How to make handles for knives from epoxy resin

For any good knife, not only the technical characteristics of the blade are important, but also its handles. If it is enough to choose high-quality steel for the first element, process and sharpen the blade, then the handle should be comfortable, practical, beautiful. And it does not matter at all whether a new knife is being made or an old blade is being reanimated.

Wooden or forged handles are considered classics. We must pay tribute, outwardly they look very decent, but it is very difficult to make such a knife with your own hands, and in some cases it is even impossible.

The market of building materials is constantly replenished, and oligomers containing epoxy resins are gradually gaining popularity. Any handle in shape can be made from epoxy resin, and there are several options for its decoration.

The strength of the solidified resin, as well as its other physical properties, make it possible to obtain reliable, practical and very beautiful products. Such a knife will serve in the kitchen for a long time or is suitable as a souvenir gift.

Varieties

An ordinary consumer does not need to classify knives, or rather, their handles. He can choose a convenient and aesthetic option when buying. But if you want to make a knife yourself, you should remember that the production technology will largely depend on which type of model is selected. The distribution according to the mold manufacturing method is of practical importance.

1. Molds made of sculptural plasticine. The handle of the future knife consists of two longitudinal halves. For each half, its own mold is made, except when the handle is symmetrical with respect to one of the axes. To create a form, you will need sculptural plasticine and plastic wrap. Ordinary plasticine will not do. It spreads with a slight increase in temperature. Even at low temperatures, ordinary plasticine is not able to maintain its shape (features of an amorphous substance). You will have to make a cast, and use a ready-made knife handle as a cliche. A plastic film is laid on the surface of the plasticine bar. Suitable food wrap (stretch). The film must be completely adjacent to the surface of the plasticine. The hand should expel air bubbles so that the cast resin has a flat surface. To make a cast, it is necessary to press the handle of the sample into the plasticine to a depth equal to half the thickness. This method is considered the most affordable and technologically simple. But it has a serious drawback. The handle of the knife will consist of two parts.
2. Glued molds. For example, we can consider molds made of the same plasticine, which are pre-glued together. It is necessary to leave a hole for pouring resin. As a result, you will get a solid handle of the desired shape. This method is good because the product does not need to be sharpened much. It is enough only to sand and polish the surface. The complexity of the mold manufacturing process is slightly more complicated than the one described above. The first two methods are recommended for beginners who do not have much experience with resin.
3. The handle is made of a bar. The essence of the method is that the epoxy is cast in the form of a bar, and then, with the help of various tools, the workpiece is ground to obtain the desired shape. It is believed that this method is the most time–consuming, but the result is the most suitable.
4. Cylindrical handle. Using acrylic sheets, you can get ready-made tubes. Such knife handles are unlikely to attract with their aesthetics, but their manufacture requires minimal time and effort.

All of the above classification options relate exclusively to resin pouring technology. But there is also a division of the types of handles according to their decoration. Even if a novice master is doing the work for the first time, he will surely want his masterpiece to be not only practical, but also pleasing to the eye.

There can be many decor options. As a decoration, elements made of wood, metal, jewelry, and natural natural materials are added to the resin.

The classification that we will give is rather conditional, since there can be a lot of variations in the decoration of the knife handle.

