Thread: Working Acrylic--Questions.

OK guys, so I have some 3mil acrylic and it's time to make some scales.

I'm wondering about a couple of things.

First off, I would like to try chemically welding the butt instead of peening. I have the right stuff, I'm just wondering if anyone has tried this before, and how it might work. I don't know how strong the weld is and how much stress is actually on the wedge end, so...any advice would be appreciated.

Also, I'm looking at doing some bolsters and an inlay. The bolsters will be tough...they're rounded, so the scales will have to be rounded. Should I get thicker scrylic and sand down, or stick with the 3mil, or what?

And has anyone tried heat setting inlays? Meaning, heat the metal inlay and press it into the handle to make the impression, then using epoxy to actually set the inlay...?

Does any of that make sense?

Originally Posted by JimR

OK guys, so I have some 3mil acrylic and it's time to make some scales.

I'm wondering about a couple of things.

First off, I would like to try chemically welding the butt instead of peening. I have the right stuff, I'm just wondering if anyone has tried this before, and how it might work. I don't know how strong the weld is and how much stress is actually on the wedge end, so...any advice would be appreciated.

Also, I'm looking at doing some bolsters and an inlay. The bolsters will be tough...they're rounded, so the scales will have to be rounded. Should I get thicker scrylic and sand down, or stick with the 3mil, or what?

And has anyone tried heat setting inlays? Meaning, heat the metal inlay and press it into the handle to make the impression, then using epoxy to actually set the inlay...?

Does any of that make sense?

That Seraphim guy does some pinless scales with acrylic. The secret? Our good friend CA! Yes, super glue! CA is acrylic, and acrylic is acrylic, they form a very nice bond.

For the inlays, I also use CA, and then sand it all down (gently, and with high grits!) to smooth it out. Be very sparing when applying the CA for an inlay.

Here's a pic that exhibits both (damn , I like that razor!):


I think heating the inlay is what they did at the factory, so that may work well.

I was trying to re-use a set of pearlex scales that had previously had a "Solingen" inlay on them. The inlay was removed, but the "Solingen" remained, even after sanding it smooth. It would appear that the pearlex structure was affected by the heat, and thus it was liek branding a steer or something.