# I am planning on making some blue jean macarta....



## Phoul Mouth (Jan 6, 2015)

But I can't really decide how big I should go.

Is it better to make the pieces only big enough for the slingshot I want to make with it?

I have like 8 pairs of old bluejeans I found in the basement. I guess I never got around to sending them to the salvation army, lol. I plan to put them through the wash and cut them up. But before I do that I'd like to be sure about how large to cut them. I am thinking 7 inches by 4 inches should be more than enough. But does making it at that size offer any other difficulties I should be aware of?

Also, as this is my first time trying it is their any tips or advice anyone out there would like to offer?

Any help or advice is welcome. I have yet to buy the epoxy I am going to use but do plan to go for a long cure epoxy(anything over 2 hours) just because this is my first time so any suggestions there specifically would be awesome.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/32485-cleanest-way-to-make-micarta/


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

I made a billet of bluejean micarta to great success but I made it large enough for two frames, may as well, right, takes not much more time to make a larger billet than a smaller one really. Pattern it to permit 2 frames, one opposite orientation to the other for best fit and least wastage. I used polyester resin instead of the much more expensive epoxy resin...makes an excellent micarta (it's what they use for common fiberglass boats or fiberglass canoes etc..)





 In this video, paper micarta is made but the same method extends to cloth micarta. You can use a common polyethylene square recipient for a mold, the size of your billet. Polyethylene releases the resin by itself with no coating or baker's paper. Baker's paper can be cut to size and placed over the top of the micarta INSIDE the poly recipient to act as a poston to compress and de-air the billet.

Remember, you have to press the micara with clamps or a righteous weight but even pressing on all sides/corners of the billet to assure uniform thickness and uniform density, to get as much air out of the cloth as possible, and replace it with resin. Use a piece of stout plywood under the mold as well as inside it to press the micarta the best you can so some resin exudes out of the polyethylene recipient.

Here is the very best vid on the subject and how I did it with a minimum of fuss and muss and mess. And have all your stuff arranged in order to make use of the time best. You have maybe a half hour or 25 minutes at cool garage temperatures before it starts to gel up and useless to use after that. I mixed up small batches using an electronic scale to weigh the resin and catylist...for accurate measurement and the most strength...but I backed off the catylist about 10% to give me more working time yet yield a very hard catylized resin result.


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## Phoul Mouth (Jan 6, 2015)

Thanks Chuck. I guess my biggest issue with making a bigger billet is going to be finding a proper container to stop the slippage as I crank down the clamps.

I have watched a bunch of videos, including the one linked, but none actually dealt with the billet size and issues that could come up from making bigger ones.

I definitely plan on going with epoxy resin though as everything I have read on the topic suggests that more than anything else. Apparently it is much less flexible when it dries, at least according to what I have read. I was hoping someone might be able to suggest a good brand of slow drying epoxy resin, I should have been more clear initially. 

Here is another question to anyone that feels like answering it. Is there any reason not to mix different types of materials into the same micarta billet? Like say Blue Jeans with layers of veneer or construction paper?


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

There are other videos on youtube which will give you insight on how to do this with a minimum of waste and mess. Resin can be a messy affair if you don't know the ropes...so learn the ropes and practice it in your head before you do it and your first try will be a success..and best of all you can impart the knowledge to others.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Anything that the resin will stick to and well, is game. Make sure all laminates are well scored with rough sand paper first then cleaned with MEK or acetone thoroughly so that adherence of the resin will be maximized...and don't touch a thing with bare fingers, only clean surgical or other rubber like gloves. You can throw gloves away after you're done but it's really disappointing to have to throw away a batch of laminate due to delamination because of contamination from this and that and skin oil.

I would not hesitate to use paper, cloth, wood or formica all together. Just make sure the formica is cleaned with solvent on both sides...MEC or acetone and never touched again with human skin before being incorporated into the micarta composite.

As far as slippage from clamping goes, make the sheets of substrate in increasing dimension to properly fill the mold as it gets wider and longer due to top taper. Some molds are straight walled however so that's not a factor if you cut your sheets to fill the container with little and preferably no slap on the sides. Paper micarta as displayed on today's forum gallery shots is a very open color field, just make sure the resin penetrates the paper fibers well and the billet will be duly strong. Micarta demands saturation of the resin inbetween all the fibers of cloth or paper...whereas with solid sheet laminations which are not particularly porous, that's not an issue.

