Compound sticking in grains

Deering Knives

Deering Knives

Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Messages
132
How do you guys unstick compound from grains after buffing? Some wood it comes right off with mineral oil, others it doesn't seem to budge. I have tried turpentine and magic erasers, currently trying a mineral oil soak overnight. I have heard other people say peanut oil, 409, and mineral spirits. I also found a compound cleaner designed for this sort of thing but I am not sure how safe it is to use with wood with a pH of 6.5. Any tips or experience is helpful. I have considered trying citrus cleaners as well. Thanks guys and God bless


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I Use Fabuluster White Jewellery compound and I don't have any problems with it sticking, Are you using Green Chrome? That's why.
 
I don't do very many wood handles, but normally just about any kind of solvent or cleaner works for breaking any residue loose.... WD-40, acetone, windex... etc...
 
I wipe any staining off with denatured alcohol. I never use oils on handles if I can avoid it.

I also buff with a fine white compound. This minimizes staining. Tape off bolsters and guards to avoid getting the metal swarf on the wood. After the wood is buffed, tape off the wood and polish the metal fittings.
 
If compound if getting caught in the wood grain, it probably should not be buffed.

But WD-40 is the best for dissolving buffing compound. I use it on stag often.
 
Thanks guys. A night soaking in mineral oil didn't work. Acetone did. I will try WD40 and the other suggestions.

Don - I tend to agree so far. often I will refinish knives with a fine grit and avoid the buffer f the compound gets caught up in the grain. It just sucks because when the issue is this bad usually the buffer has made grains really deep even when using lite pressure..when this happens rougher grits come out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I never use a buffer on wood....any wood.
Always hand sand to at least 12/1500 grit, then buff by hand with
a strip of clean towel and a little white compound........
 
Deering Knives said:
Thanks guys. A night soaking in mineral oil didn't work. Acetone did. I will try WD40 and the other suggestions.

Don - I tend to agree so far. often I will refinish knives with a fine grit and avoid the buffer f the compound gets caught up in the grain. It just sucks because when the issue is this bad usually the buffer has made grains really deep even when using lite pressure..when this happens rougher grits come out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
WD-40 works Much better than Acetone.

I only buff stabilized wood and oily wood, like cocobolo & rosewood. Anything else gets a danish oil finish and then maybe a very light buff. I will also use Danish or Tung oil on some stabilized wood.
 
Another thing that prevents the wood from getting stuff in the grain is to fill the grain first. Apply a drying oil, lacquer, varnish, commercial sanding sealer, CA, or other finish and wet sand it in, the after drying, sand it off. This fills the pores and grain. Repeat as needed until the surface is smooth and sealed. Sand up to 2000 grit. This will buff to a high polish either by hand or with a clean buff and a small amount of white polish.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Another thing that prevents the wood from getting stuff in the grain is to fill the grain first. Apply a drying oil, lacquer, varnish, commercial sanding sealer, CA, or other finish and wet sand it in, the after drying, sand it off. This fills the pores and grain. Repeat as needed until the surface is smooth and sealed. Sand up to 2000 grit. This will buff to a high polish either by hand or with a clean buff and a small amount of white polish.
Click to expand...

Now that is a great idea! Thank you
 
Am I the only one using a Sunshine Cloth? My wife uses them on her jewelry and I use them to polish copper and brass as well as wood, stabilized or not. I don't know what is in them but they really work
 
glassguy said:
Am I the only one using a Sunshine Cloth? My wife uses them on her jewelry and I use them to polish copper and brass as well as wood, stabilized or not. I don't know what is in them but they really work
Click to expand...

Never heard of em. Got any photos of the outcome and a description of your sanding process. Right now I hand sand to 400-600 and buff.
 
Sunshine cloths do clean stuff up.

Deering, How dirty is your buffing wheel? Have you used it on metal, then wood? That could be another reason you are having this problem?

I have one buff for each of my compounds and I don't mix them.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
Sunshine cloths do clean stuff up.

Deering, How dirty is your buffing wheel? Have you used it on metal, then wood? That could be another reason you are having this problem?

I have one buff for each of my compounds and I don't mix them.
Click to expand...

It's compound not metal (I can see the color of the compound) and the only metal the wheel touches is the brass and SS pins. Although I am familiar with the dirty junk metals leaves on the wood.
 
If the only metal in the handle is the pins, I usually sand to 600 or 800 then polish with the sunshine cloth. If I have a metal hilt I usually go to 2500 then buff the metal then sunshine cloth on the whole thing. Works on micarta also. Good for tarnished brass and copper.
 
glassguy said:
If the only metal in the handle is the pins, I usually sand to 600 or 800 then polish with the sunshine cloth. If I have a metal hilt I usually go to 2500 then buff the metal then sunshine cloth on the whole thing. Works on micarta also. Good for tarnished brass and copper.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the tips. I am currently trying out the sanding sealer method Stacey recommended. I already use CA to fill large voids but am trying the sealer for all the small stuff that can't be seen until it is full of compound.
 
I use a method like Stacy mentioned. Fill the pores, hand sand to a very fine grit, then lightly buff with fine white rouge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top