What t odo with wood scales.

[mccandmatt]

Hello, new to the community and new to knife making. Working on #2 right now. I read through the stickies (a lot of dead links) but did not see anything on what to do with wood handle material. I used Spalted Yellow Birch I bought from USA Knife Maker it is stabilized I am assuming. What do I put on the wood? I would not think a regular stain and sealer would be right. Do I put a CA on it?

If this is in the stickies I apologize in advance, I did not see it.

By the way my name is Matt and I live in Minnesota.

 

[GHEzell]

If it is stabilized, sand it up to 600-1200 grit, then lightly buff (this can be done by hand just takes longer) and it is good to go.

 

[TLR]

If it is stabilized then technically you don't have to do anything to it however many do. I have used tru-oil on a couple of stabilized handles just because it really helps to bring out the figure and luster in the wood. Others use CA finishes (I have not so I'll leave that to others) for the same purpose.

One question I would ask is what will this knife be used for? A kitchen knife may work better with one coating then another vs. a bushcraft or hunting knife in the long run.

 

[mccandmatt]

If it is stabilized then technically you don't have to do anything to it however many do. I have used tru-oil on a couple of stabilized handles just because it really helps to bring out the figure and luster in the wood. Others use CA finishes (I have not so I'll leave that to others) for the same purpose.

One question I would ask is what will this knife be used for? A kitchen knife may work better with one coating then another vs. a bushcraft or hunting knife in the long run.

Maybe it is not stabilized, is there a way to tell? Sorry if dumb question, I just assumed (assumption is stupid I know) it would be. here is a link to what I put on it http://usaknifemaker.com/handle-material-hardware-c-95/wood-blocks-and-scales-c-95-65/spalted-yellow-birch-scales.html

It is a general purpose knife with a hunting knife style, I just wanted to try something simple, I did a convex bevel on it. Here is a pic, it's my first be gentile lol

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

 

[HallHandmade]

Generally they aren't stabilized unless they say they are.

You can use a Tung oil or Danish oil finish, and some buffing. I would try to be in at least the 3-400 grit range on your finish. You can go multiple coats on the finishing oils, they will soak in and harden, which will help protect the wood.

That's not too bad of an attempt actually. On your next, try to make sure that there are smoother transitions between areas, try and use curves instead of corners if possible. Use LOTS of sketch paper, I prefer graph paper because it gives you a quick and easy reference as far as the knife's size, and it makes it easier to judge the size of features you're drawing (for instance, a .375" or .5" radius is good for most fingers).

 

[mccandmatt]

Generally they aren't stabilized unless they say they are.

You can use a Tung oil or Danish oil finish, and some buffing. I would try to be in at least the 3-400 grit range on your finish. You can go multiple coats on the finishing oils, they will soak in and harden, which will help protect the wood.

That's not too bad of an attempt actually. On your next, try to make sure that there are smoother transitions between areas, try and use curves instead of corners if possible. Use LOTS of sketch paper, I prefer graph paper because it gives you a quick and easy reference as far as the knife's size, and it makes it easier to judge the size of features you're drawing (for instance, a .375" or .5" radius is good for most fingers).

Thank you for your advice! I will pick up some oil for it