spacer material

[darrylburke]

I'm curious as to the way the spacer material (Vulcanized fibre sheet) reacts..

will it soak up any water?
does it need to be treated in any way?
can I create a "multi layer" effect of spacer and carbon fiber..
Eg. how will it handle once I start to sand the handles. will the fiber start to tear, if I put to much of an angle on it on the outer part of the handles??

Thanks

 

[Bruce Bump]

I have had mixed results with spacers. The fiber swells with age and/or the handle shrinks. I like to use metal spacers now. Your idea about the carbon fiber sounds good because it will never change size. I have heard that plactic plates make good colored spacers. Some plates are unsuitable but the ones that have solid color through them are the ones that work. Look in the pic-nic dept.

 

[Jack142]

Darryl,
I had this exact problem last month. I built a knife and used 3 vulcanized spacers between the tang and the micarta handle. After 3 weeks the spacers slightly rose above the tang.
I know that the spacers and handle and tang were dead on smooth when I made the knife.
I could feel the spaces with my thumbnail. It would catch going from the metal tang to the spacers, Now it didnt expand much, but it did expand.
Most people here didnt talk very nicely about spacers.
I did have 2 of the who responded say that they have never had a problem with them.
Good luck
Jack

 

[RARanney]

Has anyone every used the plastic from detergent bottles and the like for spacers?