[snakeshack]

By the way, LOVE the Cowboy catty!

I'm getting ready to do some more lamination experiments. I'm going to try to do some denim with layers of red and/or black silk in between for contrast It should be interesting looking.

I am also going to try out something I have been thinking over. I am going to alternate denim and carbon mat for strength. I am thinking the reason some of the cloth micartas fail is the cloth stretches and carbon and glass fibers don't. I was watching a show on TV that was talking about pre stressed concrete and I wondered how you could do that with the layers of carbon or glass, and if you would have any benefit. I'm thinking if the cloth could be cut extra long and could hang down from aether side and some tension or weights attached, before it gets clamped, it might work. Just some things to think about and try.

I also have some 1/8" thick maple veneer I wanted to laminate together with carbon mat in between just to see how it looks and works. I have laminated clear fiberglass over veneer when I make my bows and I'm always amazed how you can't see the glass, and how strong it is.

I will post the results of the experiments.

 

[levi]

that is so cool! it looks very nice! is it a very strong material? because i am considering doing something similar!

 

[snakeshack]

that is so cool! it looks very nice! is it a very strong material? because i am considering doing something similar!

Yes it is very strong. Sorry, I just found it to be funny that you want to make denim laminate considering your screen name!

You can use all kinds of materials for your micarta; paper, linen, burlap... just about any material you can think of. You need to make sure you use allot of pressure when you make it.

 

[ZDP-189]

I don't agree with applying high pressure to cloth laminates. It squeezes out the resin and leaves the fabric almost dry, structurally weak and hard to polish. Pressure doesn't remove bubbles. You do that by carefully applying resin; by the way you lay each sheet down and by stippling. When clamping, just apply enough pressure to make the sides flat and parallel.

There are sutuations when this doesn't apply. For example carbon fibre or glass fibre, whn you're trying to get a high fibre:resin ratio. However natural fibres need more resin:weave.

Don't take my word for it. Try it, test it and see.

 

[USASlingshot]

this looks sweet! you can make a slingshot out of anything.

 

[snakeshack]

I don't agree with applying high pressure to cloth laminates. It squeezes out the resin and leaves the fabric almost dry, structurally weak and hard to polish. Pressure doesn't remove bubbles. You do that by carefully applying resin; by the way you lay each sheet down and by stippling. When clamping, just apply enough pressure to make the sides flat and parallel.

There are sutuations when this doesn't apply. For example carbon fibre or glass fibre, whn you're trying to get a high fibre:resin ratio. However natural fibres need more resin:weave.

Don't take my word for it. Try it, test it and see.

I didn't know that. I will have to give it a try. I got my instructions from an old guy that worked at Corning that manufactured phenolic material for electronics. What you say makes sense so I'll give it a shot.

Thanks.

 

[ZDP-189]

Yes, what he said does apply to heat cured resin where you can get a full soak (and also to GRP as mentioned).

 

[snakeshack]

Yes, what he said does apply to heat cured resin where you can get a full soak (and also to GRP as mentioned).

He did say it was heat cured. With my bow laminations I use 60 PSI and heat cure also.

So many of the knife guys use lots of pressure and then complain that it doesn't polish up. Makes sense.

Thanks

 

[Seventh_He4ven]

could you do this with something like hair?

 

[ZDP-189]

Yes, but I don't know how strong it would be.

 

[Bill Hays]

When I was younger we used to make canvas and paper micarta slabs quite often... I don't know why, but it just didn't occur to me to make a slingshot out of the homemade stuff... but if it works, that's great... the possibilities for unique designs are pretty much unlimited!
Thanks for the refresher course

 

[mr.joel]

Does the fabric need to be 100% natural? I was wondering if the camo model has polyester or nylon in the fabric and would this weaken the material due to potential reactions in the fabric when the resin is applied?

 

[mr.joel]

I used a different method when I made Amtgard weapons(they're called boffers by SCA folks), these are foam padded swords for mock combat. I'd lay resin coated strips vertically on the 1/2" carbon fiber rod slightly smaller than the width I wanted on both sides(this is tricky). I'd wrap the affair with saturated heavy unwaxed linen saddle thread. It worked well. I also made a reinforced Mora knife sheath this way for neck carry, also worked well. He's not kidding about fully saturating the fabric, definitely do that.

 

[ZDP-189]

Does the fabric need to be 100% natural? I was wondering if the camo model has polyester or nylon in the fabric and would this weaken the material due to potential reactions in the fabric when the resin is applied?

It does not need to be so; carbon fibre and glass fibre are not natural. However, you need to select materials that have the following properties:

• They are absorbent or woven so as not to form an impermeable layer through which the resin cannot pass
• They exhibit high tensile strength and low creep

Dyneema for example has high initial tensile strength but may creep under load, allowing the epoxy to crack. Carbon fibre and glass fibre have low creep and so are ideal. The same applies to cotton, linen and paper.

 

[Itamar J]

Hate to bug you again
but would this work?

and how did you get that leaf design(or any design for that matter)?
did you simply put a cloth with a design over all the denim?

 

[ZDP-189]

Hate to bug you again
but would this work?

and how did you get that leaf design(or any design for that matter)?
did you simply put a cloth with a design over all the denim?

60 minute epoxy should give you enough time, but make sure you have enough of it (there's some waste as it squeezes out the edges) and check that it is runny enough to soak in. Polyester gel coat resin is runny and absorbent, but sets quicker. A small dab of mixed resin on a swatch of fabric should be enough for a test.

For the leaf design, I bought several yards (smallest order that the factory would ship) and built the whole thing from layers of it. It is a print, so half the layers are one way up and half the other way. I currently use the rest as a chrony backstop. Let me know if you want to trade for some, but it's probably cheaper locally.

 

[Itamar J]

would canvas be good?

 

[ZDP-189]

Yes, as long as it's not coated. It needs to be absorbent.

 

[Itamar J]

i just clamped my board
wish me luck
hope i dont mess it up

 

[ZDP-189]

Good luck! Show us the results.