Still having trouble w/ superglue finish

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
5,786
Well, I have tried the superglue finish and am not having much luck with it at all. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? I use latex gloves over my hands then I put a few drops on the wood and try to wipe it over the surface as evenly as possible.
Then someone recommended to sand with 400 grit paper, but how much do I want to sand it??? If I sand until it is even, I pretty much sand off everything I laid down because there are invariably a few spots on the surface that got a very thin application of the stuff, while the rest is thicker. So, do I sand to the surface and reapply? That sounds to me like I'd be removing all the glue I applied in the first place! Is there are different method for applying the glue that will keep it more even? Do I need to use MORE to begin with? PLEASE help!

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My Custom Kydex Sheath page:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/frames.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
agocs_s@dd.palmer.edu
Madpoet (Mel Sorg, Jr.) Tribute page:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/madpoet/main.html

 
I have never tried the superglue, but the consistency of the glue seems a lot like a wipe on finish. Get a rag that you plan on thowing away (not a good dishtowel, this will get you in trouble)Wet the end of the rag and start wiping the handle from one end to the other. Make sure you always start at one end and finish at the other or you will end up with it all in the middle.Wipe out any runs and then let it dry.Add as many coats as you want.Hope that helps.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
 
Chiro, it might be the type of wood you're using. I thought the point in using super glue was so it would soak into and seal the wood. If you're putting it on something dense like desert iron wood, it won't soak in. That might be why you're sanding it all back off. Michael

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"


[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 07 December 1999).]
 
I have done the superglue finish on mesquite scales and also to seal the crevices in sambar stag. As a matter of fact, that is the solution I found also to make the pins even in stag as well. Fill in the crevices with a couple of coats, let cure, then buff.

One thing that I learned is that you may have to coat it about two or three times. If you have any runs, it will be more difficult in the long run. I had some luck with a Makita palm sander with 400 grit to even it out. If you do use a palm sander, a word of caution, if too much is taken off, your pins will be higher than the scales. Ask me how I know.....
Let each coat completely dry. I used a "quick set" type of cyanoacrylate (super glue) made for RC airplane builders. I believe the brand name is ZAP but I am not sure. It dries much quicker than the "off the shelf" stuff at Wal-mart. The finish on wood looks somewhat like plastic. I believe that Scott Slobodian has perfected this finish.

C Wilkins
 
I'm new to super glue I've finished 3 handles with it .I use loctite.The trick is to seal the grain in the wood so you don't have all those little holes or lines.To do this you have to sand it smooth or flat.Once the handle is sealed and completly covered with a coat of super glue just sand out the high spots.I use a heavy foam backed sandpaper wraped around a flat 1\4 by 1 inch piece of wood trim.Once you get your surface smooth you can buff it out as the super glue buffs out very nice.I'm going to try coating mine with a spray on coating or something not sure what yet.
Take care TJ
 
l-6 i think your mistaken, i never asked the question. but i beleive scott builds up the finish, for 40 coats, then sands after all of them. bob engath wrote a blurp about him on his website.
 
i dont use a few drops....i buy it in bulk. i squirt it all over the knife handle and use a qtip to move it around and make sure its all over the wood....it soaks in.. thats the part thats good about it...the thin stuff is what youre using right..the super hot stuff...its the thinnest...put it all over....resand the handle until its totally smooth and like it was before u superglued it, and then do it all over again.. a few more times...if you dont have a belt sander this is going to be a lot of work..when you get done and polish it it should look like glass....i am definitely going to have to start charging you for these lessons...tom
 
Tom, I am getting closer to getting the idea...problem is I don't have a lot of experience working with wood! Your help is much appreciated. I still owe you for that wood, by the way. Please send me your snail mail address so I can shoot a check your way! I have been seeing some success by doing the following...I have tested it on a small piece of the koa burl you sent, and on an unknown piece of wood from the floor of the Grand Canyon: I sand smooth with 220 or 320, whichever I have available, then to 400, then 600, then 1500. Then I buff with a cotton wheel (I think) and some white compound. After that I use a heat gun to heat the wood slightly and rub in a bunch of pure tung oil, which is pretty thick stuff. I keep reheating and rubbing, then I wipe all the excess off an rebuff. Great finish, but I don't know how durable, how it resists fingerprints and hand oils, etc.

------------------
My Custom Kydex Sheath page:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/frames.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
agocs_s@dd.palmer.edu
Madpoet (Mel Sorg, Jr.) Tribute page:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/madpoet/main.html

 
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