Sealer

Joined
Mar 13, 2001
Messages
1,157
I met a fellow named Ed Thuessen this weekend at a small gun and knife show. This fellow was the origional owner of Texas Knifemakers Supply. He is back in the business on, I guess on what is a part time hobby as much as anything, and goes to gun/knife shows on weekends. He was showing me what he uses for a wood sealer, it is super gloss ceramic sealer. He said to use 4 coats and showed me some that he did. It looked very good to me, better than anything I have seen except stabilized material. He also sells stabilized wood.
 
If you're talking about the stuff called "Fix-it," it's available from Texas Knifemaker's. If you really think it's nearly as good as stabilized, I'd sure like to see exactly how he applies it. My roomate left a kitchen knife in a pot full of water overnight (before I rescued it next morning). Didn't quite ruin the cocobolo handle, but lot's of raised grain--had to re-finish. I suspect if the wood had been something less dense, the outcome might have been worse. I still use it, but only after the wood soaks up as much linseed oil as it will take. Or tung oil, or whatever you prefer. Am having a devil of a time getting a shine on a bocote handle with it right now, although maple seems to work great.
 
This sealer is used by persons who does ceramics. They spray their greenware with it to be able to paint on it is what I was told today by someone else. This is not Fix It. I imagine there are a lot of brands of this stuff, I bought a can from him and it is Duncan, SS330, Super Gloss, Ceramic Sealer, it is an aerosol can. Ed said that he applies this to the handles after handles or scales are epoxied, and sanded. He said that he takes the finished product outside and gets in a position where he can be downwind and sprays the wood where the vapors will blow away without smelling it. This stuff has things in it that is supposed to cause cancer and is very flammable. He lets the coats dry well before putting the next one on. You buy this from a ceramic supplier. He also showed me something that I had never seen before. When wood is sanded to 600, 1200,2000, or whatever, after you are finished, take a wet cloth and wipe the wood, let dry thouroughly. Hold it up to a light and if need be look at it with a magnifying glass, and look at the little hairs like pieces sticking up. He does this and then does a final sand after wiping it with a wet rag and letting it dry. If someone wants more info, about the sealer, email me and I will give you his phone no. He does not have a web site.
 
Thanks Walt for that lead. I'll try to find it here locally.

The process you described using a damp cloth is called de-wiskering. It is often done before applying the first coat of finish too.

RL
 
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