, use 100 grit wood sandpaper on a flat surface. keep rotating so you sand down evenly. Be very careful with a belt sander, it is easy to take off material unevenly and you will have a real mess.