Handle Finish Questions...

DonL

DonL

Well-Known Member
Just wanted to see how everyone finishes off their Mycarta/G-10 and Un-Stabilized wood handles. I've seen several ways mentioned, but just wanted to see what the majority of makers do. It seems that whenever I'm working with Mycarta, whether mine or bought, it will get a stain on it if it comes into contact with anything wet. I've tried finishing my home brew mycarta (cloth mycarta) with Renwax, but it just made the scales darker. I know have some from Tracy (Camo mycarta) and I've already have a few spots on it!

Also, of the wood I've used so far (Oak and Mesquite), I've used Tru Oil or straight Renwax. Just wondering how everyone finishes off their un-stabilized wood handles. I have some Ironwood and Black Walnut I'll be using soon.

And while I'm on it, if you don't mind me asking one more question...

When using a thick liner and a scale, do you just epoxy the two together? Can you epoxy wood and mycarta or g10 successfully or is there another method to joining these materials? I'm really liking some of the wood/g10 combinations I've seen lately and I have a few ideas of my own.

Thanks everyone in advance for your suggestions, they're much appreciated!
 
Don, I did handles long before getting into knife making so oddly enough, my experience started with the cart before the horse... with that said, I've had great success in finishing un-stabilized woods (read oily woods, such as rosewoods, teaks and ebony) with either CA (super glue) or preferably with shellac. The shellac is a bit of a protocol as I like to do a couple of very thin and quick coat of linseed oil / tung oil followed by shellac ( 5-10 coats) and left as is or sprayed with poly. When I don't use poly, I'll finish with sparthane. Some woods do well with renwax as you've mentioned but it all depends on the end user. Kitchen knives get the natural route as they are around food and drying heavy metals like those found in many finishes look awful when you disclose it to the owner.

With micarta and G-10, I like leaving them in the raw as the oils in the hands of the user will typically add their own sheen.
 
For micarta and G10 just sand them out to like 1500 grit and buff. I read somewhere that you can restore the high gloss to micarta by hitting with a thin coat of WD-40. No finish is required for stabilized wood. Just sand to a very fine grit and buff. For unstabilized wood, it will depend on the wood. I did a handle with old world lignum vitae and all I did was sand it out to 1500 grit and it shines like plastic. I didn't put anything on it because it's so dense and oily. Same for African Blackwood. Osage Orange I sand it out fine and apply boiled linseed oil after sanding; it will only absorb 2-3 coats before it stops absorbing. I've done Brizilian Rosewood by sanding out to about 600 grit and applying boiled linseed oil until it stops absorbing. The last time I think it was 8-10 coats.

If I am using a liner with the scales I glue the liner to the scale blank first. If have to do pre-shaping on the bandsaw I glue to liner to the scales first. Then I glue the scale/liner assembly to the tang. Rough up the surface of the liner before glueing.

Doug
 
The one thing here that I think you might not know is that you want to finish the end of the scales before you epoxy and bolt them on. Or at least I always do! :lol:
What every the finish you want on the whole handle gets done first, Upfront!
Then after Epoxy & Loveless type bolts I epoxy each layer of liner to the blade and each other till the scales are done.

Do this on that Ironwood and I then finish up till 800G and then buff.
That Dessert Ironwood has so much oil and is a real belt clogger & Burner!:34: Have fun with it! lol.
 
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