Question about walnut handle

I recently came across a stack of walnut lumber my Grandpa had stashed in his barn. Likely 50 years old. After cleaning it up and squaring it, I decided to tackle knife making. Have made a dozen or so oyster knives and I'm now reading that the wood should be stabilized!?!? I have been finishing these knives with a few coats of salad bowl finish then a few layers of carnauba wax. 2 of these have separated from the tang and I zap-a-gapped it. Question is, am I on the right track? Should I get the wood stabilized? Thanks!
 
Some varieties of walnut do not react favorably to "stabilizing". The other part of the equation is that the term "stabilizing" is often loosely thrown around...... IE: I've heard some folks claim they are stabilizing by soaking it some concoction.... when in reality stabilizing in much more involved. That being said, IF you choose to have the wood stabilized, make sure you send it out to a professional such as K&G, Texas Knifemakers supply, or WSSI. I personally experimented with doing my own stabilizing for a couple of years..... its FAR more economical to just send it to a professional.

Walnut, being what it is, requires some type of protection for longevity as a knife handle. My personally choice when stabilizing isn't an option is to use Tru-Oil. Its the stuff you can find and gun shops and even Walmart for finishing/refinishing gun stocks. It requires some time and effort to apply correctly, but it does offer a durable, long lasting finish to raw woods.

You mentioned that handles have separated from the tang(s)... There could be a lot of factors coming into play with that...something as simple as taking some walnut that has been curing for 50 years, then using it around moisture/water can cause the wood to "swell" or "warp", which will often cause separation from a tang. IF those factors are not involved, it's likely a combination of preparation issues, and "glue" issue. If you use/used the two part, 5-Minute epoxy that's available in most stores, chances are good that it's not waterproof, or much of anything "proof". Even going to the "2 ton" over the 5 minute is a step up. There are a number of much higher quality epoxy type adhesives available then either of those. I personally use Brownells AcraGlass, but any of the higher end epoxy type "glues" have superior performance to the "hardware store" epoxies.

Obviously I can't say with certainty that those issues are your culprits, but based on past experiences, those are generally contributing factors.

Another big thing is the preparation of the mating surfaces....... flat, true, light "roughed" up, and CLEAN. Two of the biggest mistakes generally made when using any epoxy type adhesives..... 1. Improper surface preparation. 2. OVER clamping...meaning that the clamping pressure is to intense, and the majority of the "glue" is forced out of the joint, which causes premature joint failure.

If you're creating a full tang knife (one where you use "slabs" glued directly to the tang) a trick is that once the tang and handle slabs are flat and true.....use a contact wheel to grind a "hollow" down the center of the tang....this gives that glue someplace to abide, versus having it all forced out of the joint when the slabs are clamped onto the tang.
 
Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts on this. I will send some walnut to be stabilized. In the meantime though, great points on epoxy quality and over clamping. I am guilty of both! Thanks again, happy Presidents Day.
 
Ed, will Tung oil be just as good as Tru-oil? I don't know if there is much difference in them but since you recommend tru-oil I was wondering if you thought Tung-oil would work just as good. I routinely use Tung-oil but if Tru-oil is better, I will switch over.

Thanks for the info.

Grizzly
 
Opinions on Tung oil will likely vary, but personally I far prefer Tru-Oil. That being said, Tru-Oil is a lot more labor and time intensive to apply correctly. Its not uncommon for me to take 3-5 days to get a tru-oil finish on a handle. So..... I certainly won't say that one is "better" then the other, just that I personally prefer Tru-Oil of the two. :)
 
Hi

Pure Tung Oil isn't a great finishing product. I used it on 1911 grips and it made the wood look like plastic that deteriorated in the sun. I've used Tung Oil FINISH (has varnish in it) on 10-20 knives and they've held us very well. I put on several coats of linseed oil on the scales before I finish. Like mentioned on this forum, I put on finish, let it dry, and then buff it with steel wool for a few coats before I move on.

Later
 
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