Handle finishing tips?

[Greenberg Woods]

Hey Guys, im putting together some videos, and the first one i want to do is on handle finishing. Im pretty good at wood finishing, but i wanted to hear if any of you guys have advice or tips you think would be good.

Just a warning, as i said i plan to make a short video with the tips and advice here, please dont accuse me of stealing your ideas or giving away your secrets if i bring it up.

Thanks!

 

[noseoil]

One basic type of finishing for a wood grip is using an oil-sanded finish. I use Tru-oil gunstock finish or Danish oil, both work well enough, but the Tru-oil dries faster. Start with 220 wet, then work up a slurry with the oil & paper, but don't wipe off the first 220 mud. Just set it aside & it will look ugly. Let it harden fully, then cut it back off with 320 wet again & wipe after this grit. Then repeat with oil up to 800 grit. Once the 800 is completely dry, use a drop or two of oil on your palm, to fill the small scratches left from the 800. It's a beautiful finish.

 

[Justin W]

Here is a previous thread I bookmarked and try to follow.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/help-with-handle-finishing.1771202/
My generic process is sand to 800, wash with warm water gently by hand (lifts stubborn strands and removes pin swarf), dry, re-sand at 800, finish with 3 coats Danish oil wet sanded (non-stabilized woods), light sand up to 2500 grit, then wax and hand buff.
I haven't done enough stabilized, Ironwood, etc. to say otherwise. Micarta is simpler, just skip the oil, and stop sanding at the grit that gives you the desired grippiness, but I do wax it.

 

[Hengelo_77]

The higher the grit the faster it goes.
If you've made it up to 1000, it's just a few minutes to 2500, and just a few minutes more to micro mesh up to 12.000
Wood looks beautiful at 2500 but stunning and hypnotically smooth and shiny at 12.000!
No buffer, just micro mesh

 

[Alex Topfer]

Hengelo_77 are you mostly using stabilised wood? I've found that different woods react differently to high grits; Ironbark (hard, dense, small pores) seems to benefit from as high a grit as you have, but Australian red cedar (softer and lighter, open pored) doesn't seem to improve above 600ish. It seems like you need to know the wood.
But this is all un-stabilised wood.

I'm curious about the best thing to clean wood between grits. I've been using denatured alcohol, but Justin above was talking about water.

 

[Justin W]

The reason I use water is A. Unstabilized woods should be naturally water safe and B. Volatile chemicals could strip natural oils from the surface of the wood and C. I only do it once.
I believe someone mentioned using water to lift grains. I found some of my first knives had some grains lift over time, mostly using cheap scrap oak or plain walnut. Washing in the sink bought them out, so I turned it into a pre-step.

 

[REK Knives]

One basic type of finishing for a wood grip is using an oil-sanded finish. I use Tru-oil gunstock finish or Danish oil, both work well enough, but the Tru-oil dries faster. Start with 220 wet, then work up a slurry with the oil & paper, but don't wipe off the first 220 mud. Just set it aside & it will look ugly. Let it harden fully, then cut it back off with 320 wet again & wipe after this grit. Then repeat with oil up to 800 grit. Once the 800 is completely dry, use a drop or two of oil on your palm, to fill the small scratches left from the 800. It's a beautiful finish.

That's interesting! So would it actually fill the natural small voids from grain in woods like walnut?

Hengelo_77 are you mostly using stabilised wood? I've found that different woods react differently to high grits; Ironbark (hard, dense, small pores) seems to benefit from as high a grit as you have, but Australian red cedar (softer and lighter, open pored) doesn't seem to improve above 600ish. It seems like you need to know the wood.
But this is all un-stabilised wood.

I'm curious about the best thing to clean wood between grits. I've been using denatured alcohol, but Justin above was talking about water.

I've found the same thing about different wood responding better or worse to different finishes for sure

 

[Hengelo_77]

Yes I work mostly with stabilised or harder woods from olive wood upwards.
Even plain boxwood has a subtile beauty when mircro meshed (and micarta as well)

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

#1 Rule - Do Not Get the Wood HOT! If it is warm to your cheek, it is too hot. Heating while buffing will cause burned spots and checking. Cracks and checks can show up days, weeks, even months later. Overheating in sanding and buffing is almost always the cause.

Sand it smooth, then sand it smoother. Stabilized woods and dense woods finished to 2000 to 8000 grit can take on an almost glass-like surface.
Hand sand all the grits above 400. The 3-M sanding/polishing papers 400-8000 grit) are perfect for handles and I recommend them as the best handle sanding abrasive after 400 grit. 10-15 minutes spent with them can put a show-winning polish on many woods.

Be gentle in sanding and polishing wood. It burns! Use gentle pressure and short passes on a grinder or you will burn the wood. A VS grinder helps a lot. Run it at 1/3 to 1/2 speed.

Buffing with a no-scratch polish will get that 3-D surface we love. Use a slow speed buffer - 750-1000 RPM max. I use matchless white on most things. Don't load the buff down and don't buff too much. It only takes a quick buff to get a perfect polish.

 

[Horsewright]

That's interesting! So would it actually fill the natural small voids from grain in woods like walnut?

