Thread: CF Scales Plan of Attack.

All righty! I've been assembling products for a while, and think I'm ready to tackle a set of CF scales.
Here's my plan, PLEASE jump in and correct any craziness.

I've cut and shaped a set of dummy scales out of maple. I'm going to finish them with CA and use them to make a mold. I thought that using Plaster of Paris would be a good cheap way to make a one-off mold. I figured I'd sticky tape the scales to the bottom of a tupperware container and pour the PofP over that. Any thoughts as to a mold release? Or plaster of paris as a mold? Or better alternatives?

Then I plan to use Canadian Tire brand fiber-glass general purpose epoxy, and lay up the CF cloth, but I've only ever worked with this stuff to repair my broken canoe 15 years ago. The boat didn't sink, but it sure ain't pretty! I imagine I may use fiber glass in the middle for bulk, and try to top the top most layer with CF. Would balsa be a better choice? I'm leaning toward balsa, the more I think about it.
Should I try to glom the whole thing together in one go? Or would working in layers with drying time between be a better way to do it?
Do I need to put pressure to the mold/ scale/CF/epoxy glom? No vacuum chamber, unfortunately.
Realistically, I'm thinking to paint the mold with a fairly thick layer of epoxy before i lay up the CF, and working in layers.

What about finishing the end product? Will the epoxy polish up? Can the epoxy be used and brushed on as a top coat or are there other, better ways to finish them? I imagine there's going to be some rough areas, like where the edge gets trimmed that will need additional protection.

I've tried to map this out but it's new territory for me, any guidance would be appreciated.

www.masecraftsupply.com


Carbon Fiber Sheets, Cut + shape = scales

Unless of course ya just wanna make yer own...

It sounds like you're planning to lay up the CF laminate into it's final shape (like you would do with a carbon fiber body panel). While this is probably possible, it is not what knifemakers usually do and it will look different from most CF scales.

When making CF knife scales, the maker will simply buy sheet stock of sufficient thickness and mill/grind it into shape. This cuts through the layers producing a unique look (that becomes more dramatic with heavy contouring). Grinding CF is fairly straightforward, but messy. The black dust gets everywhere and is an irritant (at best). Wear a quality respirator and be prepared to take a shower when you're done.


The top knife used .3" thick CF (2x2 twill pattern) slabs and was heavily contoured.


I'm not terribly familiar with laying up laminates, but I do have a guy who makes material for me. He uses a West System epoxy and a 20-ton press to ensure a solid and compact product. It sounds too messy and difficult for me, so I let him do the work.

Good luck.

Phillip

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Masecraft Supply for knife making supplies, inlay materials, pool cue and pen making supplies.


Carbon Fiber Sheets, Cut + shape = scales

Unless of course ya just wanna make yer own...

ha ha, you make it sound so easy!

That would probably be the smart thing to do.... but I've already got plain CF cloth. And a monster chopper that's just crying out for something special.

Update: epic fail!
I shoulda built a vacuum chamber I guess. The CF didn't conform to the shape of the mold entirely. They may be salvageable to function as scales for a smaller razor, but not for my meaty chopper.
All is not lost though; during coats I worked on making my own "micarta". The initial blank, made with 16 layers of canvas turned out good, though I don't want to put this scale material on my chopper, and I'm still waiting for a few razors to arrive so it'll have to wait. The process looks good for my remaining CF, so I think thats the way I'm going to do it next time. Same idea as buying a sheet of it, just "make your own".
Now I've kinda got the bug to make my own micarta.... lots'a room for creativity there...