Thanks Walosi!

F

fausto nasafiaschi

Joined
Aug 6, 2000
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506
I've done the treatment suggested by Walosi (waxing and oiling) on my UBE handle, which I have resized recently, and on two villagers.
The job on the villagers (still in progress), is the most rewarding. The handles where originally covered with some kind of crap :barf: (wax + some dark stainer).I'm still halfay with the waxing job on both of them and they are already looking 1000% better. The UBE is going thru the oiling and the handle looks better and better with every coat.
Fausto
 
Woodchuckitus, when combined with HIKV, can create supermen (with sore thumbs from rubbing, tired eyes from looking for new grain,and sinus problems from sniffing oil/wax thinners). When there are enough of us, we will take over the world....Well....maybe the back yard and storage shed :D

Thanks, Fausto. One of those handles may be a surprise package - looks a little better with each coat, and then gets just past the point where the grain is translucent, and appears to explode. When that happens, you have a new addiction. :eek:
 
Hey Walosi, was there a thread on this? If there was point the way man. I'm always looking for a better way to finish wood knife handles. I'm currently using Watco on my handles, usually about 6 to 8 coats with 12 hour drying periods between coats and rubbing with 0000 steel wool between coats also.

Guy Thommas
 
Guy:

Howard Wallace was kind enough to add this to his very fine "Khukuri FAQ", under Construction and Maintainence. It is just old stockmakers' techniques, turned toward pistol grips and knife handles, accumulated over years of hobby work. The URL is:

http://www.tx3.net/~howardw/Khukuris/ConstructionMaint.htm

The Himalayan Imports site, and Howard's FAQ, make up the most comprehensive read on Khukuris in existence (at least until John Powell's book comes out), and are well worth the many hours it will take to go through it all. Yvsa's sharpening techniques are explained, along with fine reviews of various blade types by us forummutts...er...mites. The only thing lacking (that I know of) is Will Kwan's review of the large Ganga Ram, attacking a tree from a riding lawnmower:eek: He never told us how that turned out:confused:

The Watco finishes are excellent. I haen't used them (yet:)) but Black Bear has, IIRC, and their site is fantastic. I really don't know if the many-layered hand-rubbed method will give better results than Watco, but I'll bet it is more funner (as the grandaughter says).
 
Great, I've been working my way through the faq but hadn't read that part yet. Jerry Hossum uses the Birchwood Casey True Oil on cocobolo, I suppose the oil penetrates oily woods enough to from a protective barrier. I've never heard of the Armour All trick, I'm definitely going to try this! In fact I'm working on a friction folder right now with cocobolo scales so I might just try in on that. Thanks!

Guy Thomas
 
Guy:

I originally picked out Tru Oil because it was the most available in my area. I'd used up an old, old supply of GB Linspeed, and they have apparently folded - no one here had heard of them.

The Tru Oil seems to work well on oily woods, and does penetrate. There may be a few areas where the natural oil in the wood will not blend, but will leach to the top (like old paint, when painted over), and create dull spots, but more applications will usually solve this. I've had a couple of spots on the Saatisal, but no problem - the next two-three coats will usually settle it out. If you ever have the chance to use it on Indian Rosewood (Eagle Grips has a great supply of this), it is absolutely fantastic. The surface can be sanded-wooled to a "polished marble" surface, and the oil/wax treatment can be spectacular. I've had my 686 in the holster at the PPC matches, and felt "eyes on my back" - turned and found three deputies bent over, watching the grain move. Spooky! Hehehehe:eek:
 
Wal, I didn't mean to befuddle with "Darn Skippy", so I'll offer an alternate from the Thesaurus o' the deep south, "You're Darn Tootin', Wal!" ;)

BTW, Guy, Hadn't said welcome to the cantina, so....Welcome to the Cantina!:) Wal's wood handle treatment is definately the way to go with your wood. I've put 40 coats on my malla handle and 20 some odd on my GRS. Have fun! :cool:

-Craig
 
Craig - that one is more in my age bracket. I've had to skip over current ling to try and learn "grandaughterese", so I've missed out on a lot :(

Guy - just a mention, but the Armor All will appear to dull the finish. Hard rubbing after that coat is completely dry will bring it back up. The "trick" is from an article on car detailing, which included comments by the CEOs of both Armor All and Turtle Wax. They both claimed that the AA helped the wax bond with the paint, and helped each subsequent coat of wax bond together. Tried it on some pistol grips and it worked well there, too, with both the oil and final waxing. More work, but I think it makes the finish more durable.
 
I finished one of my Flutes with super glue and it came out very
nice.
Looks like haeil when you put the super glue on and you will think you've ruined it. Then you lightly sand the 1st coat until the high spots are gone with a fine paper then add another coat and do the same.
When you get enough coats on it that the article can be sanded smooth with absolutely no imperfections and using decreaseing grits of paper until about a 600 grit finish is obtained then you're ready for the rottenstone and oil.
The finer paper that's used between coats is neccessary to get a scratch free surface when you're done with the rottenstone and
oil.
The finish comes out glass like and hard!!!!:D

The downside is that it isn't good for detailed surfaces as they would be impossible to get sanded and rottenstoned properly.
I started putting a super glue finish on the karda of my Chitlangi but haven't finished it yet. And I believe it would be alright for a standard khukuri handle, but haven't tried that yet.
I'm using Walosi's method on the handle of the Chitlangi as I didn't want to take a chance on messing up a nice khukuri handle.
One of these days in the future after other tasks are completed I will try it on the beautifully grained steel mounted 17" villager that is one of my favorites.:)
I don't know if the super glue will reveal the hidden grain like Walosi's method does though.
But I should know after the villager is finished.:)

But be careful starting the finish work on any kind of wood as you will develop woodchuckitus and it's just as bad as HIKV!!!!
You will always be in a quandry wondering which khukuri will you finish next.:D

edited for spelling. And it wasn't the keyboard's fault.:)
 
Yvsa:

I got so durned turned on by this Saatisal, I had four going at once :eek: :D Had to back off on that, though - I was beginning to forget to eat. "Woodchuckitus" can make you thin. In April, when I bought my first Khuk (thanks to your gentle raving and ranting about them :)), I tipped the scales at 210. This morning I was 175. Tru Oil is great stuff, but not nourishing.
 
Besides carrying around a villager while orienteering, this is another good way of getting a healthy workout!;) :D :cool:
 
And you don't even have to leave your recliner to get the full benefits :D

YAWWWWWWNNnnn....
 
A question to the masters woodchucks:
Thru Oil (and the likes of it) are mineral based or vegetal based?
I'm currently using a mineral based product which, over here, is widely used on furniture and wood floors and I was wondering about the composition of the products you guys keep naming. Anybody can shed some light?
Thanks
Fausto
 
Tru Oil is vegetable based (tung oil), but the blended compound contains other additives, so "vegetable" doesn't describe its' true nature.

My old favorite, Linspeed, was just a patented compound of linseed oil, waxes and penetrants. I don't know if any of the sophisticated wood oils today really retain anything but the base characteristics of their origin.

If the oil will spread very evenly, in very thin coats, and dry to a hard surface, it doesn't matter whether it is vegetable or mineral. Labrador drool, however, does no good whatsoever to a dryng Khuk handle (in recent experience) so the "animal" category is for someone else to explore :rolleyes:
 
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