Mule tutorial using the router table

raythebigfoot · #41

Hmm, I guess I stand corrected. From working with it on the grinder and bandsaw I thought it wouldn't be a great idea and I had been warned by a few other knifemakers not to do it. In my mind you would still have to use slower speeds, especially for the G10. I'm sure that it must dull the router bits faster than wood. Sorry for the confusion.

Hector Castro · #42

raythebigfoot wrote:Hmm, I guess I stand corrected. From working with it on the grinder and bandsaw I thought it wouldn't be a great idea and I had been warned by a few other knifemakers not to do it. In my mind you would still have to use slower speeds, especially for the G10. I'm sure that it must dull the router bits faster than wood. Sorry for the confusion.

Ray,

We are all here to learn. I am glad you brought it up. Now all will know the answer, if they read this. I do want to know if you were really standing when you typed this. "Hmm, I stand corrected." Just kidding

ChapmanPreferred · #43

Man I wish I had a router/router table. Nice "how to" thread!

Hector Castro · #44

JNewell wrote:Hector, you know that working on G10 and carbon fiber requires really good dust control and respiratory protection, right?

<BLINK>This safety message was brought to you by JNewell! </BLINK>

JNewell Brings up a valid point! The glass fibers in G-10 are bad for your lungs as well as the resins in it and Micarta. Many types of wood dust are also dangerous to breath. These woods are very bad for you to breath Rosewood, satin wood, cocobolo, iroko, Obeche, oleander, Wenge, and any spalted wood. I use a dedicated 850CFM dust collector on the router table. It has 1 micron filters on it. I also wear a dust mask/respirator.

JNewell · #45

Hector Castro wrote:<BLINK>This safety message was brought to you by JNewell! </BLINK>

JNewell Brings up a valid point! The glass fibers in G-10 are bad for your lungs as well as the resins in it and Micarta. Many types of wood dust are also dangerous to breath. These woods are very bad for you to breath Rosewood, satin wood, cocobolo, iroko, Obeche, oleander, Wenge, and any spalted wood. I use a dedicated 850CFM dust collector on the router table. It has 1 micron filters on it. I also wear a dust mask/respirator.

Yes, before I got smart (or at least smarter, I don't claim to have achieved "smart"), I got very sick from dust from tropical hardwoods. As in, very sick.

Hector Castro · #46

Jnewell,

I know what you mean. I decided to cut up some nice spalted maple one weekend for some projects. I turned a few pens, then a large bowl on a Saturday. Come Sunday night, I felt like I wanted to die. I got a severe sinus infection from breathing the mold in the spalted wood!

Hector Castro · #47

It has been a while since I updated this thread. I have been working on a handle for a mule, made of Black Micarta Paper. If you have never worked with Micarta, it is not the funnest thing to work with. It is almost like trying to sand cast iron. (hard) You cannot skip any consecutive grits of sand paper either. If you shape it with 60 grit, you have to sand with 80, 100, 150, 220, 320, etc. If you dont, you will certainly see the scratches from the previous grit.

I have a new found respect for knives with this material, and people that make knives with it.

Pictures to come!

Hector Castro · #48

I used Nickel Silver rods for the pins, Red vulcanized material for space, Devcon 2 ton epoxy (mixed w/ carbon black). After wet sanding to 600 grit, I used a Beall buffing system to polish out the micarta.

Hector Castro · #49

JNewell · #50

Very nice. I like the liners. Black micarta, especially paper micarta, is a huge personal favorite. Good work!

Hector Castro · #51

JNewell wrote:Very nice. I like the liners. Black micarta, especially paper micarta, is a huge personal favorite. Good work!

Thanks

John

anti-torsion · #52

Looking great Hector. How did the router hold up against the micarta?

Hector Castro · #53

The micarta cuts better than wood. You do not have to worry about the grain direction, or it chipping out on the router. It also comes off in uniform fine shavings. I just got some Black Linen micarta in, and some hunter orange G-10. More scales to come!!!

JNewell · #54

I was also experimenting with micarta over the weekend. It's a great tool for turning 80 grit sanding rolls into 400 grit. :D

Hector Castro · #55

It has been a while since I updated this thread. My belt sander bit the dust, and I had to get two bearings to fix it. I got that fixed, and my vacuum motor bit the dust. (no pun intended) Thats right...... Bearing in it seized up too. I am back up and running... so here are some updated pictures.

Orange G-10 and Bocote handles. G-10 is still in a rough shape! It still had to be sanded down to match the tang, then shaped. I have some Black linen Micarta now, that will be next! FYI- there is only one color sharpy that shows up on black anything! It is SILVER!

#56

Very nice Hector,

thanx much.

sal

Hector Castro · #57

Thank you Sal.

I have some brown canvas micarta that I just cut, and a special thing I did to the orange g-10. I will try to post some pictures tonight!

Hector Castro · #58

New canvas brown handles!

Hector Castro · #59

The orange G-10 mule is now finished! I want to thank Tom Krein for his advice on finishing the G-10. It has black micarta pins, and black liners. I added my own little special touch to it.

Do you see it yet? Look close!

Hector Castro · #60

Ok here are the pics of the spine!

Tell me what you think?