Finishes

[acolobowhunter]

I’ve been making a few knives and wondering what is best to finish the scales.  I used straight linseed oil, which I like but the full cure time can take 1 1/2 months.  Also tried Tru Oil but it has a very high gloss, which I had to knock down with 0000 steel wool.  I really didn’t want to use urathane.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

[wood carver 2]

I don’t make knives, but I have recently discovered a finish that I really like. It’s called Osmo Polyx oil. It’s a hard wax finish. Easy to use and cures foodsafe too.
You just apply it and buff it in. A second coat can be applied after 8 to 10 hours.
I have been using it on cheese boards and I’m going to re-finish our kitchen table with it. It is expensive, but it goes a long way.
Dave.

[4runr]

I don't make knives, but have put handle scales on a bunch of them. After talking with Tippit, I decided to only use super glue. No regrets. Make sure you sand between coats and ALWAYS wear a respirator.
I wear a glove and put a liberal amount of the glue on the handle, spread it quickly with your gloved finger.
After 2 to 3 coats, you'll have a bomb proof finish that will last a lifetime.

[Bigriver]

 Use Tung oil instead of linseed oil. It will dry way faster for you, and is much better for moisture and scuffing. I also use Massey finishes on wood scales. It is easy and tough as nails. You can buff it, to a satin , or polish it to a gloss.
Mix 2 ton epoxy in little batches, add acetone and stir with a little stick. I apply it with a finger like true oil. It dries fast! experiment a little, it's cheap.

[acolobowhunter]

10-4  Might have to give it a try

[Morganic_Blades]

I used to use linseed and mineral oil  mixed but recently have found a product that is food safe and is a superior option to tru oil and tung or teak. It’s called Rubio mono coat pure,  and was created for flooring and cutting boards. Not sure the make up of it but sand to 600 or 1k and wipe this on let dry and buff with sheep wool. Best finish I have found and works in micarta and resins for that final wipe! Just my two cents but found this at my local Wood shop and haven’t looked back!

[acolobowhunter]

I"ll check it out at our wood working store.

[tippit]

I use TruOil by wiping it on with a paper towel and immediately wiping it off with another dry paper towel.  The minimum layer of TruOil dries within an hour if left in the sun. I can do 4-5 coats a day and there isn't a thick layer of glossy TruOil. I don't need to sand in between coats. This is my finish for knife handles and bows that I reduce weight...tippit

[Pine]

^^^^^ LIKE THIS ^^^^^

[bjansen]

Couple options:

I often use stabilized wood and then just coat with tru oil after final sanding….or if my little bottles of tru oil are dried up, I use antique oil (can be found at most hardware stores for $10ish for a quart

Tru oil can also be poured out in a little dob and then Mixed with a spray or two of Armor All (interior car care product) and it makes it dry significantly faster.  I don’t fully understand why but it works!

One other option for a topcoat on stabilized wood (or any wood) is Odies oil. It’s a mix of wax and oil and really is nice stuff. I use it often as well.

[FerretWYO]

Like some of the others have said. I seldom use materials that are not stabilized anymore. This way I can sand through 800-1500 grit and buff up to perfection. Give me a call if you need any help or ideas.

Randy

[Rathbuck]

Like some of the others have said. I seldom use materials that are not stabilized anymore. This way I can sand through 800-1500 grit and buff up to perfection. Give me a call if you need any help or ideas.

Randy

Same here.  I started stabilizing my own last year, but still buy a few pieces here and there.  I typically sand to 1000 grit, then hit it with the buffer - usually buff up to a beautiful shine. 

[Sam Harper]

I use Tru Oil because it's really durable, cheap, and easy to apply. I pour some in a bottle cap, apply it with my finger, and wipe as much off with a paper towel as I can. This creates a really thin layer that'll dry within 20 minutes, so I can put on another layer. I can apply 20 layers in two days if I want. If I don't want the gloss, I can take that off with steel wool.

There are two things I don't like about TruOil, though. It can turn the spine of your knife a little yellow. Also, there's this line you can see between the spine where it's part of the handle, and the spine where it's part of the blade. I don't know how to make that line disappear.