df

dafyddw

31/03/2008 1:10 AM

wood knife handles

HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
me the best way to finish the wood?
cheers
DW


This topic has 12 replies

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Andy Dingley

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

02/04/2008 5:51 AM

On 1 Apr, 16:12, Peter Huebner <[email protected]> wrote:

> What I am curious about is: what do you use to rivet the shells onto the knife
> tang? Or do you use screws? I've tried to get stock for riveting some knife
> handles once, and drew a total blank.

I use thick brazing rod (brass), but anneal it first. You have to be
an insane quantity if it's just for rivetting, but if you're doing
brazing anyway the stuff is cheap and handy.

Otherwise model shops. They're expensive per-pound, but they sell
small quantities in a range of sizes.

df

dafyddw

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

01/04/2008 1:06 AM

On 1 Apr, 03:14, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "r payne" wrote:
> > For knife handles I use linseed oil (either raw or boiled), a mix of
> > linseed oil and beeswas or plain beeswax. =A0To apply the oil, wipe
> > some
> > on, let it set for a few minutes then wipe off the excess and allow
> > to
> > dry. =A0Drying will take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours for boiled
> > (maybe
> > longer if it is cold or humid) to a week or more for raw. =A0For the
> > mix
> > of beeswax and oil, I mix about even parts oil, wax and turpentine
> > (helps disolve the wax) then wipe that on wait a day then polish or
> > buff. =A0For straight wax, the wax has to be melted on carefully.
>
> SFWIW, totally by accident I created your version of "Special sheep
> dip" as follows:
>
> Using a 1 lb coffee can, add 1 cup each of beeswax, BLO and turps.
>
> Place coffee can in a 2 qt saucepan, about 1/2 full of water, which
> creates a double boiler of sorts.
>
> Place sauce pan over low heat and allow everything to melt and mix.
>
> When wax has melted and mixed, remove coffee can from water with a
> pair of pliers and allow to cool.
>
> If mix is too hard to apply easily, remelt adding more turps.
>
> Cap coffee can with plastic cover to keep on shelf.
>
> YMMV
>
> Lew

Many many thanks for all the advice thus far! I've noticed that Teak
oil is apparently a mixture of tung and others . Would this be
suitable?
DW

rp

r payne

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

01/04/2008 1:39 AM



dafyddw wrote:

> HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
> 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
> me the best way to finish the wood?
> cheers
> DW

For knife handles I use linseed oil (either raw or boiled), a mix of
linseed oil and beeswas or plain beeswax. To apply the oil, wipe some
on, let it set for a few minutes then wipe off the excess and allow to
dry. Drying will take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours for boiled (maybe
longer if it is cold or humid) to a week or more for raw. For the mix
of beeswax and oil, I mix about even parts oil, wax and turpentine
(helps disolve the wax) then wipe that on wait a day then polish or
buff. For straight wax, the wax has to be melted on carefully.

ron

rp

r payne

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

01/04/2008 10:59 PM



Peter Huebner wrote:

> In article <079a02bb-5ea1-4c7c-92fe-d7bfbc2bc335@u10g2000prn.googlegroups.com>,
> [email protected] says...
> > HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
> > 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
> > me the best way to finish the wood?
> > cheers
> > DW
> >
>
> What I am curious about is: what do you use to rivet the shells onto the knife
> tang? Or do you use screws? I've tried to get stock for riveting some knife
> handles once, and drew a total blank.
>
> -P.
>
> --
> =========================================
> firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

I go old school and peen brass rod.

ron

m

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

01/04/2008 11:40 AM


"Peter Huebner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article
> <079a02bb-5ea1-4c7c-92fe-d7bfbc2bc335@u10g2000prn.googlegroups.com>,
> [email protected] says...
>> HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
>> 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
>> me the best way to finish the wood?
>> cheers
>> DW
>>
>
> What I am curious about is: what do you use to rivet the shells onto the
> knife
> tang? Or do you use screws? I've tried to get stock for riveting some
> knife
> handles once, and drew a total blank.
>
> -P.
>
> --
> =========================================
> firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

What I use is
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=40386&cat=3,41306,41327
Click on View to see more details.
The wood I use is: Tiger maple, Bird eyes maple. As for the finish I only
use pure Tung oil on maple or bee wax finish.
Hope this help
Denis

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Andy Dingley

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

31/03/2008 11:28 AM

On 31 Mar, 09:10, dafyddw <[email protected]> wrote:
> HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
> 'finish' the wood.

I'd avoid tung oil in favour of a commercial blended oil based on
tung. You really need to use thinners and driers in addition to pure
tung - otherwise it's quite awkward to use. The risk with oil,
especially pure tung, is that you put it on too thick and then it
never dries properly. The trick for any oil finish (and indeed most
finishes) is to only ever use thin coats.

If you did apply it too thick and it refuses to dry beyond sticky,
scrub it clean with white spirit on a rag, then re-apply more thinly.

