Custom color molded scales

[bba952]

Hey,

I am new to this forum but not new to Swiss army knives. had them all my life and one thing that always erked me about them is not being able to have them in any color i wanted. for a couple of years now i have been thinking of casting a mold from the original scales and then poring a new one in the color of my choosing. ive seen the pictures online of custom colored scales but cant seem to find where to buy them. am i the only one who has thought of this    

i want to get something along the lines of these

[ColoSwiss]

Hi bb,

Welcome aboard!

A lot of those handles appear to be G10 or micarta blanks that have been cut and carved to fit. A wide variety of blanks are available from various knife supply dealers. Some materials need careful handling because of toxic dust. Not something I'm involved in; expect more knowledgeable parties will be along shortly.

[JamesJ]

When I see orange G10 I think of Jaya_man! I know he's done a few with that look.

That blue Deluxe Tinker/Deluxe Climber looks cool!

[Oxford_Guy]

I've see a few like this here: http://cuscadi.de/

[bba952]

I've see a few like this here: http://cuscadi.de/

 

ive seen these too and i like the look. they all look like blanks that are cut to fit like JamesJ said. I was thinking a more simpler way to create a "custom" look. if i just make a simple mold  to start with, i can just pour a new set of scales for all the SAKs in my collection in the same time it takes to cut and shape a set from blanks.

i think im talking myself into trying It

[bba952]

ok, i decieded to try to make these molds this weekend. just ordered these mold kits from amazon.

[bba952]

does anyone know what type of plastic original scales are made of ??

[Sparky415]

I know this doesn't help but

 

[italophil]

does anyone know what type of plastic original scales are made of ??

They are made from Cellidor, a tradename for cellulose ester based thermoplastics. An ABS would probably work well and is widely available for 3D printers. Lego bricks were originally made from a cellulose acetate and then switched to ABS. I mention that, since the have similar characteristics: smooth, shiny surface and slight deformation to attach to each other, similar to the way the scales attach to the liners.

[shibafu]

does anyone know what type of plastic original scales are made of ??

Here's the manufacturer's info:
http://www.albis.com/en/products-solutions/products-brands/cellidor/

[bba952]

does anyone know what type of plastic original scales are made of ??

They are made from Cellidor, a tradename for cellulose ester based thermoplastics. An ABS would probably work well and is widely available for 3D printers. Lego bricks were originally made from a cellulose acetate and then switched to ABS. I mention that, since the have similar characteristics: smooth, shiny surface and slight deformation to attach to each other, similar to the way the scales attach to the liners.

Thanks for the info. ill need to find out what type of plastic is used in the kits i ordered. hopefully they will come out shiny and not dull.

well here is the candidate for this experiment. i don't know if its just me but i never did like the scales with the textured surface. to me they look more burgundy than red.

[bba952]

1

[italophil]

Thanks for the info. ill need to find out what type of plastic is used in the kits i ordered. hopefully they will come out shiny and not dull.

well here is the candidate for this experiment. i don't know if its just me but i never did like the scales with the textured surface. to me they look more burgundy than red.

I think the scales of the economy line Vics were made from nylon, not cellidor.

If you cast a silicone mold of a textured surface, the mold will retain the texture but with lower detail. To achieve a smooth end product you could either smooth the original scales before making the mold or polish the end product. In booth cases one would need to apply some filler first to keep the correct dimensions after grinding and polishing. Model making sites should have tons of info on methods for this kind of project.

Seems like a fun project!

[bba952]

a six pack 2 hours later

more picture coming

[italophil]

a six pack 2 hours later

more picture coming

 

[Thunderpants]

Ooh! good luck with this. Looks like fun!
Merry Xmas!

[bba952]

After many fails finally got something worth keeping

DSCN8889 by 1, on Flickr

DSCN8885 by 1, on Flickr

DSCN8883 by 1, on Flickr

DSCN8688 by 1, on Flickr



Now i have to just make a more sturdy mold

[Grant Lamontagne]

That looks pretty cool! 

I have thought about doing something similar for years now, but never got around to doing it.  It's great to see that it wouldn't be a waste of time if I did!

Def

[Oxford_Guy]

After many fails finally got something worth keeping

DSCN8889 by 1, on Flickr

DSCN8885 by 1, on Flickr

DSCN8883 by 1, on Flickr

DSCN8688 by 1, on Flickr



Now i have to just make a more sturdy mold

How did you do the shield on these?

[bba952]

The silicone im using copies every little bump or grove from the original. so the logo that is grooved in the original just was transfered into the mold. even the suupper small scratches from the originals were picked up by the silicone it even picks up finger prints.  i hope  that makes  sense. thats the best way i can explain it

[Sparky415]

That looks perfect   

[bba952]

That looks perfect   

thanks. im thinking of tying to do another color but i cant decide. thinking of a safety yellow or metallic grey

[bba952]

Ok. just started another weekend project. this time im making textured scales for an old pocket pal ive had forever. not sure on the color yet, but its going to be the same texture as truck bed liner.

[kingofswords]

what happened next?