CA coat for wood handle quesion

B

Black cat

Well-Known Member
I'm about to attempt a CA superglue coat on an un stabilised maple handle and have a question or two.

The CA cost $7.00 for 4ml is that going to be enough for a large handle or two?

CA sounds like a decent coat for wood but I havent read anything about a downside too it other than slippery. I'm mostly wondering if it peels over time and can it be buffed semi gloss to make it a little more grippy?

Thanks again!
 
I put it on some iron wood and over time it peeled off, I don't know if it would do that on a more porous wood or not. One trouble is if you try to sand or buff it you need several coats to make sure you don't buff or sand it off of one area. It is difficult to get a good coating. I prefer to just have something professional stabilized. That is my free advice take it for what it is worth :D
 
Personally, I think CA handle finishes are a royal pain. I suppose it all depends on how demanding you are for a clean/smooth/even finish..... but in my experience it can literally take DAYS of work to achieve what I consider an acceptable finish with CA. For "raw" type woods, I far prefer Tru-Oil. It takes time too, but most of that time in drying/curing, and recoating time.
 
Thanks guys! That's exactly what I was worried about with this finish.
It's a nice piece of figured raw maple wood that I just happened to have and want to use. I'm not so worried about moisture with this one, I suspect it will be kept bone dry. The problem I was worried about is shrinking, cracking, splitting. That seems to happen to everything in this climate.

I'll attempt to dry it a bit more in the oven then oil or wax it. After that... If it ever has a problem I guess ill be replacing scales lol :p

Idk if it makes a difference but it's a "hobby block" really nice solid wood sold for turning to make fancy pens.
I dont think its been stabilized but it has a very different feel from the standard grade wood.

I've actually never seen stabilzed wood (that i'm aware of anyway) to compare.
 
I use TruOil on any wood that will take it. (meaning not oily woods such as cocobolo). TruOil done right will give you the CA look you are looking for, such as the way a pen turns out with a CA fnish. The caveat to TruOil is that you can't rush it. It takes a few days to do it right. It isn't much work at all, as Ed says most of the time you're just waiting for it to cure so you can buff with 0000 steel wool and then put another coat on.
 
here's unstabilized maple

ae8ef46cfb2a8f1121cd8c9b68b25d5a.jpg



stabilized koa

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EdCaffreyMS said:
I suppose it all depends on how demanding you are for a clean/smooth/even finish..... but in my experience it can literally take DAYS of work to achieve what I consider an acceptable finish with CA.
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Days of work, Ed? That sounds excessive.
I recently refinished my old beater fishing knife with CA and it took about 1.5-2 hours. This is and old beater that's going back in the belly of my boat for another 10 years and I left a couple pits/blemishes but, a customers knife wouldn't have taken me too much longer? Maybe 3-4 more coats and it only takes 5-10 minutes to dry.

It was my first time trying it and I put on 2 or 3 coats of CA between hand sanding with 400 grit wet. I was able to put on 8 or so coats before I said good enough.
 
Days of work, Ed? That sounds excessive.
I recently refinished my old beater fishing knife with CA and it took about 1.5-2 hours. This is and old beater that's going back in the belly of my boat for another 10 years and I left a couple pits/blemishes but, a customers knife wouldn't have taken me too much longer? Maybe 3-4 more coats and it only takes 5-10 minutes to dry.

It was my first time trying it and I put on 2 or 3 coats of CA between hand sanding with 400 grit wet. I was able to put on 8 or so coats before I said good enough.
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I'm glad it worked for you, and that your satisfied with it. Personally I've never seen a CA finished handle on a knife that I liked/satisfied me. I might be more anal then some when it comes to the look and feel of handle finishes.....but in the past I have literally spend DAYS, and could never get what I considered an acceptable finish out of CA. Its just like many things with knifemaking/knifemakers..... some might "work" for one person, and not for another.
 
I have never tried the CA finish but here is another Tru-oil finish example...this was like the 3rd knife I ever made zebra wood with multiple coats of truoil.
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I really like Tru-Oil. When you get stubborn and go 10-15 coats, it really makes raw handle material "pop". :) I've used it on stabilized woods, and found that beyond 1-2 coats to just fill up the grain, and your just spinning your wheels. On some stabilized woods, its not even a good idea... IE: Stabilized African Blackwood.

