Filling pores in wenge

[Hubert S.]

I am working on a petty knife handle made from wenge wood and am looking for recommendations on how to finish it. The wood has pretty large pores. On a previous handle I made, I filled them using 2P10 CA glue, but did not like the look at all. After sanding to 2,500 grit and a little buffing, the filled pores really stood out because they were much shinier than the rest of the wood. I am wondering if I might get better results with the Starbond KBL-500 black CA glue, but it says "polishes to a high gloss finish" on the bottle. I would appreciate any recommendations. As I am typing this, I am trying to convince myself that I really like that rustic open pore look...

 

[Natlek]

I am working on a petty knife handle made from wenge wood and am looking for recommendations on how to finish it. The wood has pretty large pores. On a previous handle I made, I filled them using 2P10 CA glue, but did not like the look at all. After sanding to 2,500 grit and a little buffing, the filled pores really stood out because they were much shinier than the rest of the wood. I am wondering if I might get better results with the Starbond KBL-500 black CA glue, but it says "polishes to a high gloss finish" on the bottle. I would appreciate any recommendations. As I am typing this, I am trying to convince myself that I really like that rustic open pore look...

I have make two or three handles from wenge and I like that rustic open pores look . It is wood , why should i make plastic from wood ?

 

[DevinT]

Try using a wire brush for a textured look. The layers in the wood are different hardness and gives it a nice look and feel. It’s not an answer to your question but give it a try.

Hoss

 

[Lorien]

the nicest thing about wenge is the texture, imo. Maybe not the best material choice for a kitchen knife for that reason

 

[HSC ///]

I leave wenge natural. I think it looks great the way it is

 

[FredyCro]

Wet sanding with tru oil or danish oil will fill the pores. They will still be visible, but wont negatively stand out. If you dont like the look, use other wood

 

[Hubert S.]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions. I tried Hoss's suggestion on a test piece and I like the effect, so I'll go with that. The added texture makes the pores blend in rather than stand out after finishing to a high grit.

Any recommendations for finishes to apply after wire brushing?

 

[Hubert S.]

I leave wenge natural. I think it looks great the way it is

I bought the wenge because of a knife picture you posted, and it looked somewhat rustic if I recall correctly. I can't find the post, maybe it was just a picture without a description that mentioned wenge.

What grit do you sand to and what finish do you apply?

 

[Bühlmann]

This thread is USELESS without pics.

 

[Hubert S.]

Wet sanding with tru oil or danish oil will fill the pores. They will still be visible, but wont negatively stand out. If you dont like the look, use other wood

I have tried it with Watco Danish oil and BLO without success, that's why I used CA glue last time. With the CA glue, it took several applications to fill the pores. I started this at 400 grit and by the time I got the excess CA glue sanded off, there'd be some new open pores. I think I took the last CA glue application off with 800 or 1000 grit paper. Admittedly, I don't really know how to do this properly, or maybe I am just too impatient and did not give the oil enough time to cure between applications. Maybe tru-oil is the answer, it seems thicker and dries more quickly.

 

[Hubert S.]

This thread is USELESS without pics.

This is the handle after wire brushing. It's difficult to get a good picture that shows the texture and the contrast in the wood. I'll post another picture when I complete the knife.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I agree on wire brushing. I have used a fine steel wheel, a nickel wire wheel, and a brass wheel on wenge and similar woods. They all work, with slightly different results.

I suggest you wet-sand with a good oil finish first, and after completely drying wire brush well.

 

[HSC ///]

I bought the wenge because of a knife picture you posted, and it looked somewhat rustic if I recall correctly. I can't find the post, maybe it was just a picture without a description that mentioned wenge.

What grit do you sand to and what finish do you apply?

I rarely sand past 400/800, I don’t buff and no finish application.
I know this probably sounds outrageous to all of you ….

Edit; I use a hard paste wax that I hand rub in

 

[Hubert S.]

I agree on wire brushing. I have used a fine steel wheel, a nickel wire wheel, and a brass wheel on wenge and similar woods. They all work, with slightly different results.

I suggest you wet-sand with a good oil finish first, and after completely drying wire brush well.

Thanks for the suggestions. I just used a hand held brush for now. The wheels I have are pretty stiff and I was afraid they might be too aggressive. I'll look for a softer/fine wheel next time I'm at the hardware store.

 

[Lorien]

I rarely sand past 400/800, I don’t buff and no finish application.
I know this probably sounds outrageous to all of you ….

Edit; I use a hard paste wax that I hand rub in

I, for one, am outraged!

 

[HSC ///]

Thanks for the suggestions. I just used a hand held brush for now. The wheels I have are pretty stiff and I was afraid they might be too aggressive. I'll look for a softer/fine wheel next time I'm at the hardware store.

Steel wool can work as well. I use steel wool on my burnt oak handles which gives more texture and cleans off the charring.

 

[Hubert S.]

Steel wool can work as well. I use steel wool on my burnt oak handles which gives more texture and cleans off the charring.

Do you just torch the handles a little and then rub them with steel wool?

 

[HSC ///]

Do you just torch the handles a little and then rub them with steel wool?

Burnt oak

Sand to 120
Burn with flame
Rub with Steel wool
Buff - u can use a cloth to polish by hand
Oil tung or linseed.
Buff or hand polish
Paste wax

 

[Lorien]

I've read that pure tung oil, (I use the kind with thinners) is a completely non toxic, awesome sealant for wood handle knives. The real stuff apparently takes days to apply properly, but seals super well and won't introduce petro chemicals into your kitchen. Tung oil 'finish' is fast acting, since I suppose the solvents penetrate quick and also evaporate right away- so fewer coats and less drying time.

 

[FredyCro]

I have tried it with Watco Danish oil and BLO without success, that's why I used CA glue last time. With the CA glue, it took several applications to fill the pores. I started this at 400 grit and by the time I got the excess CA glue sanded off, there'd be some new open pores. I think I took the last CA glue application off with 800 or 1000 grit paper. Admittedly, I don't really know how to do this properly, or maybe I am just too impatient and did not give the oil enough time to cure between applications. Maybe tru-oil is the answer, it seems thicker and dries more quickly.

I develop a slurry of oil and wood dust with 220 or 320 and the oil and leave it on the handle for a bit, it will become sticky. Then you rub it in the pores and off the handle. You are right, tru oil will become sticky fast, but you should be able to do it with cheaper oils and leave Tru Oil for the finish. I am interested in the pic of your CA finish, if you have some.

It would be great to do a comparison of all finishes on the same wood. Greenberg Woods this topic could be interesting to you.