What does a RAT-7 with blue denim micarta handles and convex edge look like?
That's exactly what I wanted to figure out not long ago... Here is what my D-2 RAT-7 with blue denim micarta handles and convex edge looks like.
I always liked the looks of micarta handles and got interested on making some myself. I came across THIS tutorial and it didn't seem too difficult. I was about to throw away three jeans so I just needed to go buy some resin. I wasn't sure about what to make out of the resulting slabs and I thought that the easiest thing was to make some new handles for my RAT-7 (screw on construction). If it came out as expected... I would thought about making some more stuff. I even thought I could improve the feeling of the handles (they factory ones are too squared... that is why RC knives have contoured handles!)
What did I learn here:
Don't tell your mom (or gf or wife) that making the micarta is the messiest part. It is a lie. It didn't get messy at all. I was really carefull to cover everything with old newspapers and I only got a drop of resin on my sleepers while clamping the slab. I used two pieces of thick wood as a backing and some plastic covered paper my butcher gave me (well, my mom's butcher to be fair..). I thought I might have problems peeling it off but... it peeled off like a dream.
Don't tell your mom (or gf or wife) that machining and sanding the micarta slabs is going to make just a little bit of dust. It is even a bigger lie. What a mess! I don't own too many powertools and I had to make do with a drill, jigsaw and an angle grinder I just bought (I just needed an excuse and making micarta was a great one!). I wore a dustmask and it was ok but once I finished with the angle grinder there was about 1/2" of dust all over the shelves, sink, etc. Everthing was white (incluiding some fruits I forgot to cover up). Moreover the god damn dust is very light... so it stays airborne for a while before it settles. It took me more hours cleaning the kitchen than doing most of the machinning and sanding.
Work slow and check often for fit. You can always remove more material but it is impossible to put it back on. Power tools eat up micarta like butter. There are some grinding marks in the outline of the slabs that I won't remove. If I did so... I would have to remove too much material and it will leave the handle exposed. If I was to make new ones, I won't try to get that close with the angle grinder.
Get the right tools. The only countersinking bit I had left a rough finish that I couldn't fix by any means. Everything is pretty much ok but those holes. I also had a hard time finding a 1/4" drill bit here in Spain. I didn't want to buy a drill bit overseas so I just got a 6,3mm one (1/4" is like 6,35mm) and enlarged the holes using a very small "rat tai" round file.
Polishing micarta is not just like polishing shoes! I don't own a buffing wheel so I figured out that maybe a piece of rag with some Red rouge polishing compound rubbed on it would do. Well, it didn't work! I somehow stained the handles and I got them darker. I will probably get a buffing weel for the drill or the angle grinder (I am better off using the drill because it has a speed selector) and try to polish it propertly. Any of you has some ideas here? What can I do to make it look just like the handles of the knife pictured on the tutorial I linked at the beginning of this post? Any help is wellcome.
Convexing by hand takes a loooot of time. I knocked out the shoulders of the V shaped edge using a coarse sharpenning stone and then started shaping it with my usual convex edge sharpenning setup (sandpaper and mousepad). I went from 240 (a LOT of 220) to 2000 and then stropped it. It took me like two full afternoons. It shaves like a dream. I hope I didn't make it too thin... so it doesn't bend, roll or chip when chopping with it (I don't chop much though, but just in case).
Anyway, in spite of all this issues (not to say my mom getting mad at me and not feeding me for a whole month...) I am pretty happy with the looks of my modded RAT-7. It feels better in hand now. The handle is actualy thicker but the contouring makes it feel way better. It almost didn't fit in the sheath strap! Nex on the list is making some micarta handles for my firesteels so I don't need to drill them (I always end up braking them one way or another).
I hope you liked the pictures.
Mikel
That's exactly what I wanted to figure out not long ago... Here is what my D-2 RAT-7 with blue denim micarta handles and convex edge looks like.
I always liked the looks of micarta handles and got interested on making some myself. I came across THIS tutorial and it didn't seem too difficult. I was about to throw away three jeans so I just needed to go buy some resin. I wasn't sure about what to make out of the resulting slabs and I thought that the easiest thing was to make some new handles for my RAT-7 (screw on construction). If it came out as expected... I would thought about making some more stuff. I even thought I could improve the feeling of the handles (they factory ones are too squared... that is why RC knives have contoured handles!)
What did I learn here:
Don't tell your mom (or gf or wife) that making the micarta is the messiest part. It is a lie. It didn't get messy at all. I was really carefull to cover everything with old newspapers and I only got a drop of resin on my sleepers while clamping the slab. I used two pieces of thick wood as a backing and some plastic covered paper my butcher gave me (well, my mom's butcher to be fair..). I thought I might have problems peeling it off but... it peeled off like a dream.
Don't tell your mom (or gf or wife) that machining and sanding the micarta slabs is going to make just a little bit of dust. It is even a bigger lie. What a mess! I don't own too many powertools and I had to make do with a drill, jigsaw and an angle grinder I just bought (I just needed an excuse and making micarta was a great one!). I wore a dustmask and it was ok but once I finished with the angle grinder there was about 1/2" of dust all over the shelves, sink, etc. Everthing was white (incluiding some fruits I forgot to cover up). Moreover the god damn dust is very light... so it stays airborne for a while before it settles. It took me more hours cleaning the kitchen than doing most of the machinning and sanding.
Work slow and check often for fit. You can always remove more material but it is impossible to put it back on. Power tools eat up micarta like butter. There are some grinding marks in the outline of the slabs that I won't remove. If I did so... I would have to remove too much material and it will leave the handle exposed. If I was to make new ones, I won't try to get that close with the angle grinder.
Get the right tools. The only countersinking bit I had left a rough finish that I couldn't fix by any means. Everything is pretty much ok but those holes. I also had a hard time finding a 1/4" drill bit here in Spain. I didn't want to buy a drill bit overseas so I just got a 6,3mm one (1/4" is like 6,35mm) and enlarged the holes using a very small "rat tai" round file.
Polishing micarta is not just like polishing shoes! I don't own a buffing wheel so I figured out that maybe a piece of rag with some Red rouge polishing compound rubbed on it would do. Well, it didn't work! I somehow stained the handles and I got them darker. I will probably get a buffing weel for the drill or the angle grinder (I am better off using the drill because it has a speed selector) and try to polish it propertly. Any of you has some ideas here? What can I do to make it look just like the handles of the knife pictured on the tutorial I linked at the beginning of this post? Any help is wellcome.
Convexing by hand takes a loooot of time. I knocked out the shoulders of the V shaped edge using a coarse sharpenning stone and then started shaping it with my usual convex edge sharpenning setup (sandpaper and mousepad). I went from 240 (a LOT of 220) to 2000 and then stropped it. It took me like two full afternoons. It shaves like a dream. I hope I didn't make it too thin... so it doesn't bend, roll or chip when chopping with it (I don't chop much though, but just in case).
Anyway, in spite of all this issues (not to say my mom getting mad at me and not feeding me for a whole month...) I am pretty happy with the looks of my modded RAT-7. It feels better in hand now. The handle is actualy thicker but the contouring makes it feel way better. It almost didn't fit in the sheath strap! Nex on the list is making some micarta handles for my firesteels so I don't need to drill them (I always end up braking them one way or another).
I hope you liked the pictures.
Mikel
Are you having problems shaping it or getting it shiny? I was affraid of getting resin bubbles on my slab but I found out that the even pressure of five claps (crappy ones, not industrial strenght) was more than enough...