• Reinforcement with wood. The decoration of the resin array with various elements is called reinforcement. It is necessary to understand that almost all decorations play the role of connecting elements. They give the product additional strength. Depending on what exactly the handle will be reinforced with, several types of knives are divided. The handle for a knife made of epoxy resin and wood is usually made according to the third method from the above classification, that is, first a blank is made in which the wood element is filled with resin, and then it is ground to the desired shape. But the grinding process is very long, so it is necessary to have a special tool.
• Wire reinforcement. The simplest option is to wind a wire to lengthen the blade. It can be stacked in rows or wound in a chaotic manner. As a mold, take a piece of pipe of a suitable diameter. The pipe is installed vertically, with the end face on plywood, and the joints are glued with plasticine, glue or silicone. The blade with the wire wound on the extension is placed inside the pipe with the blade up. It needs to be fixed. Here everything depends on the imagination of the master. Resin is poured into the cavity between the steel and the pipe, and after a day the pipe is removed, and the cylindrical handle is given the desired shape.
• The handle is made of jeans. If this unique material is available, then you can make a very strong handle. Sheets of jeans are glued together with epoxy glue, and then compressed. After solidification, a solid tile is obtained, several centimeters thick. It is processed on a machine or with a special tool. It turns out a pretty pattern resembling wood fibers, but having a characteristic blue color.
• Reinforcement with a bandage. If there is no desire to create beautiful and colorful masterpieces, but a simple and practical result is needed, then you can make a pen from a bandage soaked in resin. The pen will have a yellowish tint, but in this case you can experiment by adding a color to the resin.
• Luminous handles. An interesting option is the handles of epoxy knives that glow in the dark. The secret of manufacturing lies in the fact that phosphor is added to the resin. It is problematic to buy it in its pure form in the store, but you can order it in powder form via the Internet. Phosphor is introduced into the resin before it is combined with the hardener.

How are they made

Describing the methods of reinforcement, we unwittingly indicated the principle of manufacturing epoxy handles. But since many key nuances were missed, we will return again to the description of the whole process.

When reinforcing with wood, not only the option of manufacturing from a bar is possible. If you add small elements to the mold (pieces of bark, chips, shavings), then they will look quite original in a transparent resin. It is necessary to provide for the surfacing of wood particles in the resin, so you will have to conduct layer-by-layer pouring and wait for each layer to cure.

Wire reinforcement gives several advantages.

1. Firstly, it is very easy to wind the wire to lengthen the blade.
2. Secondly, with the help of a wire, you can extend the handle to the desired size.
3. Thirdly, the high adhesion of the resin allows the base compound to bond well with the metal.

The main nuance when filling is its low speed. It is necessary to allow the resin to fill all the cavities, otherwise air bubbles will form. Even if immediately after pouring it seems that there are none, then in the process of solidification they may reappear and not float to the surface.

When the handle of an epoxy knife is made by layering a rag material, it is necessary to have a special tool at hand. You will need a drilling machine, a grinding machine, an electric jigsaw, clamps, a workbench.

When adding a phosphor, you may encounter one problem. The powder is poorly soluble in liquid resin. It is evenly distributed over the array, but after filling it settles at the bottom.

As a result, it turns out that the lower part of the handle will be highlighted, and the upper part will not. Since it is impossible to mix the composition, it is recommended to fill it in stages, in several layers.

After pouring, it remains to perform the following manipulations: sand and polish the surface, insert a blade into the handle. Polishing replaces grinding. The grinding procedure depends on the method of pouring the handle. If a blank of the desired shape is obtained, then grinding will bring the matte surface to gloss, and subsequent polishing will give the handle the desired shine.

They begin grinding with an abrasive material, gradually reducing the grain size. Special pastes can be used for polishing.

To insert the blade into the handle, it is necessary to make an appropriate hole in the workpiece. A drilling machine will come to the rescue here. The handle must be clamped in a vise, but it is impossible to apply a lot of force when tightening.

In addition, a soft material should be placed under the clamp jaws. You will have to fix the blade in the handle with glue. If the handle is made of two halves, then they are glued together or connected by rivets.

Operating rules

Despite the high popularity of the material, it is impossible to call handles made of epoxy resin very durable. The operation of knives must be carried out in compliance with certain rules.

Traditionally, it is believed that epoxy products are purely decorative, so such knives are given as souvenirs, but they have found their practical application.

A knife with a resin handle can be successfully used in the kitchen, but throwing such a weapon is not worth it. At high impact loads, chips or cracks may form.

It is advisable to put the knife in the closet after use. On the one hand, safety regulations require it, on the other, extra protection from direct sunlight will not hurt. In case of contamination, the handle can be cleaned with a soap solution or other cleaning agent that does not exhibit chemical activity. It is better to refrain from using acids.

As for safety, modern epoxy resin in solidified and liquid form is absolutely harmless to humans, although it is still worth using personal protective equipment when pouring.