stabilized scales absorb water?

J

jaymeister99

Joined
Sep 14, 2010
Messages
819
I just got a set of stabilized scales and noticed they didnt look quite as colorful as the picture. I ran em under the sink and they seemed to absorb the water! After a few minutes they turned back to their matte look and appeared dry.

Is this normal on professionally stabilized scales?
 
I own 2 Fiddleback Forge knives with stabilized wood scales. And yes, they both seem to be a matte finish. I don't want to try it, but I don't think they would absorb too much water, kinda like micarta. Micarta will absorb water and oil, but it's just on the surface.
I used some Tung oil on my two knives. Get them wet, and apply a thin amount of the Tung oil. Let them dry for 24hrs. I used a very fine pad that I have, like padded 1200 grit just to knock off the shine. Then I applied a second layer, both thin.
The end result is a more glossy water resistant feel and look. They are not slippery at all, the Tung oil is not a "sealed" layer.
I've used this technique on my unfinished guitar necks. It's provides that shine that make the wood feel smooth and lustery.
Your results may vary, don't try it if you are not confident in the process or me. Then again, you could just lightly sand off the Tung oil if you don't like it.
 
Well, not on my guitars. It is like a stain, in that it just soaks in so far.
Over time, my hand could wear down the guitar neck to expose new wood, but I'd be adding my own body's oil as it wore. I'd have to be playing alot, professional level for years for that to happen.
I just did the process in the last month, and I used a t-shirt to rub the dried Tung oil off the exposed tang. The Tung oil stayed in/on the wood.
I like it, it brings out the colors of the wood, and you can keep doing layers. I've also taken an Old Hickory knife and dunked it in a container of Tung Oil, overnight. This let it soak in much deeper. It added weight to the handle for sure. The end result, I hope, is that the dried out wood will not continue to crack. It was a loose handle, but not now.
Time will tell about the Old Hickory experiment, but I know that I like what it did to my guitars wood. I got the idea from experienced luthiers.
Others might chime in here and tell me that there is going to be a chemical reaction between the Tung oil and the stabilizers in the wood. I hope not, but my gut says no.
I plan on getting dirt, blood, and sweat on the same handle.
 
jaymeister99 said:
I just got a set of stabilized scales and noticed they didnt look quite as colorful as the picture. I ran em under the sink and they seemed to absorb the water! After a few minutes they turned back to their matte look and appeared dry.

Is this normal on professionally stabilized scales?
Click to expand...

Yes its normal, but the grain should not be raised on the wood, and there should be little to no swell or shrink. If you set the block or scale out on the bench the water will drain back out. Who stabilized the wood?
 
Shaughnessy said:
Yes its normal, but the grain should not be raised on the wood, and there should be little to no swell or shrink. If you set the block or scale out on the bench the water will drain back out. Who stabilized the wood?
Click to expand...

Don't know. I got it on Ebay and it was supposedly professionally stabilized. Im sure it was, the seller had a few thousand plus 100% positive rating and a "top ebay seller stamp".
 
Ive used linseed oil on gun stocks and it gives a nice satin finish. I was thinking about putting some of that on it to bring out the color and add some gloss.
 
When I was starting out I used several different stabilized wood off of Ebay. All claimed to be professionally stabilized. They were NOT all the same. I got so I would treat them like unstabilized woods and finish them with danish oil and tung oil . Now the omly stabilized wood I use is from either WSSI OR K&G.
 
Something I found on wiki .

Food contact and allergic reactions

As the source of tung oil is a nut, people with nut allergies often report adverse reactions to contact with (or even the odour of) tung oil. Reactions can be severe in some cases. While tung oil has been used for many centuries as a finish for kitchen items such as wooden bowls and cutting boards, some individuals must avoid its use.
Click to expand...
 
+1 on NOT relying on an Ebay seller's rating to determine the quality of their "stabilized" wood, which could be anything from top-quality to a chunk of scrap left over the weekend in a jar of "wood hardener". Rely instead on professionals who will gladly tell you exactly how and why they do what they do.
 
The seller came highly recommended from here on the forum. I trust that he is one of the reputable sellers on Ebay. Sellers name is "Staburl".

I did a search on Linseed oil and tung oil. I think I'll try some linseed oil, the tung oil (as mentioned above also) may cause allergic reactions. I didn't find anything about allergies to linseed oil.
 
kdcknives said:
When I was starting out I used several different stabilized wood off of Ebay. All claimed to be professionally stabilized. They were NOT all the same. I got so I would treat them like unstabilized woods and finish them with danish oil and tung oil . Now the omly stabilized wood I use is from either WSSI OR K&G.
Click to expand...

Whats WSSI? Do they have a site?
 
kdcknives said:
When I was starting out I used several different stabilized wood off of Ebay. All claimed to be professionally stabilized. They were NOT all the same. I got so I would treat them like unstabilized woods and finish them with danish oil and tung oil . Now the omly stabilized wood I use is from either WSSI OR K&G.
Click to expand...

This is wise advice...
 
Being stabilized does NOT mean that they are solid.
When done by the professionals with all the right equipment, all surfaces of the wood's material, hopefully down to the cellular level, will be coated with the stabilizing polymer.
Depending on the tightness of the grain and wood type, voids in the wood MIGHT! be filled.
On some woods, those that seems a little dull or drab, I might finish off with a few light coats of tung oil to give depth.
On a piece of koa that I had stabilized by K and G, (the ONLY! people I use for stabilizing) I had wiped it down with some alcohol to have a look at how it might end up. I ended up blowing it with my air hose, and I could see the alcohol shoot out the other side!!
Being stabilized does NOT mean that it is solid.
 
when ever there is a new guy out there doing wood i wait to see how others feel about it then get one or 2 test blocks to see for myself

if its good i order more if its not i am only out a few bucks

there are only about 4 places i trust anymore

wssi and K&G are the most mainstream of the stabilizers
 
Is there anybody on here that sells stabilized scales that anybody can recommend? Does WSSI and K&G sell stabilized scales?
 
guy's
i have tried before to "help" anyone who was looking for stabilised wood try uncle Frank http://www.jakeknife.com he is a "Maker" who really goes to great pain's /expense to offer some of the nicest Burl i have ever seen ..he will send you a picture of the wood you are buying ,or you can ask him to select something nice he doesn't do a lot of east coast show's which is why most here have never heard of him ..
he believes that some of our "Supplier's " could use a little friendly "competition"
be1008_stabilized_buckeye.html


http://jakeknife.com/red2007_stabilized_redwood.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top