Suggestions for working with celluloid for scales

F

Folderguy

Joined
Jun 26, 2010
Messages
1,261
A little while ago, I bought some tortoise shell celluloid. It's 1/8" thick and about 6 inches long and 3 inches tall.

Here's a pic:

Celluloid.jpg


I'm planning on making scales for my Benchmade Kulgera 930, and my question regards filing, drilling, sanding and finishing celluloid.

Is there anything in particular I should be careful NOT to do with this material? Is is brittle? Does it polish well, and is there some finish that should be applied to protect it or bring out the color?

Thanks so much.

Folderguy
 
being plastic it will burn real easy careful sanding is the key. be careful with the buffing, it can burn and smear too. the stuff might be brittle too, make sure your pin holes are not too tight. If you sand it to 2000 and lightly buff it you will get a nice finish.
 
Spray the rear of the scales with a good quality gold paint.
Celluloid is highly flammable! It can, and will, burst into flames while you are grinding it. Keep water handy. The dust is even more flammable-clean it up before grinding any metal. The sparks will ignite the dust.

Celluloid can be wet-sanded to 600 grit, then polished with 0000 steel wool. Buffing should be done with a slow speed buffer, or very small wheel on a fast one. Celluloid is easily burned and smeared. You can also hand buff it with Simichrome polish on a rag, but it is a lot of work. Tripoli compound will give you the best combination of cutting and polishing with a powered buffer. It will polish like glass, but is easily scratched. A coat of paste wax never hurts, but no surface finish is required, nor is one recommended..
 
Bill's right if you work it to fast it'll burst in flames. Work dead slow on the grinder and finish by hand. I wet sanded to 600 and buff with a fine compound on a small lose wheel. Instead of painting the back with gold paint I used gold leaf on the tang and sealed it. I pinned it to the tang with soft 14kt gold pins and no adhesives. It looks like fire.
Dress1-600x345.jpg


Where did you get your celluloid. My normal suppliers don't carry it anymore.
 
Gold leaf is traditional, but most people have no idea what it is, nor how to use it.
 
You all are simply terrific! Thanks so much for the advice, and I have to say that photo of the knife with the celluloid handle is both spectacular and inspiring.

I found it on eBay. If you search for "Tortoise Shell Celluloid slab for pocket knife, parts"
you should find it. After I bought my piece, there were three left.
 
I read an article about how many old knives with celluloid handles are starting to decay, with the celluloid not only deteriorating but affecting the metal of liners and blades with it's growing acidity (as I recall), as well as often "infecting" other celluloid handled knives kept near them. Something about a possible chemical reaction to light, it doesn't always happen but often enough that this guy had stopped collecting celluloid knives and kept the ones he had in "quarantine" in a dark place. Just a word of warning, I think celluloid is very nice looking too but have decided not to work with it.
 
Salem Straub said:
I read an article about how many old knives with celluloid handles are starting to decay, with the celluloid not only deteriorating but affecting the metal of liners and blades with it's growing acidity (as I recall), as well as often "infecting" other celluloid handled knives kept near them. Something about a possible chemical reaction to light, it doesn't always happen but often enough that this guy had stopped collecting celluloid knives and kept the ones he had in "quarantine" in a dark place. Just a word of warning, I think celluloid is very nice looking too but have decided not to work with it.
Click to expand...

Do you by any chance recall where you read that info? If so, might you have a link?

Thanks,

Folderguy
 
Salem Straub said:
I read an article about how many old knives with celluloid handles are starting to decay, with the celluloid not only deteriorating but affecting the metal of liners and blades with it's growing acidity (as I recall), as well as often "infecting" other celluloid handled knives kept near them. Something about a possible chemical reaction to light, it doesn't always happen but often enough that this guy had stopped collecting celluloid knives and kept the ones he had in "quarantine" in a dark place. Just a word of warning, I think celluloid is very nice looking too but have decided not to work with it.
Click to expand...

There's a possibility regarding treatment of the celluloid scale that might eliminate the possible chemical reactions you mention. Applying lacquer would probably do the trick... As celluloid is not a very resistant material to start with, lacquer or some other finish could well enhance the final product.

Or am I mistaken about that?

Thanks.

Folderguy
 
Some celluloid deteriorates, some shrinks, some warps.
Some doesn't. Sealing it doesn't help. No one really knows why this happens, but it appears to be an internal process, rather that being caused externally. It takes many years for any deterioration to occur.
 
Well thats just double boilded linseed oil. Might be OK, A small test piece first.
I would have to read more about it. If you mess it up and still want the celluloid, I bought the other three pieces shoot me a message. I,m sur I'll still have some.
 
Some luthier (guitar-maker) companies are selling tortoise sheets that are not made of celluloid, but are made of non-volatile materials. Trade names are Tor-tis and Tortoloid.

Could your sheet be something similar or is it indeed celluloid?
 
R APPLEBY said:
Well thats just double boilded linseed oil. Might be OK, A small test piece first.
I would have to read more about it. If you mess it up and still want the celluloid, I bought the other three pieces shoot me a message. I,m sur I'll still have some.
Click to expand...

Years ago when I refinished gunstocks as part of my work, that was considered one of the very best finishes possible. A tremendous amount of work to produce a really high quality finish, but it was worth it. I don't know if it will work well on celluloid. I tend to think it will be alright, although it will definitely change the color or appearance of the finished piece.

I may run some tests after I get the celluloid to see just what happens and what it looks like.

In the meantime, I'm keeping all my options open.

Thanks for the offer; I just may take you up on it!

Folderguy
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Some celluloid deteriorates, some shrinks, some warps.
Some doesn't. Sealing it doesn't help. No one really knows why this happens, but it appears to be an internal process, rather that being caused externally. It takes many years for any deterioration to occur.
Click to expand...

Very helpful info. Many years means 20 or more?
 
PB Wilson said:
Some luthier (guitar-maker) companies are selling tortoise sheets that are not made of celluloid, but are made of non-volatile materials. Trade names are Tor-tis and Tortoloid.

Could your sheet be something similar or is it indeed celluloid?
Click to expand...

Ho, ho!

I think it's genuine celluloid; if it isn't, the fellow who sold it to me on eBay will have to send me a refund. I'll know sometime next week if it's the real deal.
 
A lot of the tortoise shell celluloid now is really just polymer.Nothing more beautiful than genuine cell,but it works like its made out of gasoline so be careful.Masecraft still has some in a couple of designs,but i think their tortoise is polymer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top