Recommendation? How do you keep osage clean?

Fallbrook Forge

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Jan 1, 2006
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I'm working on a knife with an osage handle and I can't keep the wood from getting dingy.

I'm currently in the hand sanding phase and I'll get everything clean and then all the grain gets dingy all over again! I'm gonna end up with no handle at this rate! :eek:

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On the upside the desert ironwood is looking nice if I say so myself!
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So, any tips or trick to either keep osage clean while working, or to get it clean once you're done?

Merry Christmas!
 
I machine sand to 220 grit, hand sand to 320 grit with sterated paper, put on a coat of super thin CA glue to fill the pores, resand with 320 sterated paper until all the shiny spots are gone. Repeat CA glue 320 until pores are filled. Hit it on the buffer with no buffing compound (this will bring out the shiny spots and scratches) Sand to 500 grit unt shiny spots are gone then re buff. Coat with walnut oil or Brie wax.

Try this on a piece of scrap to see if you like the results.
Jim A.
Merry Christmas
 
I get my sterated abrasives from

https://www.industrialabrasives.com...9-p-244.html?zenid=mpce20neh03f95m88ufbfk4cu5

I find the Indistan Rhynodry paper very good.
You should be able to buy sterated abrasive paper from most wood working suppliers, it is known as non-loading paper.
awesome guys thanks! Merry Christmas!

D DAMNENG where do you source your sterated paper?
The sterating is similar to a coating of soap stone; it keeps the paper from loading up as fast. It also seems it helps prevent the loose grit from stivking to the wood also.
 
Osage is going to change colors no matter what you do. The South American stuff tends to age to a nicer color in my opinion.
 
Osage is going to change colors no matter what you do. The South American stuff tends to age to a nicer color in my opinion.

Yeah, I'm not worried about that. The pores of the wood are actually getting dirty.
 
Use "Sanding Sealer". It is basically a thin lacquer with filler that dries fast. It keeps the sanding grit and other swarf from packing into the pores.
After the basic machine sanding is done, you put it on, wait a bit, and hand sand away. It seals the pores. If doing lots of shaping and sanding, you may have to apply it more than once as you sand down into new wood. Once the wood is to the final shape and surface, give it one more coat, let that dry, re-sand with very fine paper or 0000 steel wool, then finish as you wish.
 
Use "Sanding Sealer". It is basically a thin lacquer with filler that dries fast. It keeps the sanding grit and other swarf from packing into the pores.
After the basic machine sanding is done, you put it on, wait a bit, and hand sand away. It seals the pores. If doing lots of shaping and sanding, you may have to apply it more than once as you sand down into new wood. Once the wood is to the final shape and surface, give it one more coat, let that dry, re-sand with very fine paper or 0000 steel wool, then finish as you wish.

Awesome tip! Ive been having the issue with any light colored wood. Seems like sanding dust and metal dust get stuck in the pores. My fix I found was I could only get a couple strokes of sanding on the same spot of sandpaper.. I need to try sanding sealer!
 
Use "Sanding Sealer". It is basically a thin lacquer with filler that dries fast. It keeps the sanding grit and other swarf from packing into the pores.
After the basic machine sanding is done, you put it on, wait a bit, and hand sand away. It seals the pores. If doing lots of shaping and sanding, you may have to apply it more than once as you sand down into new wood. Once the wood is to the final shape and surface, give it one more coat, let that dry, re-sand with very fine paper or 0000 steel wool, then finish as you wish.

Exactly!!

I use shellac as a sanding sealer. It's less toxic then lacquer and can be easily thinned with denatured alcohol to penetrate even further. And I can apply it in my house without stinking the whole place up.
 
After sanding but before putting on a coat of sealer, use a tack rag to get all the dust of. Second tip: The grain of the plugs should line up with the grain of the scales for a professional look.
 
Thanks for the tips everyone!

I picked up some sanding sealer, says it’s shellac with no wax, so I’m going to try that.

Second tip: The grain of the plugs should line up with the grain of the scales for a professional look.
Yeah, I noticed that as soon as I cleaned up the sides. I’ll do better next time, and for a 6th knife I think that Ironwood handle came out well.
It’s definitely something I will address next time though!


Thanks again for all the tips! I can’t wait to try them out!
 
I machine sand to 220 grit, hand sand to 320 grit with sterated paper, put on a coat of super thin CA glue to fill the pores, resand with 320 sterated paper until all the shiny spots are gone. Repeat CA glue 320 until pores are filled. Hit it on the buffer with no buffing compound (this will bring out the shiny spots and scratches) Sand to 500 grit unt shiny spots are gone then re buff. Coat with walnut oil or Brie wax.

Try this on a piece of scrap to see if you like the results.
Jim A.
Merry Christmas
I've seen this technique mentioned before. How do younot end up with glue all over the guard/ricasso/ pommel?
 
In a well ventelated space, I put on in a nitryle glove, hold the knife tilted with the guard on the high end of the slope, put a two or three drops of super thin CA glue on the grips and spread with the gloved hand. A newspaper bag over your hand will also keep your fingers clean. If you get glue where you don't want it, wipe it off immediately with acetone on a soft cloth. Apply a very thin coat, just eno to make the wood look wet and wipe it into the pours .
If in doubt, always try new techniques on a piece of scrap, or a handle block which you can sand off the surface if you don't like the results.
OH, by the way, always wear eye protection when using CA glue. Having your eye lid stuck to your eyeball won't be a good time!
 
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