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How to Make Micarta : A Study in Mistakes

Micarta is a composite material made from paper or cloth and resin. It is exceptionally hard and durable, and is commonly used for knife scales and other items that need to stand up to rough handling and heavy use. Peter decided to make micarta from card stock. This is Shop Time’s third foray into making micarta (previous micarta projects include the blue jean bracelet and book tablet holder), and you’d expect that previous experiences would make this project go more smoothly. And that’s where you’d be wrong. The actual process of spreading the resin went well. Peter used a shop-made HDPE roller to spread the resin and a piece of laminate to prevent the project from sticking to the bench. He remembered to mix enough resin (because paper and cloth both drink the stuff like they’re dying in the desert). And then things started falling apart. First, the paper started slipping around when Peter tried to put pressure on it. Then the duct tape wouldn’t stick to the parchment paper. THEN Pete...