Antiquing Micarta grips

[riddleosteel]

Question;

What is a good way to age ivory micarta. I would like the butter yellow color of antique ivory rather than the cream color it is now.

Thanks

[narsil]

You're problem here is that micarta is fundamentally very stable and hence difficult to age. The problem with synthetics is that they degreade rather than mellow. the only thing that I can think of is to mix up some epoxy and dye it the right colour and dip the micarta into it, then rub it down with medium/fine wet and dry paper that should give a fairly natural looking ageing pattern. Lots of thin layers of slightly differnt shades should give the effect a bit more depth.

[riddleosteel]

I do know that micarta does age and take on a certain color change as it does. A US pistol grip manufacterer uses a stock of old white micarta that has yellowed with age. Nice stuff. I wonder what the age factor is? UV light maybe.
:huh:

[narsil]

Could well be, most plastics tend to go more yellow with exposure to UV, the only problem is that the tend to go more brittle as well. It is something you might want to try though, if you have acess to strong UV light source.

[Colin KC]

White & ivory Micarta isn't uv stabilised (I think) & does yellow/mellow with sunlight (Wayne has a knife with one slab very much more yellow than 'tother & that's from a window) mebbe some fast direct heat will do something?

[riddleosteel]

I work at a surgical center and we have many tools/instruments with canvas Micarta grips and handles that have gone thru 1000's of steam cycles without a noticeable change. If heat is the answer it has to be above 250 degrees. Iodine does not seem to affect them either. We regularly soak them in Betadine with zero change in color.

I may take a piece of white Micarta and blast it with UV just as an experiment.

[narsil]

If its any help printers often have high powered UV lamps for photo eching etc so if you know any printers the may be able to help you out,

[Stuart Ackerman]

A fluorescent UV lamp will yellow the polished Micarta in two weeks..use a mirror to get both sides at once, but rotate the knife every few days. Micarta must be polished to at least 400 grit, and preferably buffed, and then cleaned off with alcohol or acetone...cleaning is important.

[riddleosteel]

Appearently there was some paper Ivory Micarta made that was UV stabilized. According to some knife makers on knifefourms.com it was made for a period of time and advertised not to yellow or age. Now it seems the old formula is back in production as the aging process is prized by users making gun and knife grips out of it.
I guess I have nothing to lose to set it by a black light for a few weeks, rotating it daily. If it is from the UV stabilized run of Ivory Micarta then no amount of UV will yellow it. If it is the old style Ivory Micarta or the new old formula then I will get the color that I want if I go slow and take my time.

Thanks guys

[Naphtali]

riddleosteel:

Please identify the "ivory" micarta that will age-color. If possible, can you identify a vendor, including that vendor's odering #s for the micarta sticks rather than scales?

[Colin KC]

riddleosteel:

Please identify the "ivory" micarta that will age-color. If possible, can you identify a vendor, including that vendor's odering #s for the micarta sticks rather than scales?


Blimey Naphtali, you don't want much do you?:O

I think you'll find that the UV stabilised micarta will be advertised as such & you'll prolly find the rest isn't;)