Handle refinishing

Aardvark

Aardvark

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Nov 26, 2002
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So, my current "life's work" is to refinish a WWII handle to look like
the second post down, labelled "closeup of the handles", in the following link:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=254900&highlight=raffle

I cleaned the handle with Murphy's Oil Soap and mineral spirits, and sanded it smooth to my satisfaction (added a couple of additional rings, too, just because the mood struck me). It had a severe case of 'rouge', and I'm pretty sure I didn't get all of it off. Regardless.

I have put on 9 coats of True Oil, wooling it down with #0000 between coats. I used Ferguson's tip of wrapping sandpaper around a dull knife blade to take down the rings. Works really well, BTW.

I'm not discouraged, but the current finish doesn't look a thing like the picture in the post. It has little shine, and almost no depth. If I hadn't seen the pics, I would probably have been satisfied with it. But now? Forget it. Is it simply that I need to be patient until I get to the 15+ coats that Steve put on it, or is it likely that I'm doing something wrong. I'll gladly correct it, or start over, if that's the case.

If all goes well, we'll be getting a DC in the near future, so I can show you how it turns out.

Thanks.
 
Is it the same wood as Steve's handle? If not, you can't expect it to act the same. Even then, things like age and hardness factor in to help with "shine".

All said, though, it's not the number of coats that matters as much as going all the way to the "last coat" - the one that takes the longest time to dry and setup.

I've found that with Tru Oil or Linseed Oil - it gets better 2-3 days after your last coat, so give it some time between those coats, but keep going - you'll get it and when you do you'll know. ;)

Personally, I use a mixture of Tung and Linseed Oil thinned down by acetone - call it the Walosi special. The Tung penetrates for depth, the Linseed gives it sheen and the acetone helps it dry faster. 1:2:1 respectively.

I'm sure there are 100 different ways to get the same "oily" finish. Just a matter of trying it, figuring out what to do better, and giving it another shot. Don't be frustrated if you end up having to remove a few layers to start over again. Happens...

Dan
 
Dan, the wood looks similar: oak. Can't comment on hardness/age, of course.

I've been leaving about 24 hours between coats. I think I'll do 10 more, and then leave the last for 3 days, and finish it with a couple of coats of paste wax.

Unless I hear differently from others.

I'll try the Walosi special compound on the next one. I've got 'a few' that could use a bit of rework. That rouge is nasty.

Thanks for your input.
 
Try this.
Now that you've got 10 coats on, switch from steel wool to 800 or 1000 grit wet or dry paper, used wet. Put your paper in a bowl of water, and just sand each coat so that you knock the tops off of any imperfections. It should look somewhat dulled. After sanding, I empty the water out until the next night.
Is the grain filled up yet or are there still pores in the wood?


Good luck and keep it up.

Steve
 
Thanks, Steve. I'll try the sandpaper.

The pores are pretty much closed by now.
 
I've convinced myself that the pic has been edited in Photoshop. This keeps me complacent in my inherent laziness. :)

However, if it were possible to get such a finish it would be worth trying. This would require some effort though. :rolleyes:
 
Bruise, waiting for it to dry is the worst part.

You know, I never considered trickery. Hmmm.
 
Depends how impatient you are. When I do handles I put on a coat and tend to forget about it for a week or so. When I remember, I'll put on another coat. I still sometimes want to put on several coats a day though. I figure one must learn the art of procrastination in order to allow sufficient drying time between coats. ;)
 
Artful procrastination is definitely a goal to strive for. I've only gotten to the point where I can put off the things I don't like to do. I still find myself doing the things that interest me. Ah, the weaknesses of the flesh.
 
Originally posted by Aardvark
Bruise, waiting for it to dry is the worst part.
Click to expand...

Work on 2 at the time. Do one every other night.:) That way, you get your minimum daily requirement of woodchuckery, but allow 48 hours drying time per coat.;)

Steve
 
Just a quick update on the refinishing:

It's going GREAT! The next coat that I put on (#10) added some gloss and a little depth. I started waiting 2 days between applications, and used the suggested wet sanding with 1000 grit paper.

I put #12 on last night, and the handle is starting to look like it's under glass, which is exactly what I'm trying for. The wood has some great features. Dark swirls and beautiful pores. A stupid piece of tree that weighs a couple of ounces, and I'm getting lost in it! Oh, well, just add it to my list of weaknesses.

8 more coats to go.

An interesting side-effect is the 'marrying' of the buttcap to the handle. On a lot of my khuks there is a slight size difference between the end of the handle and the cap, which can easily be felt because there is slight 'catch' when running my fingertip off the end of the handle. With the buildup of the finish, this size difference has completely disappeared.

This is a cool project with almost no possible downsides. If I screw up, there's always sandpaper and starting over, and all I'm out is some time.

Thanks to all who have helped with advice.
 
Feels fantastic.

Steve, is your quote from the author of 'Night Runners of Bengal'?
 
Originally posted by Aardvark
This is a cool project with almost no possible downsides.
Click to expand...
You've got the bug, Joe. Congrats. The way I see it - there are never downsides - only learning experiences with occasional "happy accidents". ;)

I think that's why I have stopped approaching my projects with a "big plan" in mind. I just shoot from the hip and take what I get. That's why I don't think I'll ever be a "high-volume knifemaker" - I could never repeat the process twice. Not by choice, but because I don't keep track of "how I got there" in the first place...:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Aardvark
Feels fantastic.

Steve, is your quote from the author of 'Night Runners of Bengal'?
Click to expand...

I think so. The ones I have read are "Bugles and a Tiger" and "The Road past Mandalay: A Personal Memoir". I highly recommend these books. They have been discussed before, in the archives, not recently. The first is about the authors time spent with the 4th Gurkhas in India fighting the Pathan tribes. The second is about his service spent in Burma in WWII. Great books, good writer.

Steve
 
Steve, I've read 'Night Runners' and 'Coromandel', both are great. Oddly enough, I first heard of John Masters in a book called '5 Pieces of Jade', a Virgil Tibbs mystery (same detective as 'In the Heat of the Night'). One of the characters had used the alias 'Caroline Langford', the heroine of 'Night Runners'. The reference stuck, and when I saw it at a used book sale, I grabbed it.

Dan, yeah, I'm bitten. Is there an acronym, ala HIKV, for it?
 
Ok, I going to show my ignorance...again. This rouge that everyone mentions being on the handles...is it a polishing compound? Thanks for the help.

Ben
 
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