# Micarta



## AnxiousCowboy (Aug 6, 2011)

I'm about to try to do my own micarta style job with demin and resin. How do you guys fasten the knife to the micarta material? 

can I just do a few layers of material and glue and then put the tang on the glue and do an equal number of layers on top of that, clamp down and set, and shape it from there with the knife already attached?


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## mainaman (Aug 6, 2011)

If I am not wrong the micarta is premade in scale sizes then done as any other scale material, with rivet holes etc.


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## AnxiousCowboy (Aug 6, 2011)

If I am doing it hidden tang style, and I'm already using a resin or epoxy, why not just put the tang in there while making the micarta since I'm going to glue it anyway, though?


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## mainaman (Aug 6, 2011)

AnxiousCowboy said:


> If I am doing it hidden tang style, and I'm already using a resin or epoxy, why not just put the tang in there while making the micarta since I'm going to glue it anyway, though?


I see , it was not clear from your OP what you plan to do.


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## AnxiousCowboy (Aug 6, 2011)

my bad, I'm going to try it and see what happens...


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## Eamon Burke (Aug 6, 2011)

cause itd be near impossible to seal out bubbles with weight if the tangs in the middle. it would require a customized object to press it evenly, and if any spots harbor weak bubbles, it would be right around the tang where it needs integrity most.

:2cents:


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## AnxiousCowboy (Aug 6, 2011)

Makes sense... maybe I will just press a slab and drive and epoxy.. idk, i'll sleep on it...


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## Dave Martell (Aug 6, 2011)

Yeah you need to put weight on it to get the bubbles out.


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## SpikeC (Aug 6, 2011)

How much pressure was Butch using?


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## Dave Martell (Aug 6, 2011)

I don't know, he uses a press though.


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## AnxiousCowboy (Aug 7, 2011)

I will be trying it with two boards, wax paper lined, and c-clamps screwed down as tight as I can get them.... we'll see what happens...


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## jmforge (Aug 7, 2011)

What kind of resin do you plan to use?


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## jmforge (Aug 7, 2011)

Micarta is a Westinghouse trade name for a product made with the same phenolic resin as Bakelite but with cloth/fiber instead of wood dust. It is produced using heat and pressure and comes in sheets. The stuff that folks like us make is basically something akin to hand laid FRP, but with cloth or paper instead of glass fiber as the reinforcement.


mainaman said:


> If I am not wrong the micarta is premade in scale sizes then done as any other scale material, with rivet holes etc.


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## AnxiousCowboy (Aug 7, 2011)

Well, I'm making not micarta obviously, but rather, solid glued demin product lol.... I have some 3m fiberglass resin... should be ok as long as I work fast...


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## BraisedorStewed (Aug 7, 2011)

I can't find the thread but I believe Butch was using a 10 ton press.


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## jmforge (Aug 7, 2011)

Do you know which resin it is? In fiberglass boat building, they use either polyester, vinylester or epoxy. Polyester is the cheap stuff and epxoy is the strongest, but also the most expensive and has to be painted or covered in some other way because it reacts to UV. HIhg quality Vinylester is supposedly 90% as good as epoxy, but not so reactive. I think that the trick with the pressure is to get the resin to fully soak into the cloth without having to use too much. Less resin actually equals more strength. Matt Diskin has been making some really cool G-10 type material of late and he built himself a little vacuum bag system that draws the resin in one end as it draws the air out of the other.


AnxiousCowboy said:


> Well, I'm making not micarta obviously, but rather, solid glued demin product lol.... I have some 3m fiberglass resin... should be ok as long as I work fast...


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