wood finishes and non-stabilized...superglue?

N.N

Well-Known Member
I've not been using stabilized wood. I know all the stuff, lasts longer, yada yada....I just think I'd rather use wood than plastic that use to be wood. Knowing this, I stick with the hard stuff, tight grains and smaller pores, naturally oily and resinous.


With that said I've got a few questions on finishes and would like to know what everybody out there uses.

First I guess, how many people use non stabilized wood and if so how do you finish it?

At this point, I've been oiling the wood for several days and then a few coats of briwax. It's worked pretty well at this point for me. However, I've realized my customers might not want to have to refinish or take care of the wood like that.

So how about other methods like Urethane? I think this would lead to that plastic wood I'm trying to stay away from.

I've heard about using super glue. How does that turn out? How do you do it, oil it first, etc.??
 
I can't help you on the super glue finish but I just stick with woods that are naturally stable like Osage Orange, LIgnum Vitae, African Blackwood, Desert Ironwood, and the like. As far as finish goes, I pretty much do the same thing as you are doing.

Doug
 
I use a good bit of Rosewood or Bacote - those are nice hard dense woods. I usually just sand to around 1500 grit, then a bit of renaissance wax and just "touch" with a soft clean cotton loose buffing wheel for the final polish. Looks pretty good and seems to hold up pretty good.

Ken
 
I received a knife in this summers KITH that was super glue finished and its holding up pretty well. The maker told me that he finished at 1000 grit I think then put a coat of superglue then sanded at 1000 again. then did it again and again. I think in the end he did 10 coats. He did a good job. I would ask him. his user name is GrizzlyKnives. It looks nice also.
IMAG0167_zps1e0a6779.jpg
 
I've done the super glue thing. Use the thin stuff. It took 10 coats, steel wool between each coat. Polish on buffer wheel after each of the last 2 coats. That was over a year ago. I see the owner regularly he loves it. To get complete instructions check out the custom pen makers forums, they are pros at it. I mainly use a lot of stabilized wood and stuff like Krinite.

Have fun doing this, also be sure to have on hand both an accelerant and debonder for the super glue.
 
i use wood for my handles. I tried oil, nice finish, but after an afternoon in a sun heated pickup, the oil started coming to the surface and left the handle slick. I currently use 2 types of polyurethane.
The first is a water based poly for floors(Varathane brand). I like the low odor, 90 minutes between coats, soap and water cleanup. Gives a nice satin finish and does not darken the wood. I sand the handles with 120 on the belt, coat of finish, dry, light sand with 180, coat & dry, light sand with 240,repeat,light sand with 320,repeat light sand with 600 then final coat.
The second is Deftane, an oil based extreme duty poly. lots of smell, 24 hours between coats, high gloss finish that wears like iron. slight darkening of the wood. same sequence as water based. end result is similar to an "Amana Finish" that I have used on furniture and cabinets.
I have not tried super glue but will do a small handle as a trial.
Part of my marketing blurb is that I am use local wood for my handles. Maple from my front yard, oak from my son's woodpile, dogwood the neighbor cut down, poplar utensils from next county. Have been thinking of getting some stabilized, but have heard conflicting reports on the quality control of the stabilizing services. I am not bashing, but all of them have "outs" written into their agreements so that if your wood doesnt look right "Oh Well."
 
So I had some runny liquid superglue and I think it worked pretty ok. I only did one good coat and sanded with 1000 grit. My intention was really more to seal a few spots that already showed a little dirt buildup against the light color of the wood. Don't know if it will really help but I ran out of superglue :shush: and didn't sand it too hard....Briwax and hand buffed after that.

Any better suggestions for the future would be great. Thanks all!

This is the knife I used the superglue on:
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?34246-Another-file-knife&p=268558#post268558
 
it sounds like stabilized wood is a better option compared to the hassle of applying 10 coats of superglue. IMHO
 
I usta use superglue to fill the pores in exotics for a nice level finish when doing take-down risers. Now I use a conversion varnish called fullerplast. It converts to a ready to sand and use plastic in 15 min. It fills, seals and levels all at the same time even on the oiliest of woods (cocobolo and Bacote for me) I really like it but only use it now for unstabilized wood that I use like osage, coco, bacote, zebra, etc.

