Wood handle finishes

B

bennett

Joined
Sep 22, 2005
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Anybody have any suggestions on what to use to finish natural wood handles? I don't want to use a "stain" as such - just a sealer to protect the wood. The Home Depot carries all Minwax products, and of course linseed oil (but that's kind of sticky). I'm using hardwoods from my dad's cabinet shop until I can get my "good stuff" (rosewood, crotch-cut black walnut, spalted sycamore, etc...) to WSSI to be stabilized. The wood is cabinet/furniture grade so it's kiln dried and ought to work pretty well for handles. I have some maple, curly ash, cherry and walnut pieces I'll be using. I guess what I'm looking for is a sealer of some sort - not a varnish or a stain. Anybody have any thoughts?
 
I use Teak Oil...if its left sticky you using too much of whatever you use on it. USe light multiple coats.
 
Listen to Brian. Teak oil works really well on wood handles, but does require some mulitple coats. I use it on all my wooden handles. I use Watco brand, btw.
 
The hard exotics (cocabolo, bloodwood, rosewood, etc.) don't really need anything due to their density and natural oil. I like teak oil on woods like mahogany, cherry, maple, locust, pecan. As a related question, I'm doing one now in canary tulip wood that has some open pores. Do y'all suggest teak oil first and then wet sand with a sealer to fill the pores?
 
what sort of sealer? Seems like the sealer would cancel out the purpose for using the teak oil (IMHO)
I would just use teak oil and see what it looks like.....you can always sand it again :D
 
you might want to try an experiment using a product like hobbypoxy. its a two part epoxy thats very thin, it will soak in and seal the wood watertight. with several coats you will build up a shiny finish, or just bring it up to where you want it and steel wool it to a satin finish.
im planning on trying it for hunting knife scales as its so very water proof. it's what r.c. boaters use to waterproof their hulls.
 
The idea is to wet sand with 400g and let the really fine dust fill the pores and give a smoother looking finish. I've done this with linseed oil/turp. on fancy curly maple prior to final finish and it worked really well. This is the first tulip wood I've used, so Brian, I think you're right. Just over kill for this handle.
 
john warren said:
you might want to try an experiment using a product like hobbypoxy. its a two part epoxy thats very thin, it will soak in and seal the wood watertight. with several coats you will build up a shiny finish, or just bring it up to where you want it and steel wool it to a satin finish.
im planning on trying it for hunting knife scales as its so very water proof. it's what r.c. boaters use to waterproof their hulls.
Click to expand...

I have done that before, but to me the wood don't feel right afterwards. Gives it a wierd plastic feel to it.
 
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