Handle finish

[TheBigRedArcher]

Hey all:

I need to finish the handle of my recent knife and do not want to mess with CA. Any suggestions or is the CA glue the easiest and/or best. the handle is pecan, African black wood with fiber spacers and Black epoxy/turquoise.

Chris

[skullworks]

I use Danish oil on mine.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I either use Danish or Tung Oil.  I like to sand in the Danish Oil to a minimum of 600 grit with wet / dry sand paper.  I will take a really fancy wood handle to 1000 grit.

[TheBigRedArcher]

Ok, so do I thin the oil with something or use it as is. Do I warm it up by means of a mason jar in a pot and poor hot watter into the pot until it comes up to temp?

Thanks

[Ragnarok Forge]

Tung oil is often cut down with 50% acetone or another thinner prior to application. It can also be applied as is.  I like to warm straight Tung oil just a bit.  

I most often use Danish Oil.  I don't thin it at all.  I wipe on a coat and let it set for a bit.  I then start final wet sanding using the Danish Oil with 400 grit, 600 grit, etc... until I get the finish I want.  I wipe off the excess and buff the surface once the sanding is done.  if I want a matte finish I leave it after hand buffing.  For a high gloss finish I power buff in a couple of coats of hard carnuba wax and then use a power buffer with a clean muslin wheel to get a high gloss finish.

[TheBigRedArcher]

Due to time constraints, I decided to go with the CA route again... But I did follow it up with a nice dose of carnauba wax of the buffing wheel. Man that stuff is awesome, the handle literally glows. I will on my next knife try the tung oil though.

Thanks for the help,

[Arrowest]

Chris and others, I have a question regarding the use of CA glue.  How do you apply it and how is it finished after application.  Do you sand it in? What type and brand do you use? I just finished a knife with stabilized zebra wood and noticed it is quite porous, so am thinking that CA glue might be the answer.

[TheBigRedArcher]

Dale:

I actually did use the CA glue on this one. I used zap a gap thin (in the pink bottle). I set my near finished knife in the window of my truck and let it warm up (I live in texas) then drizzled the glue onto the handle and let it soak in. Once dry I sanded it down to a smooth finish, I did this a few times to even the handle out... glue, dry, sand, repeat until I was happy with the feel, then ran it on my buffing wheel with carnuba wax (woodcraft sells it in small pieces).

It sounds like a lot of work but I think you will be pleased with the results, just take your time when sanding near the guard.

TBRA

[Toecutter]

PICS???

You gonna make us all beg??  

[TheBigRedArcher]

Toe:

I honestly had forgotten about this post untill i saw it today. This is the knife, it was made for the father in law of one of my instructors. D2, Pecan and African Blackwood, homemade black epoxy w/crushed turquoise spacer and 413 stainless guard.

   

[tippit]

I find if you use thin CA and let it sit, then you have a lot of sanding to do.  I don't use it much any more.  But the way I do it is wet a folded paper towel thick enough that I don't glue my finger to it.  Then quickly wipe on & wipe off the thinest layer.  Sand that with 320 grit back to wood an repeat a couple more times til all pores are filled...tippit

PS:  I now usue Tru-Oil wipe on/wipe off without much work or sanding till last coat.

[Wal]

I have only used Ca a couple of times , but when I have I found a disposable latex rubber glove allowed me to work it and smooth it well enough.

Cheers