polishing superglue over wood?

fishface5

fishface5

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I re-handled this kitchen knife in stabilized wood & then used superglue to cover the handle, but it has an uneven texture - what is the best way to sand/buff/polish it to be smooth & even & glossy? When I use sandpaper it just scratches it up, and I tried using very fine grit on the belt-sander but that sort of melted the glue off. Any suggestions appreciated thanks!
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stabilized wood does not require a finish.
I would sand the glue off the handle and use progressively finer grits of sandpaper to finish the wood to around 1000 grit, then buff with green rouge.
 
fishface5 said:
I re-handled this kitchen knife in stabilized wood & then used superglue to cover the handle, but it has an uneven texture - what is the best way to sand/buff/polish it to be smooth & even & glossy? When I use sandpaper it just scratches it up, and I tried using very fine grit on the belt-sander but that sort of melted the glue off. Any suggestions appreciated thanks!
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What grit are you hand sanding ?

Some superfine wet sanding will probably get you the results you want.
 
Well it's more or less an acrylic coating. I used a bit of elbow grease and white compound meant to buff plastics. Worked pretty well.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
stabilized wood does not require a finish.
I would sand the glue off the handle and use progressively finer grits of sandpaper to finish the wood to around 1000 grit, then buff with green rouge.
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This is a matter of preference as stabilizing doesn't really turn it to a fully solid block, there are still some pores and grain will still raise when wet in many woods. The handles can start looking dull quite quickly sometimes in my experience if they don't have a finish.
 
to make it nice means many layers and block sanding between every one of them. its a PITA and only worth it now and then when you want the wood to look "under glass"

i use it as a wood pore filler but little more then that it only takes one tiem that the finish starts to peel off and you will stop using it (some woods are bad due to natural oils)
 
argel55 said:
0000 steel wool.
then buff white compound
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Oh forgot about the steel wool.

It's not that big a deal. Try a couple of things on a piece of scrap wood and you should find a good method. I did a CA coating over stabilized wood because I couldn't get a finish that I liked without it. I'm very pleased with my finish, and if I changed my mind it's a few minutes with a bit of sandpaper. No biggie.
 
As the guys have said, use many thin coats, sanding down between each coat. Personally I use CA glue like Butch does - as a pore filler. For that I use a bit thinner CA to flood the handle, then I sand it down to the wood and finish with my normal methods (e.g., Danish oil, TruOil).

Good luck!

TedP
 
ok thanks guys much good info
I wanted to cover this handle b/c the last kitchen knife I did hadstabilized wood without a coating and lost its luster pretty quick with real use.
I am letting my friend use it for a while as it to see how it holds up before I put effort into prettying it up
 
You will be as unhappy with a handle coated with a layer of cyanoacrylic as you were with the plain buffed stabilized wood.

If you want a reasonably durable finish ( no finish last forever under kitchen use), what you need to do with the CA is "fill" the wood. You apply CA to the wood surface, wait a while, and sand it all down to the surface. You should see no CA on the actual surface anymore. Repeat this as many times as needed to completely impregnate the surface. You should use good grade sandpaper for the first couple coats, and then switch to 000 steel wool. The wool will start burnishing the surface as it removes the excess CA., If you start too soon with the wool, it may imbed fibers in the pores that can show up as colored spots later. Once it is a smooth and satin surface, with no pores or pits, sand it to as high a grit as practical, 1000 grit is a minimum, finishing with 000 steel wool. A 10X magnifier is useful to tell if all grain and pores are filled fully.
Once the handle is at the finish you like, buff lightly for a nice finish. Hand buffing with lambs wool works well, but if you machine buff with cotton or linen buffs, avoid any heat or pressure. I have used a 6" disc with a lambs wool buff attached as a buffer to get that glass bright finish on a show knife. White compound can help if needed. Try it dry first, you may be surprised how nicely it buffs to a silky sheen.
Touch up will be as simple as a quick buff with 0000 steel wool and a light buff.

Some people build up a surface coat of CA once the wood is filled, often with as may as 20 layers, but I find this impractical for a knife that will get used. CA is an acrylic, and is fairly soft. A surface coating will turn milky or dull quickly with normal use and washing in soapy water.


Almost forgot.....the CA you want is called THIN CA.
Regular CA will not penetrate the wood nearly as well. I have put thin CA on the end grain of a block of wood, and come back to find the wood glued to the workbench. The thin CA wicked all the way through the block to the other end.
 
you also might be shocke to see how nice a light coat of min. oil with bring back 90%of th look of the wood (thats what i do with my house knives )
 
On a kitchen knife that'll see normal use? Er... I probably wouldn't go with CA either deferring to Stacy's comments, because I believe they are spot on.

The method for application is one thing. I found it easy and effective to get a great finish, however I wouldn't comment on durability or sustained use because... Well, because I can't.
 
My best results came following a blade article 15? years ago. 20 to 30 coats of thin superglue
WITHOUT sanding between coats. Let dry after last coat 7-10 days, sand with 320 to 400
grit and then buff SLOW and COOL without cutting thru the last coat. Result absolute glass
finish. I've got one now with a number of deer- blood, guts, and washing under it, no clouding
or any other finish problems. I'll dig up a pic if needed. I'm pretty sure scalding water or a dishwasher
would do it though I'm not real interested in that with any natural material stabilized or not.
Ken.
 
Wasn't it Kevin Cashen that started the process?

Whoever it was, the process sounded very similar. No sanding between rounds, light sanding at the end, dozens of layers etc...

Maybe I can find the old article. I'll try.
 
Bruce Bump is a master of the CA finish, and has posted tutorials on doing it. IMHO, it is great for a glass surfaced show knife, but not the best for a user.
 
bladsmth said:
Bruce Bump is a master of the CA finish, and has posted tutorials on doing it. IMHO, it is great for a glass surfaced show knife, but not the best for a user.
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I would second Mr. Bump and to also take a look at what Michael Rader is doing with his wooden handles. I have a pear wood gyuto from him where the handle is simply breathtaking.
 
Since Cyanoacrylate is not noted for its water resistance, I would not put it on a user. Epoxy is more water resistant, but it is quite viscous.
 
I clean the wood to remove any oils.tape off the steel apply first coat lightly sand with 320 .second coat sand with 320 then a third sand with 320. Then wet sand with 400 then wet sand with 600 then wet with 1500. Then i use a variable speed car buffer turned way down thewith heat fromtreated the friction will melt the glue with a lambe wool cover and a real fine car polish to buff. Have gotten great results. A claer high gloss finish.!
 
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