Removing the micarta billet from the PE mold if straight walled can be facilitated by drilling a small vent hole in the bottom, taped over on the outside with electrical tape. Peel off the tape when the billet is cured and that hole will provide air for the billet to emerge from the mold without fighting a vacuum to get it out. Drill a couple or three holes if you like...small ones, no more than 1mm diameter, just pin holes really. Tapered walled containers obviously have no problem with billets emerging from the mold without suction keeping them in.

My experience with polyester resin is that it's very firm. actually hard and not flexible at all in the thickness I use for my frames, (any frame more than 7/16 inch thick finished) and very reliable but if you want to use one of the various epoxys then that's fine too..it's your ticket. Whatever makes you confident and happy is paramount. I make thick ergonomic frames, most of the guys here make much less thick and much less ergonomic than I do, it's just my style, it's not good, not bad, just me. In that case, just about any material is good except balsa or Styrofoam!

Included images are of various micarta projects using a big billet for two large frames and left overs for knife scales on my grampa's pocket knife which I restored. The part you cut out of the fork, the U as I call it, is pretty useful for epoxying onto the frame for palm swell and pinky tang. Use the same epoxy to make it all compatable.

The thing to remember is to go and find the suitable polyethylene Tupperware type container, you will, just look for it. Order it from Tupperware representatives if you want...just get it..it's a minor cost and can be used for left overs in the kitchen afterwards if you want...it'll cost much less than epoxy. I really recommend building a billet you can make two frames from...the reason is you will love the results if you do it right and get all the air out of the micarta by proper squeegee method and clamping. You will have left overs for palm swells and ring slings also which you will want to save to use later. I made two nice knife scales out of scraps from my 2 micarta frames for example. I still have scraps I plan to make tool handles out of still. Waste not want not.

My wife Susi helped me lay up my bluejean micarta...time is of essence when the stuff is curing and gel forms...making it high time you press and clamp. She handed me the pre cut cloth sheets while I laid them up in the mold...that simple time saving of eliminating the fumble factor helped.

Now, be patient and just find that perfect container to make your micarta in. You don't need to spray or treat polyethylene, it's a natural release agent in itself. Some use Pam on some molds, with PE it's unneeded.

I look forward to your build along photos.

I've thought of using formica scraps and discards, a hard material and flexible, with other materials for a composite micarta with appealing colors yet fully functional and strong and compatible with the resin adherence. Flooring is made of sort of a Masonite material and it may be good to incorporate into the lamination mix as well as bamboo flooring, hard wood flooring slabs, say 3mm thick, really this is a grand opportunity to be creative, as long as all the materials will stick well to your resin.

Two of the knife projects are made of discarded diamond masonry saw blades for my hand grinder and cow bone and Eucalyptus wood handles. Yes I like making arrow heads out of window glass as well.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Finishing micarta itself can be frustrating for cloth micarta often doesn't want to take a polish or even a semi gloss surface. I went through the usual rasp, file, sand paper from 60 through 1000 grits as always, dry not wet in this case, and I solved this disappointment of a dry dull lifeless bla surface by rubbing it down manually with polyurethane floor finish thinned about half with the appropriate solvent...twice, then fine steel wooling it and finally rubbing it down with automotive rubbing compound to produce a semi polish that was still tactile. Bluejean micarta seems to have sort of a dry fuzzy surface by itself that is obstinate to take on a finer grain finish or polish...it needs something added to infuse in to the stuff and impregnate it and seal it, so a fine finish can be obtained. That finish ended up being quite hard and appealing and shows off the various colors of worn out bluejeans I used.

Instead of PU you can use overnight cure epoxy (slow cure) and just rub it on manually and let it self polish and cure. Make this a very thin coat and reapply the next day as well, then when cure another 24 hours and it's hard, not tacky, fine steel wool it or fine sand it, say with 700 grit or so, then do the automotive rubbing compound final finish. That's my way of skinning a cat but as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat.


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## Rock in Flight (Feb 25, 2016)

Epoxy is structurally stronger. West 105 and System Three Silvertip are good choices.

To get a smooth surface it's much easier to rough sand sand and then do a couple of re-coats You'll tie down any tendency to fuzziness in a couple of coats

I see people furiously sanding through every grit trying to get things smooth when there is an easy shortcut.