As for the super glue finish its not worth the hassle for me but instead I may do an epoxy finish. Get some Devcon 5-15 min epoxy and actetone. mix the epoxy and add a small bit of actetone to dilute and make the epoxy thin. The apply to the handle. Thinning the epoxy allows it to penetrate deep into the wood pores and once it evaporates the epoxy will cure. Do this several time sanding between coats till all the pores are filled then use the finish of your choice.
 
Just to make sure you know, Super glue comes in a thick, medium & thin viscosity and different cure times too like slow med, & fast.

These may help you in the future win you just want to fill and sand one area.
 
Having just purchased a vacuum chamber(5gal) and vacuum, I am currently 'playing' with stabilizing for the reason to be able to get away from CA finishing. The fumes are starting to get worse the more I use the stuff, and that's even using fans to push the air around....my eye's just can't take it anymore!
Figure I'll just stay on the 'cheap side' for awhile by using Minwax Wood Hardener for awhile, time tested and easy to use in a vacuum(have already heard all about the seals being ate up and the vapors), got that stuff covered.


Being a pen maker(started out that way at least), I use thin CA and let it really soak into a well sanded piece of timber. Let it 'set' and re-apply until I get a pretty thick layer of the stuff built up. Sand(wet) until I don't see any ripples and then use MacGuire's PlastixPolish to make it shine.

Now the above works on pens well because you can really get them spinning quickly enough to generate some heat(with the PlastixPolish)....not to sure about the amount of rubbing to get the PlastixPolish to a high gloss look by hand?




Scott (spinning a knife in the lathe = bad) B
 
Shane, I've looked for that fullerblast a couple of times on-line, but not found a source. LOTS of places it talks about using it for guitar bodies. Sounds like a great finish based on your comments and reading about guitars.

Do you have a source?

Ken H>
 
Sorry for the late response however Ken but George is correct. one gallon amounts has always been the smallest I could get but it does last a long time. The high gloss finish is harder than the satin so I will put on a base of high gloss then the final coat is the satin.

On rife stocks I will do the same but I will frost the the final two coats. This leaves a nice textured finish that mutes the gloss. to do so simply hold your hlvp detail gun or similar airbrush far enough away from the handle or stock so the varnish begins to catalyze before it hits the handle or stock. I have never done a handle this way but it may be a cool thing to try. If I do I will post the results for you.
 
I usually use tight grained woods that aren't very porous and sand to whatever grit I want (usually 1500-2500) than I use two coats of minwax polishing paste, then let dry and buff with a wheel.

For me it seems the simpler, the better.
 
I missed this thread until this morning. Thanks for the link, but $70/gal (including catalyst) is a tad more than I'm ready to invest.

Has anyone every used clear epoxy thinned a bit for a knife finish? Goes on much like a thick CA and requires sanding 'n polishing about the same.

73 de Ken H>
 
Ken,

I use CA when I have a defect that I need to take care of. Depending on the type of issue I need to correct determines which CA I use. On just finishing my wood I use 100% tung oil. 4 to 5 coats hand rubbed in with light sanding between coats with 0000 steel wool. Followed by 2 to 3 coats more shoe shine buffing between each coat to finish the process. Works very well every time for me.

George
 
I missed this thread until this morning. Thanks for the link, but $70/gal (including catalyst) is a tad more than I'm ready to invest.

Has anyone every used clear epoxy thinned a bit for a knife finish? Goes on much like a thick CA and requires sanding 'n polishing about the same.

73 de Ken H>

Yes before I purchased the fullerplast I finished my risers with thinned epoxy. Oily woods like coco still gave me fits and needed to be CA sealed once or twice ymmv.

The fullerplast is expensive if all you are doing are a couple handles but if working with larger pieces of wood I have used nothing better and nor has Fender guitars.
 
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