super glue finish?

Gahagan

Gahagan

Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
130
I am sorry if I sound ignorant but what is this process i have heard about clled super glue finish. I have seen it on several threads the most recent is the burl stabalize thread. Some have commented on the burl being to soft so they finished it off with super glue. What is this process and how is it done? Is it suggested and what are the benifits? I am tring to learn these processes and am asking in a serious manner so if you could give me some insite I would appreciate it.
 
When I first began stabilizing wood, some of the buckeye burl was not becoming as hard as we wanted. The wood was fully stabilized hence it would prevent movement but needed to be a bit harder. Our process has been changed so now the buckeye turns out really hard.

Before that several of the guys using the buckeye applied a super glue finish to give the exterior of the wood an even harder shell.

The way I do a super glue finish is to saturate the surfaces of the wood with super glue aka CA glue and let it dry. This is done after the wood is finish sanded. I would apply a few coats and then fine sand to desired look. After that I would polish the handle on a buffing wheel.

Maybe Bruce Bump or Phillip Dobson will give their input. They are just a couple with experience at this type of finish as well as a number of the other makers here.

I hope this helps, Mark
 
So you finish sand the hadle material and then saturate it in super glue? Does this have any down falls such as discolation on lighter materials or or and how does it old up? Is it an accepted practice on show knives or is it primaraly for hard use knives? Is this standard super glue or crazy glue like you buy at walmart and hardware stores or is this some other form of glue?
 
yes, your standard super glue from the hardware store will work just fine (granted, my experience is with woodturning more than knife handles, but same principle). generally, the thinner the glue (you don't want the gel stuff for this application) the further into the wood it will penetrate. on the other hand, you'll have a harder time using that stuff to fill in small cracks as it won't bridge them like the gel glues will. only down side is that you need to do any staining or finishing prior to this, as it does seal the wood pretty well. think of it as a clear coat.
 
One thing to look for is a water resistant or water proof CA, not all are created equal. If the knife will never see any use it won't matter either way. CA will wear with use like any other finish.
 
The super glue finish process was developed by Scott Slobodian. Here is what he wrote several years ago:

"I do probably 50 coats and sand off 20. Sand to 1500 grit and rub out with a paint compound...I use "Final Cut". Do all your sanding at the end unless you get something stuck in the coats...like cotton, rubber gloves or leaves blowing through the air!

The thin glue sets fast...seconds. As it starts to slow down spritz it with accelorator and it cures immediately. It takes me about half an hour to do a handle...coating it that is."

Scott's knife handles and wood sheaths look like they were dipped in glass. The finish looks very nice.
 
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