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## Grandpa Pete (May 2, 2013)

Chuck Daehler said:


> Finishing micarta itself can be frustrating for cloth micarta often doesn't want to take a polish or even a semi gloss surface. I went through the usual rasp, file, sand paper from 60 through 1000 grits as always, dry not wet in this case, and I solved this disappointment of a dry dull lifeless bla surface by rubbing it down manually with polyurethane floor finish thinned about half with the appropriate solvent...twice, then fine steel wooling it and finally rubbing it down with automotive rubbing compound to produce a semi polish that was still tactile. Bluejean micarta seems to have sort of a dry fuzzy surface by itself that is obstinate to take on a finer grain finish or polish...it needs something added to infuse in to the stuff and impregnate it and seal it, so a fine finish can be obtained. That finish ended up being quite hard and appealing and shows off the various colors of worn out bluejeans I used.
> 
> Instead of PU you can use overnight cure epoxy (slow cure) and just rub it on manually and let it self polish and cure. Make this a very thin coat and reapply the next day as well, then when cure another 24 hours and it's hard, not tacky, fine steel wool it or fine sand it, say with 700 grit or so, then do the automotive rubbing compound final finish. That's my way of skinning a cat but as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat.


CCHUCK, you never stop amazing me with your knowledge and experience!


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## Phoul Mouth (Jan 6, 2015)

I feel like I just read a novel! hahaha

Thanks Chuck, as always your immense know how is appreciated.

As to finishing I am not worried about it. I will sand it to 300, take some steel wool to it and call it done. I love that rough look ya know? Makes it look well used before it is even well used. haha


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## E.G. (Mar 27, 2014)

Hello,

Chuck write all about it, so what to tell more?

You can combine almost all materials, paper, jeans, burlap etc. I use epoxy with 40 min working time.

It's enough for me, because I only making sheet for one shooter. Bigger sheet need more clamps... 

One tip: When I clamping micarta between two pieces of thick plywood I use Caliper to get thickness what I want 

Sanding: I start with 180 grit and goes up to 800, and than with 1200 grit. Steel wool is not for micarta, after steel wool micarta is tufted! Only water sanding for me, no dust, no mess


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## Phoul Mouth (Jan 6, 2015)

E.G. said:


> Hello,
> 
> Chuck write all about it, so what to tell more?
> 
> ...


That's exactly why I want to steel wool it, I love that rough look it gives to fabric micarta.

Here are some questions I just thought of. If I were to stack up my blue jean squares to measure thickness just what would the comparison be to a finished product? I realize even with the epoxy the clamping is going to reduce the thickness, but by how much? Could it be as much as half or maybe 3/4 of the original thickness? Would you suggest a dry clamp of the blue jean fabric to see? Or maybe it would just be better to clamp down the blue jeans dry before epoxying to flatten them out really good?

What do you think?


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## E.G. (Mar 27, 2014)

Phoul Mouth said:


> E.G. said:
> 
> 
> > Hello,
> ...


I understand 

Just cut jeans into pieces for size of sheet what you want (add oversize) I mostly add 10 mm in width and 15 mm on length.

Here is my example: If you want 10 mm thickness, dry jeans need to be about 12-12.5 mm. Also, this depends on jeans material!

Example: Levi's jeans are much thicker denim than other brands, but for me they are the best, very strong and easy to work. But expensive if you buy new :rofl:

Best example: 12 pieces of denim (Levi's jeans) and one layer of wood veneer 0.5 mm was been dry 12.5-13 mm thick, and when I glued it I got 10.5 mm total thickness of micarta.

When I cut cloth, I measure thickness with my caliper (arm-twisting) and measure can vary about 0.5 mm, what we really got on finished board...

Hope this help?

Sorry for my poor english, I hope you understand.

Cheers

E.G.


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## Phoul Mouth (Jan 6, 2015)

E.G. said:


> Phoul Mouth said:
> 
> 
> > E.G. said:
> ...


I understand perfectly. Your English is better than most Americans. Thanks a lot.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Looking forward to seeing the finished product.


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## stej (Jan 16, 2013)

Btw. I tried to make a little slab from polyester resin - for the second time. Both of them are still untouched. The smell is so unpleasant, that I'm not willing to spent some more time. When sanding or even cutting, the smell is everywhere. Dust mask is ok, but it remains in the room for quite a long time after work


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## E.G. (Mar 27, 2014)

stej said:


> Btw. I tried to make a little slab from polyester resin - for the second time. Both of them are still untouched. The smell is so unpleasant, that I'm not willing to spent some more time. When sanding or even cutting, the smell is everywhere. Dust mask is ok, but it remains in the room for quite a long time after work


Hello stej,

That's why I use epoxy  I can work witgh it in my room  No smell at all, polyester is awful... it is cheaper, but I will pay few bucks more and work without dush mask...

I also sand my micarta by hand and water sanding, so no dust and smell


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