buffing knife handle

[badgeringtim]

I know i have read in here about people using a compound on a knife handle to get a super fine glossy finish on things like antler and bufalo and wood.

Can anyone tell me what compound is usable and if i can apply it with a drill rather than the bench grinder.

Quick response appreciated it needs finishing for a wedding!!

thanks in advance!

Tim

 

[spamel]

Shellac. Leaves a very shiny finish and looks really nice.

 

[badgeringtim]

I thought you could get compounds that you put on the mop of a grinder. I have a small fabric mop for a drill and figured it might last for the one handle. But i have no idea what the different blue, red, green compounds are or which would be best.
I remember someone posted about it before but i cant see it.
I would prefer to oil the handle than shelac which as i understand is more a build up of thin layers of varnish?

i usually dont use power tools so anything that might be able to be put onto a long strip of leather and pulled back and forth over it would also be good....??

hmmm?

 

[gregorach]

The budget option is toothpaste.

 

[elma]

you have to be careful with wood as some compounds will push residue into the grain and make it look dirty.
A tip I picked up on BB is to sand the handle as fine as possible then burnish it with a clean piece of leather to flatten any raised grain, oil the handle with teak, tung or danish oil and allow a few days for it to dry & harden, burnish again, then polish with a clean loose mop using canuba wax, vonax compound or the light blue or pink compound.
apply the compound very sparingly or it will build up on the handle, use light pressure on the mop, always keeping the handle moving to reduce heat

I hope this helps

Ian

 

[CaptainBeaky]

For buffalo horn - use T-Cut on a lint-free cloth (old linen tea towel is ideal) to polish, then beeswax furniture polish.

 

[bushwacker bob]

For buffalo horn - use T-Cut on a lint-free cloth (old linen tea towel is ideal) to polish, then beeswax furniture polish.

I use autosol in the same way.

 

[badgeringtim]

Great some good ideas there.

Im down to using a 1500 wet and dry now so getting fairly smooth, my bufallo seems to have soem grain to it which i didnt expect, i wonder if i left to much close to the surface. To late to mind now!
I plan to have a few more goes with the wet and dry and then go for the blue or pink compound. Wghat do the colours relate to and are these producer specific or will all pink be fine.
Then can use Canbura Wax to buff it out with last then the sheath.......

thanks for the suggestions, very much appreciated.
Will try to get some pics on when done!

 

[brancho]

This was done with liquid metal polish pretty much the same as T cut and autosol

I would soak the wood of the knife in danish oil before polishing the buffalo horn to reduce the chance of anything staing the wood.