How are you guys finishing your stabilized wood handles?

[Fochops]

Oh, so that may be an industry trick! Yeah I'm not sure I want to go that far. Thanks for adding a little perspective Salem!

 

[Willie71]

Maybe I should keep going on the sanding up to 2500-3000 then do the no scratch pink compound on a loose buffing wheel? That's starting to sound like the ticket. As Ken said, I'll be sure to fill every void with CA glue as well.

I see a point of diminishing returns, when sanding above 1000, if subsequently buffing. Even a quick light buff will erase all 1000 grit scratches.
If you really want glossy, and none of the above gets you what you are envisioning, or you find sanding up to 2500 to be too time consuming, you could try super-glue finishing the entire handle. That'll get you a high gloss "clear-coat" or gunstock look. There's a good thread about it that Bruce Bump did years ago, if you search. I don't often use it because I frankly don't like the plastic feel of a stabilized handle with that type of surface. If you look at some of Michael Rader's mind-bendingly pristine handle finishes, superglue is what he uses, too.

I've got decades of wood finishing behind me. I'm much more comfortable by hand, than using a buffer. I don't use a buffer as I've ruined some very nice exotics in the past. They weren't stabilized though. Heat and dense oily woods don't get along. I find I can finish sand a handle in about an hour, so the time I save is minuscule compared to other parts of my process. You can use either method. Handle finishing is my favourite part of this whole process.

Some woods look good at 1200-1500, others need to go higher. Curly mango comes alive at 2500g, while some walnut looked great at 1500. If the wood is porous, wet sand at either 400 or 800, and let the slurry fill the pores. Once cured, continue going through the grits. The surface will be glass smooth.

 

[tim37a]

Hey Warren,
Question - If you wet sand and let the dust fill the pores, will the dust wash out with heavy use? I'm thinking back packing on a wet trip.
Tim

 

[Fochops]

I've got decades of wood finishing behind me. I'm much more comfortable by hand, than using a buffer. I don't use a buffer as I've ruined some very nice exotics in the past. They weren't stabilized though. Heat and dense oily woods don't get along. I find I can finish sand a handle in about an hour, so the time I save is minuscule compared to other parts of my process. You can use either method. Handle finishing is my favourite part of this whole process.

Some woods look good at 1200-1500, others need to go higher. Curly mango comes alive at 2500g, while some walnut looked great at 1500. If the wood is porous, wet sand at either 400 or 800, and let the slurry fill the pores. Once cured, continue going through the grits. The surface will be glass smooth.

Thanks for the insight Willie... I enjoy the wood finishing as well! That's why I am after the best I can achieve. I love all the info you guys provide.

 

[Willie71]

Hey Warren,
Question - If you wet sand and let the dust fill the pores, will the dust wash out with heavy use? I'm thinking back packing on a wet trip.
Tim

Once the oil cures, it doesn't come out. At least I've never seen it happen. I don't remember ever seeing anyone else report that problem either.

 

[Salem Straub]

An hour is good, I don't see why not do it that way. Buffing works for me, for most all woods- I darn sure don't buff enough to build up any kind of heat. Sounds like snakewood or something, being that sensitive! I use a lot of blackwood, cocobolo, some ironwood, so dense and oily but not terribly sensitive.

My favorite parts mostly involve steel, although handle shaping and finishing certainly have their rewards.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Burnishing is one technique that is to often overlooked. It will add highlights and "smooth out" the surface. When the wood has gotten to 800 or 1000, take a smooth brow time and rub the entire handle running the tool lengthwise back and forth. Apply pressure to the antler section and watch the detail pop out. This works really well on tight grained burls. After the antler I switch to a leather edge, 10 or 12 oz skirting or the like. Use pressure and stroke lengthwise. I like to use folded Levi material next. Make enough folds to give a hard soft edge. Burnish lengthwise.
Take a before and after pic when you do this. You will be surprised at the results.

I finish this with Bri-wax and a soft cloth.

 

[Andy Lewis]

Good advice here. Another option for hand finishing small parts is the 3M Imperial polishing papers. They are micron graded abrasives bonded to a stout synthetic of some type. So they can be cut up into strips (street sale papercutter to the rescue) and used like sandpaper or folded around sticks, leather strips, etc. It's great on interior curves and, like my brother, it's washable after getting too loaded to cut.

On stabilized woods I usually go to 800 or 1200-grit redline, then where it makes sense, to the blue/1200-grit then the pink/4000-grit paper. Favorite backers are fingers and some thin strips of polished hardwood when hitting pins or material transitions. Finish out with burnishing hard with clean cotton and generally no oil or wax is needed.

It helps to clean parts well with Windex in between grits. Contaminated paper used for polishing topo in pattern-welded blades will drive you to slap your goat and it's fairly cheap, so just throw it away.

The stuff goes to 8000-grit but I agree with Salem about diminishing returns beyond 1000 and haven't bothered to try it again on handle materials. As with any abrasive finish, getting the previous grade's scratches out entirely before moving on is THE trick.