Protecting finish on wooden handles?

T

the kid

Joined
May 5, 2008
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I'm thinking of making some custom scales made of wood.
Also I just bought a wooden handled folder and want to sand it a bit.

Do you apply a finish to protect the wood against moist etc?
And as I understand there are two ways of protecting it.
The one more permanent method used on furniture.
The other method more like oil to protect a carbon blade.

Please enlighten me. :)
 
You can do a few things. I'm not an expert, so I'm sure others will chime in.
You can wipe it down with oil ever year, or six months, to keep it from drying it out, this will also prevent shrinkage.
I also know that you can finish the wood with superglue, just put it on, then finely sand it off.
Epoxy might be another option, not 100% sure.
.....
Since you don't have the wood yet, I'd recommend buying stabalized wood. It won't shrink, and is already "finished" due to it's being saturated with resin. Another good choice is ironwood, which is so dense you don't need to stabilize it.
Oily woods, such as ebony, and others. (don't know any others off hand) don't need to be oiled or stabilized, because they have enough naturally occurring oil to not require further treatment.
 
Yes, normal woods all benefit from some sort of finish. A distinction exists between drying oils and non-drying oils. Mineral oil is of the latter class and will saturate dry wood, thereby taking up the empty space in the wood near the surface, which prevents water from penetrating. Mineral oil is very stable and stays an oil over time, so it will tend to leach out and need to be replaced. It is also a good lubricant and coating for carbon steel blades to prevent rust. Wood treated with mineral oil can become slippery in the hand, so this is a downside for a knife handle.

Tung oil is from the tung, or Chinawood tree, and is a drying oil. After it soaks into the wood, it oxidizes to a sort of resin that is no longer oily. Danish oil is a mixture of drying oil, varnish, and solvents, and works well. It is helpful to warm up the wood before oiling, as the oil becomes thinner when warm and as the wood cools again later the air in the deeper wood contracts, pulling the finish further into the wood.

Epoxy can work, but you want a very low viscosity epoxy, not the stuff sold in hardware stores. As mentioned above, cyanoacrylate also works, although the water resistance is not that great. Wear rubber gloves when working with epoxy or CA glues, as they are toxic when uncured.
 
Never use mineral oil or petroleum oils on wood. They soak into the wood and soften it.
Use tung oil or boiled linseed oil. I prefer Arrow wood finish.
I don't understand trying to get an even coat of cyanoacrylate glue, and then sanding it down even. Polyurethane spray would be more durable and much easier.
 
How about a lacquer?
As I understand this is a (more) permanent solution.

Edit.
Just read about tung oil and that is a permanent solution it seems.
But isn't that more used on non dried (fresh) wood?
 
Birchwood Casey Tru-oil. Soaks in then hardens, and is easy to repair when scratched or scuffed.

I've also used epoxy as an overcoat when gluing scales to a blade, just spread the squeeze-out up and over the scales. Scuff sand when it cures and dip another coat, then hang by the blade until hard. Remember that temperature affects the curing rate of epoxy, as does shelf life.

Stabilized wood is great stuff, but sending wood off and paying the fee isn't always pleasant. I'm waiting for somebody to invent a "stabilize at home" kit.

Lacquer is kind of an industrial spray process to apply well - it doesn't brush worth a d*mn.

Parker
 
Here's what I do with wood. I'm not an expert, YMMV, etc. etc.

I'm fond of Tung oil cut 50% with turpentine, but you can also use Boiled Linseed or Danish Oil to good effect. I like to warm the oil and submerge the wood directly in the oil for several hours on the first coat. With Tung oil you really need to apply many coats, like 6-8, to get the best results. Tung can take weeks to fully cure, so I wait at least until the smell lessens before finishing. It's a lot of work, but the finish is durable and attractive.

I finish with "Gunny Wax" which is equal parts beeswax, turpentine, and Tung/Boiled Linseed oil. Heat them all together in a double boiler (I put a glass jar in a pot of water) until everything is melted and mixed well, then cool. Rub this into the wood until it won't take any more, and buff. I re-apply once a year so it's pretty maintenance free once you're finished.
 
I like to use Tru-Oil. You can pick some up at the nearest Wal-Mart. It's in the sporting goods section, with the gun stuff.

Applying it is simple enough. Using the tip of your finger, apply it to the wood scales. Set the wood aside and let it dry 24 hours. Next time you pick it up you'll want to sand the finish with some 0000 steel wool. Wipe off any dust that you create. Apply some more Tru-Oil, and repeat the process as many times as you want. By the end you'll have a gorgeous, and water resistant finish. It'll even improve the feeling of the wood.
 
Lacquer and polyurethane are available in spray cans.
Plain old paste wax works well, too.
 
This Tru oil seems like the good stuff, no fuss and easy to get from Ebay.

Bonus question:
If I buy a wooden handled blade I can assume it already is treated with some kind of protection right?
 
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