So the process is pretty straight forward. Use fabric or paper and some sort of phenolic resin. Most of the DIY recipes suggest automotive/marine fiberglass resin. Slather up your paper or fabric in the resin, make a sammich, and clamp/weight it down to ensure it's flat. What they don't mention is the types of fabrics that can be used. I've seen denim, linen, canvas, and even old T-shirts used. What I haven't seen is something like Cordura used. I have a few of yards of 1000d Cordura that I picked up a couple summers ago to have my motorcycle jacket fixed. I have enough left over to make another jacket or some pants and a LOT of micarta. I'm only wondering if the Cordura will melt into something nasty when it comes into contact with the resin, or if it'll be too brittle to shape.
Cordura should have no problems with the heat generated during casting. Casting with epoxy should be straight forward, using a polyester resin on the other hand I don't know. It is nylon based material so the worst that may happen is a softening of the material which likely won't matter a whole lot. Acrylic casting resin should be straight forward and being very clear it will show the fabric nicely.
There is a plastics supply shop not far from where I live, if all else fails I'll swing down there and see what resin they suggest. I remember the place when I was laying up fiberglass line freezing chambers at my last day job.
I've been thinking about making some G10 with fiberglass cloth. Same process really. I used to make longboards, which involved laying down a layer of fiberglass onto your wood. For that I used West Systems marine epoxy. Hardens very clear, very tough. Can be bought from Lee Valley Tools.
Fabric, say canvas, produces a coarser 'grain' in the end product than something finer like paper. I have used paper, linen, felt, cotton yarn, even Spanish moss. Just squeeze the heck out of it. Dan
just remember to make your micarta bigger then you need as you will have edges that you will have to cut due to the drying process and the pressure that you use, they will be a little ratty. learned that the hard way.... play with it and the different material you can use. I'm wondering if you where to print off a bunch of one single picture (of course to scale), layer it in the resin, if it will work out as a sort of 3D image in the handle as an inlay.... or something to that effect.
I have a full roll of 1.5oz chopped strand glass matt free to who ever wants it, about a hundred pounds give or take a bit. A life time supply for knife handles
@John Noon I'll pass on that. The chopped strand matting is a pain in the ass to work with @poppa bear I'm well aware of that. I was going to make a sheet of micarta about 8-10" wide after the trimming was done. I saw some cookie sheets at Dollarama that will fit the bill nicely for a mold.
I think the term is Decoupage, used to be a craft thing in the 70's where you would take a dozen photos and cut out a particular part of the image and glue the layers together. If you did it today you could call it retro knives, I imagine a picture of your knife in the handle. You could have a knife in your knife for the most knifey goodness possible
Lol Ya that's the word I was looking for john thanks Lol. @grizz that's fair just trying to help and the cookie sheets do make for good molds... just remember the wax paper too...
using cookie sheets while it may sound like a good idea I foresee a post about said sheet in back of head by significant other post in the near future
I am in Rivers Manitoba, need to find someone driving past and I could stuff the whole roll in the back seat.
Lol I know right... I used to live in fisherbranch and on the border of peguis and white land. Talk about fun Lol.