I've found the same thing about different wood responding better or worse to different finishes for sure

Yes it will. It's important to raise the "whiskers" with walnut too. Before starting the oil wet sanding, wipe down with a wet paper towel. Set aside and allow to dry. After it drys, run your finger over the handle and you will feel the "whiskers". Sand smooth (I'll usually use steel wool here and repeat until ya don't feel whiskers. Usually for me its 3-5 reps before I'm not getting any whiskers. Then proceed with the wet oil sanding. If you are wanting to fill the grain completely start at 320 grit to make your slurry. I differ (and I was taught this by a guy that make custom rifles that start at 5 figures and head rapidly into 6, he's kinda got fancy walnut finishing down), in that I don't allow the slurry to dry completely. After about 10-15 minutes wipe it down and repeat. If I don't want to completely fill the grain, and most of the time I don't, I will start at 600 grit. I will usually do 5-7 coats and wipe downs at 600 grit and then allow to dry overnight. I use magnet bars and hang the knife up by the blade while its drying whether in between coats or overnight. Butch, the rifle maker uses this stuff and I did too for a long time:

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...-qt-stock-finish-sku519300032-7785-19673.aspx

He just uses the sealer not the finish. I found it to give exemplary finishes on walnut. However, it didn't work as well on some other woods and at this time I don't even remember what woods they were. I switched back to Danish Oil as I've found it to work on just about any wood that needs finishings. Logistics simplification. Anyhoo the next morning I'll start in briefly with the 3M polishing papers: 600, then 1800, then 4000 and finally 8000. I use a sanding stick that is backed in firm leather for this. It doesn't take long to raise a great sheen. Then I buff very briefly using pink scratchless and a loose buff. Not only will this add depth to the sheen but as ya move it around in the sun (I buff outside weather allowing), ya'll find the occasional sanding mark in the finish and ya can get that out. I wax, at least two coats with Mother's carnauba car wax and power buff after it dries. Quick and simple. I will tape off the wood while buffing a bolster. Bout it.

I finished these three yesterday:

Exhibition Grade Turkish Walnut (stock cut offs from Butch):

Black Walnut from Home Depot, no really! Left overs from a shelving project couple of years back:

Personally, I find the partially filled grain more attractive. More real woodish and less plasticky. But thats me. Lots of folks like the filled grain better.

 

[Horsewright]

Hey Guys, im putting together some videos, and the first one i want to do is on handle finishing. Im pretty good at wood finishing, but i wanted to hear if any of you guys have advice or tips you think would be good.

Just a warning, as i said i plan to make a short video with the tips and advice here, please dont accuse me of stealing your ideas or giving away your secrets if i bring it up.

Thanks!

Hey Ben just interested in wood or other materials too?

 

[REK Knives]

Yes it will. It's important to raise the "whiskers" with walnut too. Before starting the oil wet sanding, wipe down with a wet paper towel. Set aside and allow to dry. After it drys, run your finger over the handle and you will feel the "whiskers". Sand smooth (I'll usually use steel wool here and repeat until ya don't feel whiskers. Usually for me its 3-5 reps before I'm not getting any whiskers. Then proceed with the wet oil sanding. If you are wanting to fill the grain completely start at 320 grit to make your slurry. I differ (and I was taught this by a guy that make custom rifles that start at 5 figures and head rapidly into 6, he's kinda got fancy walnut finishing down), in that I don't allow the slurry to dry completely. After about 10-15 minutes wipe it down and repeat. If I don't want to completely fill the grain, and most of the time I don't, I will start at 600 grit. I will usually do 5-7 coats and wipe downs at 600 grit and then allow to dry overnight. I use magnet bars and hang the knife up by the blade while its drying whether in between coats or overnight. Butch, the rifle maker uses this stuff and I did too for a long time:

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...-qt-stock-finish-sku519300032-7785-19673.aspx

He just uses the sealer not the finish. I found it to give exemplary finishes on walnut. However, it didn't work as well on some other woods and at this time I don't even remember what woods they were. I switched back to Danish Oil as I've found it to work on just about any wood that needs finishings. Logistics simplification. Anyhoo the next morning I'll start in briefly with the 3M polishing papers: 600, then 1800, then 4000 and finally 8000. I use a sanding stick that is backed in firm leather for this. It doesn't take long to raise a great sheen. Then I buff very briefly using pink scratchless and a loose buff. Not only will this add depth to the sheen but as ya move it around in the sun (I buff outside weather allowing), ya'll find the occasional sanding mark in the finish and ya can get that out. I wax, at least two coats with Mother's carnauba car wax and power buff after it dries. Quick and simple. I will tape off the wood while buffing a bolster. Bout it.

I finished these three yesterday:

Exhibition Grade Turkish Walnut (stock cut offs from Butch):

Black Walnut from Home Depot, no really! Left overs from a shelving project couple of years back:

Personally, I find the partially filled grain more attractive. More real woodish and less plasticky. But thats me. Lots of folks like the filled grain better.

Thanks for the rundown, those pieces look fantastic!

So will tung oil work as well or does it have to be a specific type of oil?

 

[Hengelo_77]

Filling the pores gives beautiful result on oak and bog-oak as well. Satisfying technique!

 

[Cushing H.]

Maybe this was stated before ... does the wet oil sanded technique work only for non stabilized non resinous wood only (like horsewrights home depot stock)... ?

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks for the rundown, those pieces look fantastic!

So will tung oil work as well or does it have to be a specific type of oil?

I used up a can of tung oil years ago. It works but I keep coming back to the Danish oil

 

[Horsewright]

Maybe this was stated before ... does the wet oil sanded technique work only for non stabilized non resinous wood only (like horsewrights home depot stock)... ?

No I do it too to stabilized woods. I start at 600 but I only do one or two coats at the most. Then pretty much follow the recipe above. Finished these two yesterday too. Dyed and stabilized box elder with an ironwood spacer:

Different dyed and stabilized box elder: