Thread: Creating scale material?

I attempted to post this about an hour ago but for some reason the system would kick me over to the User CP panel each time I submitted it. Wierd. Third time's a charm...

I had been working with some 3/4" figured maple in order to get some scale material. Unfortunately, all I have to work with right now are hand tools. I managed to get a block cut that's big enough to create some scales, then split the piece with a Japanese saw to get two 3/8" pieces. I have a LONG way to go and a lot of sanding before I have this stuff thin enough.

While I was plundering the miscellaneous wood scraps I have acquired I discovered a 2' x 3' sheet of walnut veneer that someone gave me. It's not good for scale materials right now, aside from inlay work, but I began to wonder if it could be cut and laminated into scale-sized pieces, similar to G10 or Micarta.

Has anyone tried to do something like this yet? If so, what's the best adhesive, and what's the best way to clamp the pieces with enough pressure to ensure a good bond in all the layers? Also, how hard would the material be to work once the adhesive cured?

Any ideas?

I have done precisely what you are suggesting with some bits of wood that came from the hobby shop. In my case, I found a sheet of 2mm thick walnut. Clean and nice, but too thin to make scales from. I laminated the walnut to (of all things) a sheet of modelmakers' birch plywood (0.8mm thick).

For the laminting I used a generic 5-minute epoxy. I didn't even bother with mixing dish. I just squeezed out parts A & B onto one half of the scale material and then mixed it in place, spread it out, scraped it off, spread the scrape-offs onto the other half of the scale material and then slapped the two together. On either side of the lamination I used a piece of flat, scrap wood, and then eight clamps to apply even pressure to the join. It came out purr-fect.

Give it a try.

The other route to go is to ask the guy that is getting ready to work on your DD, who happens to have a full shop, if he could send some pre-cut scale blanks along when he sends the DD back

Home grown "micarta"(picture intensive) - British Blades :: Custom Knife Making

The link I provided is to a board where someone posted a pictoral on how to make your own micarta. He basically cut up a pair of jeans into even sized strips, put it on wax paper with Elmer's All-Purpose Fiberglass Resin as a bonding agent and clamped it together.

That has really inspired me. I might take an old pair of jeans, khaki's or something else and make handles out of them. It's a good way to use your favorite pair of jeans if they don't fit you anymore or they get ripped up.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The other route to go is to ask the guy that is getting ready to work on your DD, who happens to have a full shop, if he could send some pre-cut scale blanks along when he sends the DD back

Though the thought had crossed my mind, I didn't want to take advantage of a deal which had already been worked out. Working on scales takes time, materials, and sometimes money and it didn't seem right to ask for additional stuff on top of what the [Flattery]skilled, talented, generous, and [/Flattery] busy man already had on his plate. If he's willing to send some I won't refuse. Hopefully he's got some just taking up space.

I was trying to get materials squared away for the American Cutlery Company frameback that I acquired in a lot recently, along with five others. All but one need scales and I've seen other requests for scales over the last few days. I didn't want to appear greedy in asking for scales as well. The rust is gone, along with the scales, but the black staining and some pitting remains. I don't want to even attempt to create a mirror finish because I like the character the patina adds. Rescaling it in black horn would be my preference, but I can't find a good substitute in what I have available. Just using the materials I have on hand.
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Looks like I hijacked my own thread. Sorry about that. I'll see if I can steer it back on track...

- Mark (S-4-C)

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The other route to go is to ask the guy that is getting ready to work on your DD, who happens to have a full shop, if he could send some pre-cut scale blanks along when he sends the DD back

That sounds like it would be TOO easy!

Here's an old post of mine where I demo how to rip scale stock from tree branches using only hand tools. Doesn't get much cheaper!