My wood shrunk!!!!

P

paigegunsmith

Joined
Feb 16, 2011
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62
so i refinished the blade on my Winkler II belt knife today. i used cerakote and it looks awesome but the walnut grip shrunk in the oven. what if anything will bring them back to size?

Thanks Andy
 
I spent time in and around Fayettville and it's humid there. Your wood was acclimated to Fayettville and had a volume consistent with that acclimation. Your oven had a low moisture content that removed moisture from the wood, thereby reducing its weight and volume.

Allow the knife to re-acclimate to Fayettville for a few days. I you need more volume you can try light steam followed by sealing with wax so as to retain some of the moisture. You oil idea has promise as well - the thinner the better.

CAVEAT: I am a knife making neophyte. Depending on what real maker you ask around here, I may not even make knives.
 
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Replace the lost water before you use the mineral oil, which will work as a barrier to prevent moisture exchange. I live in the tropics, so I put wood in the kitchen to rehydrate it since it isn't air conditioned and tends to be more humid than the rest of my home.
 
When you cooked the handle you removed the moisture from the wood, the wood shrank, you may or may not be able to get the moisture back into it, you do not want to rush the process too much (soaking it in water for instance will swell the surface while the core remains shrunken and brittle, which will set up stresses that will crack the wood) Walnut is pretty porous. You may have taken it too far and have to get your handles replaced.

-Page
 
Andy,

I can put a new handle on your knife and preserve the blade finish but I am afraid it will mess up the coating around the tang.If I can match the color I might be able to use an air cure KG around the tang by appling it with an air brush.

Daniel
 
DWinkler said:
Andy,

I can put a new handle on your knife and preserve the blade finish but I am afraid it will mess up the coating around the tang.If I can match the color I might be able to use an air cure KG around the tang by appling it with an air brush.

Daniel
Click to expand...

Daniel,
it not to bad, i think i can live with it, i can just feel the tops of the pins. if i cant get used to it i will send it to you.

thanks Andy
 
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I read/heard/saw somewhere that a smith soaked all his new hammers in motor oil for a month before using them.. I assume to swell the wood to it's fullest and prevent shrinkage and therefore flying hammer heads in his future. I've never tried it but it sounds like a fairly good idea in theory.. soak it in a bucket of baby oil for a few weeks possibly will let it absorb fully and probably resist shrinking in the future? It's just a theory so by all means listen to someone with first hand experience first.
 
One serious thought to consider is that the heat may have weakened your epoxy. It's only a matter of time before the handle comes off unless it is mechanically fastened.
Jason
 
This is why I request that all the knives that I Cerakote come to me with the scales removed. If they can't be removed then I make sure my clients understand the risks and I won't take a project on if I know it will destroy something.
 
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