Thread: Epoxy

so I want to make my own micarta and have a great fabric store to go to. I am wandering if resin is the same as epoxy? I have a great water clear resin that I have used in the past for different effects, but I don't know if resin is the same beast as epoxy.

Not all resins have the same properties.

Some casting resins in particular can be quite brittle after they have cured. While this presents no problem whatsoever for, say, casting small trinkets into a decorative block as a keepsake or paper weight, the resin might prove unsuitably weak or fragile when used in thin sections as would be the case for razor scales.

So my advice would be that you make a test of your resin before you commit your hard work to a project.

What's the ratio between resin and hardener, for the stuff you have?

If it's between 5:1 and 1:1, you probably have epoxy.

If it uses really small amounts of hardener (20:1, 50:1), it's probably polyester. Not the best choice for scales -- as posted, brittle and weak. Although, with lots of cloth reinforcement, it might be OK.

There may be other casting resins as well. Will the label, or manufacturer, help you out in identifying it?

Charles

I called the manufacturing company and they said it was more of a casting epoxy. So be the ways of life.

Have you read the stuff on making fabric-reinforced epoxy (fake micarta) in the Wiki ?

Making Micarta scale material - Straight Razor Place Wiki

It goes through the requirements for "good" epoxy. Your casting resin might be fine.

Charles