Finishing Canvas Micarta

BobbyD

BobbyD

Well-Known Member
First time working with it. I have it on a utility style knife. Do you just sand it to a certain grit and oil or to you buff it?
 
My favorite way to deal with finishing Micarta or G10 is to finish out to 220 grit, bead blast, the a single, LIGHT coat of Tru-Oil. Finishing in that manner keep the material looking new....pretty much forever, instead of it turning dark and splotchy from hand oils, etc.

For folks who do not have a bead/sand blast cabinet, a FINE wire/carding wheel turning no fast than 2000RPM will give the material an "orange peel" (work the handle(s) from different angles on the wire wheel for best results), and then finish with the single light coat of Tru-Oil. DON'T use a heavy gauge, or very stiff wire wheel! It will literally rip gouges in the micarta/G10. As long as you are dealing with colored micarta or G10, this wheel from HF works well..... https://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-crimped-brass-wire-wheel-93467.html

DO NOT USE ANY WIRE WHEEL ON TAN, WHITE, OR VERY LIGHT COLORS.....IF YOU DO, THE COLOR OF THE BRASS WIRE WILL TRANSFER.
 
I usually go to 400 grit and see what it looks like. I wet it with some spit to look at the contrast of colors (if using multicolored stuff). The higher grits will show errant scratches that I've missed and removes the fine fibers (jf any).
If it looks good then I just oil it. Light coat.
But, mostly I hit it with 240, after the higher grit, clean the dust and oil it.
It really depends of the material..
Sometimes the material contrasts gets muted with the higher grit sanding, but that's easy to remedy.
 
This is just my opinion but it you start out at say 120 and go to 220 or 320 and quit, there are going to be parts of the micarta that is not finished looking, and splotchy looking, at least to me. I had never thought about bead blasting but that would certainly leave a uniform finish. I typically sand to at least 600 and sometimes 800 and then buff and wax.
 
That’s exactly what happened Paul. It looked awful. One side looked pretty good the other splotchy. I ended up buffing it and it looks much darker and better. I will wax it as you recommende.
 
Micarta "cuts" more easily than you realize.

This knife is finished at...120. Intentionally, for texture. Sure it doesn't have a real clean look like is possible with higher grits. But a thorough sanding free of gouges followed by a vigorous rubbing with 00 steel wool will kind of "whisker" the loose fibers just like wood.
6DABF5EC-7B31-4030-AAA9-D2126436FC55.jpeg

This knife is 320 sanding sponge followed by steel wool-ing. It does take a couple handles to get your touch dialed in so you don't get that stair stepping effect across the layers. D6F673C4-12B6-44D8-ABF7-02A29094DB26.jpeg
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
My favorite way to deal with finishing Micarta or G10 is to finish out to 220 grit, bead blast, the a single, LIGHT coat of Tru-Oil. Finishing in that manner keep the material looking new....pretty much forever, instead of it turning dark and splotchy from hand oils, etc.

For folks who do not have a bead/sand blast cabinet, a FINE wire/carding wheel turning no fast than 2000RPM will give the material an "orange peel" (work the handle(s) from different angles on the wire wheel for best results), and then finish with the single light coat of Tru-Oil. DON'T use a heavy gauge, or very stiff wire wheel! It will literally rip gouges in the micarta/G10. As long as you are dealing with colored micarta or G10, this wheel from HF works well..... https://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-crimped-brass-wire-wheel-93467.html

DO NOT USE ANY WIRE WHEEL ON TAN, WHITE, OR VERY LIGHT COLORS.....IF YOU DO, THE COLOR OF THE BRASS WIRE WILL TRANSFER.
Click to expand...
Ed: When you bead blast the handle do you blast the exposed tang or do you somehow cover the tang edge to keep it looking shinny finished? Can you show an example of a finished G10 or Micarta handle bead blasted? I want to try this technique on my next G10 handle.
Bob
 
Bob: Sometime I blast the exposed tang, and other times I will mask it off with the blue masking/painter's tape, and use a razor to trim it. Here's a blue/black G10 handle done it the manner I spoke of...



and here's one of my EBKs.....which all get the bead blast/Tru-Oil finish with red/black G10 handles.....



The reason I like it so much, is the longevity. I've had folks who have carried a knife daily with these handles, for a decade, and aside from a scratch here and there, the handle look as good as the day I shipped the knives.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
Bob: Sometime I blast the exposed tang, and other times I will mask it off with the blue masking/painter's tape, and use a razor to trim it. Here's a blue/black G10 handle done it the manner I spoke of...



and here's one of my EBKs.....which all get the bead blast/Tru-Oil finish with red/black G10 handles.....



The reason I like it so much, is the longevity. I've had folks who have carried a knife daily with these handles, for a decade, and aside from a scratch here and there, the handle look as good as the day I shipped the knives.
Click to expand...
Ed, thanks that's really helpful. I'm going to do this technique on a knife that's in progress.
BTW, I read nearly every one of your posts, you provide really valuable tips. I appreciate you (and others) sharing so freely.
I'm guessing... EBK=Everday Boat Knife
Bob
 
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