What do you use for hardwood finishes?

A

axeldoomeyer

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Dec 31, 2005
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I use mostly hardwoods for handle material and I am curious as too what others use to finish the handles? Tung Oil, Gearsol (sp?), etc...?
 
I use Watco's teak oil finish. Its a penetrating oil with hardeners in it. I really like the finish.
Ed
 
I use a 50:50 mix of double boiled linseed oil and turpentine. Gives a hard and durable finish. It also gives a deep lustre to it.- Paul
 
If your looking for a glass like finish,super glue is hard to beat.I put a few drops on a folded up tissue.Then working on one side of your handle at a time (if its a full tang)work quickly and try to get as even a coat as you can going from front to back or back to front with long even strokes.Do this 3 or 4 times for each side letting each coat dry first.Try not to breath the fumes or you'll have tears and snot going everywhere. Then I buff on a slow buff with green compound but go slow and use a lite touch or you'll buff through the finish.......John
 
Teak oil rubbed in and sanded to 1500 then burn in Carnuba wax with linen buff on bench grinder, except for Ironwood.

For the Ironwood, I hand sand to 1500 grit and then polish with a linen buff with Fabuluster paste, then burn in a few coats of Carnuba wax. Whenever I use oil on Ironwood it gets too dark, masking some of the figure.
 
I've had good luck with tung oil. Just follow the directions on the can.
Scott
 
Man I wish I had luck with superglue finish..

Another vote for tung oil , depending on how hard and/or oily the wood is.

One method I have had nice results with is putting a nice coat of tung oil on the handle-scales-wood-etc and letting it sit for about 5 minutes or so , let it soak in then buff off with a cloth , let that cure then reapply a real thin coat and use my finger to rub it in , if you hold it in the light angle you can make sure no prints or streaks , then let this dry and youll have a nice gloss.
This works well for me on the hard woods like ironwood or shedua.
 
Man, I see that there are many ways to finish a handle. I am going to have to try them all. I have been using tung oil for a while, bit I think that I am going to have to try some of the above selections. I would like to see more techniques that people use. Keep em coming.
 
I've been kinda curious about it, too. My current beater has no finish on its walnut handle, except oils from my skin. (rub a little "nose oil" on it now and then) I wanted it to aquire that dark natural pantina that only comes with use and age.
 
My preference runs to tung oil and linseed/turpentinel. Ive made a lot of furniture over the years with a hand rubbed tung oil finish and it has held up very well.
 
Penatrol is a flow agent that can be added to any oil based finish coat at about 20 percent or less. It will make any finish lay down and smooth out. Most good paint stores will carry it. Fred
 
I prefer a melted beeswax finish. Just heat up the beeswax and rub it in. I set it in an oven on the lowest setting to let it soak in good and the excess just runs off.
 
I used tung oil for years until I discovered teak oil, whch soaks in much better and leaves no surface film. You can finish sand in coat after coat until you get the looks you want. I have cans of tung oil sitting around solidifying since the teak oil works so much better.

Carnuba Wax-the pure hard stuff, not compounds with it added-is the hardest natural wax and is non-toxic. It is so hard you have to burn it in with a buffer. It is far superior to bees wax, which is great for leather.
 
If you decide to use linseed oil, try applying it with your bear hand. The warmth of your hand helps the oil to penetrate the wood. Alan Longmire does his tomahawk handles this way, and they look great.
 
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