To Chiruwa or not - That is the question

Apparently the rags are only a hazard while they are still wet/drying. Laying them out flat until they dry is the safest way to deal with them. Once they have dried up/polymerized they should be safe to toss in the bin.
 
When I use BLO the rags go straight in the woodstove, winter or summer. They can do whatever they want there.
When i got my Victorian longleaf the hilt was a little loose-I tried many non-invasive things to fix it, none of which worked.
After I rehydrated (reoildrated?) it it is now rock solid.
 
3 kucks are now Pickling in Tung oil... Now I`ll try to forget about them for a while
IMG_20150502_161610.jpg
 
Snow,
That works well?

I've got one Chiruwa-style wood handle & another on the way.

Never done tung, have linseeded in the past here & there.
Should I be Amazoning for tung? :)
Denis
 
Dunno yet Denis - I just started the process.

I'll try one+ week.

From previous post, the best result is with the Pugs process. But I'm too lazy. I'll just leave them there soaking.
One thing I did was bagging the top to reduce the Tung oil emanations.

Patience is not my biggest strength.

Snow,
That works well?

Denis
 
For soaking like that it would probably be beneficial to thin the Tung or Linseed oil a bit. It will surely soak in just fine undiluted especially if you can leave it a week but thinner might soak in even better.
 
What's the brand there?
Does it much matter?

How much is needed for the Mason Jar Approach?
Denis
 
Diluting with water?
Would that mean that water stays inside the wood? Wouldn't that influence the polimerization?
Just guessing here.
 
I have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about but I can't resist wondering the possible side effects of dilution.

I dig the possible increase in material absorption but tend to side with Jens. I don't want to mess with the benefits.

Also, if the oil is too thick and seal the surface early, then I'm not going to affect enough material to increase the volume to its original size. It's kind of a catch 22.
 
For those here who have soaked a handle, but the metal is still a bit proud, do you file away at the metal? Wrap it with some wrap?

Usually you only have to file the edges of the chiruwa tang to round them off, which isn't too much work. Just tape the neighboring wood well so it isn't hit by the file. If that happens anyway, you can bring the wood back with fine sandpaper.

If the knife is mainly a user you can tape it. I think the kind of tape used on tennis rackets works well. Others have mentioned hockey stick handle tape, which is maybe the same thing.

I have one blade, a custom short sword originally made for someone else, that has the handle taped so nicely that I left the tape on even though the handle is good. I like the look. This one:

View attachment 540166 View attachment 540168
 
What's the brand there?
Does it much matter?

How much is needed for the Mason Jar Approach?
Denis

I was looking for another brand - This one (Circa 1850 Tung'n Teak) was more expensive (12$ for 500ml). The other one was about the same price for almost a liter. I suspect it's because there is a tint in it.
 
And now I learned something! Never had an issue with a bit of water but phillll's will work better.
 
Yeah the mineral spirits work great for helping the oil to soak in deep, and they evaporate quickly afterwards. If I do use diluted stuff (on really dense or really dry wood) I still always finish with the pure stuff to be sure there's a good seal. 50/50 mix, then 75/25 mix, then 100% is a good starting point.
 
If the oil doesn't sink in as is... I will follow your advice and cut it with spirits.
I still have some left from my last Ed's Red recipe.


Yeah the mineral spirits work great for helping the oil to soak in deep, and they evaporate quickly afterwards. If I do use diluted stuff (on really dense or really dry wood) I still always finish with the pure stuff to be sure there's a good seal. 50/50 mix, then 75/25 mix, then 100% is a good starting point.
 
Definitely mineral spirits, I should have said that. Oil and water do not mix and would not accomplish anything.

I too progress to fully undiluted. I generally don't soak although that's an excellent way to do it. I just finger dip a lot over and over and then again to maintain a few times a year. More on users if needed.
 
3 kucks are now Pickling in Tung oil... Now I`ll try to forget about them for a while
View attachment 540080

When I get my kuk, I think I'm gonna try snowwolf's method using philllll's suggestion to dilute the Tung with mineral spirits... cuz i'z lazy too.

That & b/c I got my M1A to clean, a greenhouse to build, a garden to maintain, & Gilder to frame for it. I'm swamped.
 
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