Vinegar and stabilized wood?

[Grease]

Question:

Will a bath of boiling vinegar harm a stabilized maple wood handle?

I'm wanting to blue a 1095 blade before I take it to the coast next week. Salty air and 1095 aint the best friends...

 

[Zombie411]

The answer depends on how well the wood was stabilized. If there are any areas of wood that are exposed (drilling pins or sanded thru the layers in final fitting) the vinegar may get in there, and blister the finish.

If you can get a borosilicate graduated cylinder or larger beaker to boil in, and keep the handle out of the bath... you may have less worries.

 

[Grease]

Keeping the handle out won't do it. I want the exposed tang to match. Hmm... Maybe I'll just tape it off really well and hope for the best. Near as I can tell, the only areas that got touched by any abrasives after shaping and finishing are on the sides by the pins. Good to know that it should be vaguely safe though.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Your boiling in vinegar will do little, if anything, to protect the blade against rust.
Just oil the blade.