Another use I've found for Tru-Oil is putting a single super light coat on synthetics such as G10..... it prevents the handle material from getting the "icky" look over time from handling/body oils.
 
Hello, I use CA on my woods. Both stabilized and un-stabilized. I am not trying to acheave a finish with the CA. but mainly use to fill pores in the wood. and to give a reasonable amount of stability to woods that may have a natural weak area. Due to spalt or burl eyes etc. My method is to use the water thin CA coat the wood or other material. Then sand it all back off. (Essentially removing all but what was soaked into the wood or left behind in the pores or pits. I do this process throughout the handle shaping. until I have the desired surface..
At this point. I am able to then choose to do a oil finish or a wax, or buffed. or some combination of these. etc. Depending on the material. In your case (Maple). I would use truoil, or linseed oil. etc.

I agree with Ed. That as a stand alone CA finish its more of a pain then its worth. Also may be worth mentioning that the CA finishes I have seen, get cloudy (for lack of a better term). This is a over time and with use. sort of thing. But its a hard finish that polishes nice but is susceptible to scuffs, scratches etc, That tend to over time develop a undesirable look.. Thats not to say other wood finished are not going to dull fade, mar scratch, etc... over time and with use. Just that a CA finish likley will look worst when this happens. ;)

Have fun and stay sharp
Randy
 
Those truoil handles look great! I have some truoil around here i'll give that a try. I have another one of these "hobby blocks" it's bubinga, I was planning to use it on another knife. I norice the bubinga does have slightly visible pores. So this would be a good candidate to fill the pores with CA then hit it with truoil I take it?
 
I think CA with Tru-Oil over the top is a mistake..... the spots with CA will look different then the Tru-Oil, and the Tru-Oil will not adhere/cover up the CA spots. As Randy mentioned, CA will change color and appearance over time, and what looks good when you consider it "finished", won't be so good looking down the road. That being said, don't take my word alone for it..... give a try on something scrap and see what you think. I know my way of doing things certainly isn't the only way....nor necessarily the "right" way......other then for me. :)
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
I think CA with Tru-Oil over the top is a mistake..... the spots with CA will look different then the Tru-Oil, and the Tru-Oil will not adhere/cover up the CA spots. As Randy mentioned, CA will change color and appearance over time, and what looks good when you consider it "finished", won't be so good looking down the road. That being said, don't take my word alone for it..... give a try on something scrap and see what you think. I know my way of doing things certainly isn't the only way....nor necessarily the "right" way......other then for me. :)
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This did cross my mind. Can truoil alone fill small pores in wood like bubinga?
 
yes. that is what tru oil does best. you apply oil, let it dry. buff with 0000 steel wool. apply a coat, let it dry, buff with steel wool- repeat, repeat, repeat until satisfied.

thinner coats dry better. don't try to rush it by drenching the wood because it will take days to cure instead of hours.


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c838eda94ff41df89a8d6da196d698cc.jpg


the one on the top is natural Coolibah burl. it was riddled with holes and checks. Truth be told, having it stabilized would have saved me time by having the holes filled. This took about 8 coats. The norm for me is 4 coats. and by coats, I mean enough to wet a fingertip.

bcccb3251b78ace47508f3bdb3f7df24.jpg


the top one, in its natural state


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EdCaffreyMS said:
I think CA with Tru-Oil over the top is a mistake..... the spots with CA will look different then the Tru-Oil, and the Tru-Oil will not adhere/cover up the CA spots.
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^^^This is an absolute fact.

Like Ed said before, so much of this depends on what your definition of a 'good finish' is. Some people are okay with 'good enough' and some want pure perfection in a finish. And maybe some that think their methods are already 'perfect' will see some other results someday and realize they could improve.
 
If you have a scrap of wood and the time go to the dollar store an get a pair of super glue bottles (they are the watery kind) and test it and the true oil before using a knife handle as a guinea pig. The ca will change the woods color as well when you miss a spot then try to cover it up it is noticeable. I use ca to fill checks an voids and stabilize knots in some of the materials I use.
 
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