Stacked Leather + Resin/Epoxy = Leather Micarta?

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St33L

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Dec 18, 2013
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Is stacked leather essentially leather micarta but with adhesive?

In stacked leather, wet leather spacers are added one by one through the tang.

Micarta is stacked one layer on top of another as epoxy/resin fills the surface area.

There's plenty of adhesive to soak into the fabric/cloth, rendering a very hard surface.

Instead of (or in addition to) wetting the leather, if one were to use resin/epoxy, would there be a downside?

I can see the leather being more stiff instead of the soft handles seen on traditional ASEKs and K-Bars.

The leather type I'm assuming is cowhide leather, though any leather can be used.

Please let me know and thanks in advance!
 
Doesn't work that way.
The reinforcements in micarta are much more porous than leather. So the resin completely permeates the reinforcement. Leather won't soak in the resin.
 
knarfeng said:
Doesn't work that way.
The reinforcements in micarta are much more porous than leather. So the resin completely permeates the reinforcement. Leather won't soak in the resin.
Click to expand...

Is there a way to make the resin soak in completely through the leather?

Would a long drying resin have sufficient time to allow that to happen?

I ask because oils soak in but obviously they don't dry the way resins do.

And, stabilized hardwoods get treated to fill in all the spaces inside, though it's a different process altogether.

I'd think it would be possible to do the same with leather, perhaps not with the same process as how micarta is made.
 
I think this may work although I have yet to try it:,

Start small, resin stack them, clamp them in like you would with Micarta with same size board front and back.

Now you have to dunk them in a glass jar of resin that can cover the whole thing and vacuume the jar to 30 bar, let it seat over night and take out to dry.

This is the same process for stabilized wood, check YouTube on how to make the jar with simple pump attachment.

Theoretically this will force the resin into the leather's pores. And achieve what you are after.


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Someone try this please. If it actually worked, I would "keeel" for some. Could be amazing. [emoji41]

Wondering if using ultra thin flesh splits, combined with very dry and heated leather, and vacuum chamber, may just do the trick.

I love leather and really like Micarta. Resin impregnated leather could be absolutely amazing.





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People are Strange, When You're a Stranger....
 
knarfeng said:
Doesn't work that way.
The reinforcements in micarta are much more porous than leather. So the resin completely permeates the reinforcement. Leather won't soak in the resin.
Click to expand...
knarfeng said:
Doesn't work that way.
The reinforcements in micarta are much more porous than leather. So the resin completely permeates the reinforcement. Leather won't soak in the resin.
Click to expand...
False. I have leather micarta right here.
www.amazon.com

Roger shared 1 photo with you

www.amazon.com
 
St33L said:
Is stacked leather essentially leather micarta but with adhesive?

In stacked leather, wet leather spacers are added one by one through the tang.

Micarta is stacked one layer on top of another as epoxy/resin fills the surface area.

There's plenty of adhesive to soak into the fabric/cloth, rendering a very hard surface.

Instead of (or in addition to) wetting the leather, if one were to use resin/epoxy, would there be a downside?

I can see the leather being more stiff instead of the soft handles seen on traditional ASEKs and K-Bars.

The leather type I'm assuming is cowhide leather, though any leather can be used.

Please let me know and thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
St33L said:
Is stacked leather essentially leather micarta but with adhesive?

In stacked leather, wet leather spacers are added one by one through the tang.

Micarta is stacked one layer on top of another as epoxy/resin fills the surface area.

There's plenty of adhesive to soak into the fabric/cloth, rendering a very hard surface.

Instead of (or in addition to) wetting the leather, if one were to use resin/epoxy, would there be a downside?

I can see the leather being more stiff instead of the soft handles seen on traditional ASEKs and K-Bars.

The leather type I'm assuming is cowhide leather, though any leather can be used.

Please let me know and thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Yes, leather micarta is possible
www.amazon.com

Roger shared 1 photo with you

www.amazon.com
 
bflying said:
Someone try this please. If it actually worked, I would "keeel" for some. Could be amazing. [emoji41]

Wondering if using ultra thin flesh splits, combined with very dry and heated leather, and vacuum chamber, may just do the trick.

I love leather and really like Micarta. Resin impregnated leather could be absolutely amazing.






People are Strange, When You're a Stranger....
Click to expand...
Here’s a set. One of a kind. I don’t think the maker ever made another set.
www.amazon.com

Roger shared 1 photo with you

www.amazon.com
 
With a very slow cure low viscosity resin I would think you could vacuum degass it then stack to cure. You may need to control the temperature of the resin to retard the cure while degassing. It would be a PITA procedure but I would think quite doable. Also the thinner the leather the quicker it would work. Don't forget to make sure the resin is marine grade, it would suck if it turned milky if left wet too long.
 
Factory-made stacked leather handles are simply compressed. No glue of any kind is used.
 
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