can paxolin be used as micarta/g10 substitute?

SHOKR

Well-Known Member
i wanted to check if there is micarta or g10 available in egypt instead of importing, i found a material that at first i thought might be micarta, it was paxolin, i researched online and found its mostly used as insulator and by hobbyists

can it be used as handle? only drawback is its available only in shades of brown, but its crazy cheap, locally at last
here are some pics
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69113_441936671127_565806127_5829861_3393369_n.jpg

68728_441936701127_565806127_5829862_1212419_n.jpg

68373_441936751127_565806127_5829863_6780687_n.jpg

67346_441936811127_565806127_5829864_3157918_n.jpg


thanks
 
Micarta was devoloped and originaly used as an insulating material and is just a trade name.
That stuff looks a lot like it and depending on what it is made of should work the same.

Bob
 
thanks alot bob!

i did it research now and micarta falls under PHENOLIC

thanks again :)
 
That looks exactly like the brown canvas micarta that I have in the shop. I'd use it and not think twice. For a bit of color variation, try using leather dye on that stuff. My black leather dye soaks right in, but I haven't tried other shades yet.
 
Dye=after
Paxolin is a glass laminate phenolic, pretty much the same thing as Micarta. Just a brand name.
This brand was usually used way back, early electronics boards, like in amplifiers etc.
One of the weirder uses was - it was big in Australia for making boomerangs,lol.
Rule of thumb, the older the paxo- the darker the material. If its dirt cheap, and you find a good thickness, stock up.
Dont forget to MASK UP when you work it, any phenolic is a bad animal to breath in.
Enjoy bud :)
 
http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/
There are literally hundreds of plastics /engineering materials companies around, this site just has some good pix of the materials is the reason I chose it.

Personally, I want some of the Tufnol/micarta style rods in 1.5" or so, to use for stick tangs.
 
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yeah it was the name the merchant used, i searched online a bit and found that pretty much they all fall under phenolic
and yeah saw the boomerangs too lol, they were cool really
yeah i can get any thickness i want from 1.5mm to 8cm, and its sold by weight 1 kilogram (2lbs) is sold for less than 6USD!! this piece was 21*9*0.6cm and i got for less than $1, thats a great deal i think!
and i'll try the dye, if it works that would be awesome!

yeah i just tried teh file on that thing to show the internal structure and WOOF that stuff aint nice! would need serious protection!

thanks Raguel for the info and the link
 
At those prices, Id say get about 10-15 lbs when you can,lol.
At times, desert tan and brown are hard to come by,so youve got a good source.
little cotten doctors masks arent enough either, cannister mask or full face is best bet. Better to be safe with these kinds of materials, =Phenolics/G-10 series/Carbon Fiber
** Im a true paranoid about it tho, I mask up for anything in shop, just made it a habit.
 
yeah i actually breathed some of it when filing, and when i covered my mouth it got in my eyes! so yeah respirator is a must for me too! maybe even full face mask!

thanks again Raguel, as soon as i try the dye will let u know :)
 
Mag, hope the dye trick works out for you. I applied mine at the last minute because I wasn't too keen on the green color of the handle. Be sure to give it a good scrubbing with hot soapy water after the dye as had a chance to dry. There always seems to be a little extra that wants to rub off on your hands if you don't!
 
thanks Vaughn!!
yeah i guess thats normal, to minimize that with clothing u should soak it in water with vinegar and salt, but have no idea what the effect would be on the handles :p
 
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