Making scales from Sintra (PVC)

[Cheeks]

I work as a graphic designer/sign maker, and one material we use quite frequently is Sintra. It is basically a PVC material that comes in various thicknesses and colors. I am considering trying to make a set of scales with this to see how it goes. Here are the benefits that I can see:

-Easy to cut/ work with
-sands easily enough
-waterproof
-remove scratches (from sanding) by "melting" outer (just hit it gently with a lighter/torch/heat gun)
-and most importantly, its FREE... to me anyway. I have a zillion scrap pieces in the back of the shop.

I thought I might try my hand at this. What's to lose?

Any one else here familiar with this product? have you tried this yet? thoughts?

These certainly wouldn't be "heirloom" scales, and would probably only last a few years, as Sintra tends to break down over time and become brittle when exposed to UV. .... but the price is right to give it a try.

[ignatz]

It sounds like it might be fun to practice with this stuff (basic shapes, pinning)

BUT think again. If you know that this material breaks down over time (a few years) then do you really want to sock in the time to make these look good (smooth shaping, rounding off, sanding, polishing)?

Once you feel more experienced I would really advise using some material that will go the distance.

[Cheeks]

great point.

Yes, definitly fun to practice with, and that was my intention. Having NEVER made scales, or done any pinning, I thought this might be a great way to get my feet wet, and because of the nature of the material, it doesnt really take alot to get it presetable. once it is sanded (even with a rough sandpaper-- say, 60 grit) all you have to do is carefully heat it up with a lighter and it will smooth itself out and look sort of satin. After that is done you can finish it off with a coat of some glossy KRYLON spray on polyurethane. not really much work to make it presentable. So all my efforts would be spent in making it the right size and a nice shape... great skill set to have when working with material with a better shelf life.
But in the long run, I suspect that one success with this medium will have me running out and buying a piece of nice wood to try on next.

[Cheeks]

Well, I got the blanks cut and drilled today. Then I sanded them, and made the wedge. The scales are black with a grey wedge, kinda classy and simple.
I will be on the lookout for something to polish it up with this weekend, and once I get a blade in it I will post pics.
So far though, I am very pleased! they look nice.

[Cheeks]

Here is a pic of the scales so far (not shined up yet). Pretty basic, but I like em.

[aeon]

Those actually have a pretty nice, albeit basic, look to them. Make sure you take some high resolution pictures once you get them shined up and finished and post them for us to see!

[niftyshaving]

I work as a graphic designer/sign maker, and one material we use quite frequently is Sintra. It is basically a PVC material that comes in various thicknesses and colors.
...snip....

Interesting stuff.

Let us know how the scales hold up with time.
I expect they will be just fine. When tinkering
a lot depends on what you have handy to work with.
Too often a project takes you on an adventure
not unlike shaving a yak.

[UAcowboy]

I know this thread has been quiet for a while but i found it while doing some research on PVC for scale material and if it had been tried. I use it to make bows and it holds up well. As far as UV damage, if you don't have it sitting in direct sunlight this should be a non-issue even without any kind of outer coating. If you do a light paint this should be more than enough protection. I plan on making a set of PVC scales for a razor i have coming if it ends up needing them and since this will be my first attempt i figure i should use a material i am familiar with. I would like to hear if your scales have held up over the past few years.

[10Pups]

You should be fine cowboy. Like you say "as long as it's not sitting in UV all day everyday." I am not a chemist but I had one working for me once and pvc comes in a lot of flavors from soft and pliable to hard as a white dog turd. Sun takes the "oil" ( because I can't remember the chemical name for it) out of it and it basically dries out brittle.

[oldblades]

When I work with plastic I always look up the MSDS first.

http://www.substratum.org/wp-content...intra-MSDS.pdf

Personally I would not use this for scales.
V/R

Tim