For plain oil finishes on knife handles with "smart" wood finishes,
then I'd use about four or five coats of Liberon's finishing oil,
buffed out heavily between coats with a 3M or Webrax plastic abrasive
pad in the finest grey colour. I don't make an effort to do this, just
leave it on the table and give it a new coat whenever I walk past.
Leave a good few hours between coats in this weather. When it's done,
leave it a few days somewhere warm and then finally buff it and wax it
with a white pad.

For "workshop" tools I use Danish oil instead, which is a mix of oil
and a little varnish. Tougher, but doesn't look as nice as a plain oil.

rr

randyswoodshoop

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

31/03/2008 3:46 AM

On Mar 31, 3:10=A0am, dafyddw <[email protected]> wrote:
> HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
> 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
> me the best way to finish the wood?
> cheers
> DW

Hi,
Alot of knife makers just use rouge on a buffing wheel to finsh there
handles.
I like to use tung oil on the wood handles.
randy
http://nokeswoodworks.com

PH

Peter Huebner

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

02/04/2008 3:12 AM

In article <079a02bb-5ea1-4c7c-92fe-d7bfbc2bc335@u10g2000prn.googlegroups.com>,
[email protected] says...
> HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
> 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
> me the best way to finish the wood?
> cheers
> DW
>

What I am curious about is: what do you use to rivet the shells onto the knife
tang? Or do you use screws? I've tried to get stock for riveting some knife
handles once, and drew a total blank.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

SI

Smaug Ichorfang

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

01/04/2008 6:59 PM

Peter Huebner <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> In article
> <079a02bb-5ea1-4c7c-92fe-d7bfbc2bc335@u10g2000prn.googlegroups.com>,
> [email protected] says...
>> HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
>> 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
>> me the best way to finish the wood?
>> cheers
>> DW
>>
>
> What I am curious about is: what do you use to rivet the shells onto
> the knife tang? Or do you use screws? I've tried to get stock for
> riveting some knife handles once, and drew a total blank.
>
> -P.
>

I highly recomend http://www.jantzsupply.com/ for *all* your knife making
supplies - wood and mineral scales, blades, rivets/corbys/etc. They have a
good page on knifemaking info. I've built many of their kits (folders),
and used many "bare" blades for projects. You can even call them up and
just chat about knives!

rr

randyswoodshoop

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

31/03/2008 10:41 AM

On Mar 31, 7:33=A0am, dafyddw <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 31 Mar, 11:46, randyswoodshoop <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On Mar 31, 3:10=A0am, dafyddw <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
> > > 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
> > > me the best way to finish the wood?
> > > cheers
> > > DW
>
> > Hi,
> > Alot of knife makers just use rouge on a buffing wheel to finsh there
> > handles.
> > I like to use tung oil on the wood handles.
> > randyhttp://nokeswoodworks.com
>
> Thanks Randy, how many coats of the tung oil do you use, and do you
> buff it up after?
> cheers
> DW

I do at least three and yes I do buff
Randy
http://nokeswoodwroks.com

df

dafyddw

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

31/03/2008 5:33 AM

On 31 Mar, 11:46, randyswoodshoop <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mar 31, 3:10=A0am, dafyddw <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > HI , I've just cut some handles for a knife, but now I need to
> > 'finish' the wood. I'm a real newbie to woodworking. Can anyone tell
> > me the best way to finish the wood?
> > cheers
> > DW
>
> Hi,
> Alot of knife makers just use rouge on a buffing wheel to finsh there
> handles.
> I like to use tung oil on the wood handles.
> randyhttp://nokeswoodworks.com

Thanks Randy, how many coats of the tung oil do you use, and do you
buff it up after?
cheers
DW

LH

"Lew Hodgett"

in reply to dafyddw on 31/03/2008 1:10 AM

01/04/2008 2:14 AM


"r payne" wrote:


> For knife handles I use linseed oil (either raw or boiled), a mix of
> linseed oil and beeswas or plain beeswax. To apply the oil, wipe
> some
> on, let it set for a few minutes then wipe off the excess and allow
> to
> dry. Drying will take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours for boiled
> (maybe
> longer if it is cold or humid) to a week or more for raw. For the
> mix
> of beeswax and oil, I mix about even parts oil, wax and turpentine
> (helps disolve the wax) then wipe that on wait a day then polish or
> buff. For straight wax, the wax has to be melted on carefully.


SFWIW, totally by accident I created your version of "Special sheep
dip" as follows:

Using a 1 lb coffee can, add 1 cup each of beeswax, BLO and turps.

Place coffee can in a 2 qt saucepan, about 1/2 full of water, which
creates a double boiler of sorts.

Place sauce pan over low heat and allow everything to melt and mix.

When wax has melted and mixed, remove coffee can from water with a
pair of pliers and allow to cool.

If mix is too hard to apply easily, remelt adding more turps.

Cap coffee can with plastic cover to keep on shelf.

YMMV

Lew


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