What Resin To Use For Making Micarta?

Which resin is best?

  • Polyester resin

  • Fiberglass resin

  • Epoxy resin

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MicahYoung147

Joined
Sep 21, 2018
Messages
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Hey guys, I'm looking at making some micarta but im not sure what resin to use. Ive heard things about epoxy, fiberglass, and polyester but I can't decide which one. Any advice or help would be appreciated.

Thanks-
Mike
 
MicahYoung147 said:
Hey guys, I'm looking at making some micarta but im not sure what resin to use. Ive heard things about epoxy, fiberglass, and polyester but I can't decide which one. Any advice or help would be appreciated.

Thanks-
Mike
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First , Fibreglass is cloth :) Now, polyester or vinyl ester are resin .Best is of course epoxy......Original Micarta are made with phenolic resin ...
 
and heat IIRC. Most of the "My-carta" made for knives, etc is made with epoxy.
Natlek said:
First , Fibreglass is cloth :) Now, polyester or vinyl ester are resin .Best is of course epoxy......Original Micarta are made with phenolic resin ...
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Natlek said:
First , Fibreglass is cloth :) Now, polyester or vinyl ester are resin .Best is of course epoxy......Original Micarta are made with phenolic resin ...
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So you don't like fiberglass resin? If not, please explain why. How much is the epoxy, where can I get it and what brand name/type will I be looking for?
 
Fiberglass is NOT resin :) That is fiber made from glass ......can I get help with this guys :D
 
Fiberglass resin is just a term for any resin used to do fiberglass work. It could be polyester or epoxy ( or some other). It also may not be used wih fiberglass cloth, but some othe type material. As Natlek pointed out, fiberglass is a cloth and resin is a liquid.

Epoxy resin is the hardest. It is best for makin laminates for handles.

You need to understand, you can't make Micarta at home. It is made with phenolic resin and thermo-set under tons of pressure.
What people make is often called MyCarta. It is a laminate, but very diferent from Micarta.
 
I think he is talking about that Bondo with fiberglass particles in it meant for automotive body repair.
 
MicahYoung147 said:
So you don't like fiberglass resin? If not, please explain why. How much is the epoxy, where can I get it and what brand name/type will I be looking for?
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Well , one mile from my home is factory for hi-tech composites ..... ;) I get for free industrial epoxy , phenolic resin end whatever no .Once I bought this epoxy resin ...it is for working with carbon fiber but I think that will be excellent for my-carta too .It is very liquid .... You can search for something similar in USA ...you need slow cure one .
http://easycomposites.co.uk/#!/resi...e/epoxy-resin/EL2-epoxy-laminating-resin.html
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Fiberglass resin is just a term for any resin used to do fiberglass work. It could be polyester or epoxy ( or some other). It also may not be used wih fiberglass cloth, but some othe type material. As Natlek pointed out, fiberglass is a cloth and resin is a liquid.

Epoxy resin is the hardest. It is best for makin laminates for handles.

You need to understand, you can't make Micarta at home. It is made with phenolic resin and thermo-set under tons of pressure.
What people make is often called MyCarta. It is a laminate, but very diferent from Micarta.
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So where can I find the Epoxy resin? No offense but I have seen a guy take a metal jug that said "fiberglass resin" and cut strips from a fiberglass welding blanket and layer it with the resin between each piece of the cloth and then clamp it down for about a week and make body armor from it. So im wondering what was in the jug labeled fiberglass resin because walmart has it and I almost bought it. Hope I didn't offend anybody with this message, just hoping you guys can teach me about resins and what not. Thanks
 
I tried several times making this stuff and i never used any of it because i couldnt get a good uniform finish. It drove me insane, and i threw all the relevant equipment and supplies away. I think this should worry you more than if it is polyester or epoxy, because i would take either if i could just get it to finish evenly.

Micarta is cheap, btw.
 
I have made several planks of resin composite using Bondo Fiberglass Resin. Yes, that is the actual name of the product. I've used it with denim and burlap with very satisfying results. Biggest drawback is the odor of Bondo when working with it. I made a simple press with clamps and MDF particle board. The ratio is hard to decipher from instructions on the packaging but there are more useful charts easily found on the web. It cures quite hard in about 24 hrs and can be ground/sanded easily. The Bondo cures slightly darker so lighter colors will experience a change.

I have just started casting scales with Alumalite and have wondered about trying it for layered fabric composites. Anyone tried this combination?

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You want a real chemist with years of experience making the resins needed for this contact Gerald at Polymer Composites in Ontario California (909) 673-1625

He will be able to walk you through exact what you need. He makes a variety of the highest industry quality resins that are high impact and far stronger then what others are using. Tell him Adam sent you. He is great and he will get you set up for a lot less for a lot better.
 
I used an slow set epoxy resin. Dont remember its brand. Just something from a local Chandler.
I needed a few trial & error attempts to get the result I wanted. Its a balance of sorts, fiber density to resin ratio. Having my 20 ton press made it easy to squeeze out 12x12” slabs flat and smooth, uniform thickness but squeeze out too much resin.

Btw, being Québécois, I am supposed to call it ”MoéCarta”.
 
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Keep in mind while people say "It is not micarta" Micarta came to be over 70 years ago and the resins were not that good even under tons of pressure compared to the current 2018 resins that do not need tons of pressure to make a super strong composite.

The carbon fiber and other composites are not using tons of pressure for use in the aerospace and industry use today. I saw at Polymer Composites carbon fiber made with a simple vacuum pressure used for aerospace and high performance application.

Use the right resin and you can stop worrying about needed tons of pressure to make a high impact composite that will far exceed what is needed to perform for knife scales
 
If you want a specific product recommendation:
West system 105 Epoxy Resin and the 207 special clear hardener.

You can use the 209 extra slow hardener if you need more pot time.


I think one problem people have is being in a hurry. The sticky and gummy handles made from home made laminates is often because they made the handle the same day they made the laminate.
The laminate should sit in the mold overnight to 24 hours, and then sit for 5 days to a week to fully cure before cutting up and using.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
If you want a specific product recommendation:
West system 105 Epoxy Resin and the 207 special clear hardener.

You can use the 209 extra slow hardener if you need more pot time.


I think one problem people have is being in a hurry. The sticky and gummy handles made from home made laminates is often because they made the handle the same day they made the laminate.
The laminate should sit in the mold overnight to 24 hours, and then sit for 5 days to a week to fully cure before cutting up and using.
Click to expand...
This is true across so many uses of epoxy. People often confuse working, set, and cure times. As a general rule, clamp or hold in place by whatever means throughout the set time of the epoxy, don't stress until fully cured.

Patience is a virtue in glue ups and finishes.
 
CLEAR hardener being the optimum for these applications as the regular 205, 206, etc. hardeners are kind of yellowish to begin with and get darker with age even though they do not lose strength as a result.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
If you want a specific product recommendation:
West system 105 Epoxy Resin and the 207 special clear hardener.

You can use the 209 extra slow hardener if you need more pot time.


I think one problem people have is being in a hurry. The sticky and gummy handles made from home made laminates is often because they made the handle the same day they made the laminate.
The laminate should sit in the mold overnight to 24 hours, and then sit for 5 days to a week to fully cure before cutting up and using.
Click to expand...
 
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