Finishing Ironwood

P

PlaceKnives

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Apr 7, 2003
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Hello,
Obviously I have a question about finishing Arizona Ironwood. I'd like to know what everyone's opinion is on this. Would I work it and finish it like I finish Micarta? Do I go right down to say 1500 grit or further? What kind of polishing works best? I want a nice shiney finish. What if anything can I do to seal it? I don't think it needs sealing, but I'm interested to hear what you think.
Thanks.
 
Not knowing what type of machinery you have at your disposal, I can only tell you what I do.
I finish it much like Micarta, sand to 600, and buff with white compound. You can get it like glass that way.

You want to get a respirator, AZ desert Ironwood is highly toxic, and the dust can cause fungal infections in the lungs that can be terminal.
 
Thanks for the input, I didn't know it was that toxic. I don't have a buffer, so I expect I'll go down to the really fine grit paper?
 
First fill any cracks with epoxy, then finish shaping on bench grinder. Then finish hand sand ironwood to 1500 grit and buff with 0.3 micron white Al2O3 grit. Clean off any residue and burn in hard carnuba wax with the buffing wheel.
Ironwood does not need any sealer or stabilization.
I find the dust to be unpleasant, but have never had any bad health effects
 
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