wood finishing

[heath]

I'm working on my first knife project and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on finishing the oak handle, ie what grit should I sand to, how should I finish, what oil, wax?
I really don't have a clue.
Cheers Heath

 

[Draven]

I usually sand to about 600, then finish with a really fine steel wool. For oiling, I usually stick to linseed but a lot of others use Danish oil.

Best of luck mate!

 

[Shinken]

Danish oil is good stuff and dries quick. it will darken the wood a bit though, but you may want that. If you want to keep it light use a clear sanding sealer. Sand it untill you are happy with the finish as Draven says 600 ish is a good figure to aim at.

 

[heath]

sounds simple enough, where can I get Linseed/Danish oil from?

 

[davep90]

I used colron danish oil on my bushcrafter oak handle and can reccomend it over linsead. BnQ stock it.

 

[weaver]

Oak is open grained and needs filling to get a smooth finish. A neat trick is to wet the wood with Danish oil, sand with 600 grit paper while the oil is still wet, let it dry then do the oil as you normally would.

 

[fishfish]

excuse me butting in,but i too am relativly new to this oil malarky too! i use boiled linseed,what is danish oil then?

 

[davep90]

Danish oil is like a blend of different oils and resins that soaks into wood and brings out the grain and colour, it also seals and dries like a satin varnish.
(yes I read the tin)

 

[weaver]

You make a similar blend on your own. Mix 1 part boiled linseed oil, 1 part mineral spirits, 1 part polyurethane stir slowly so as not to make bubbles. Wipe on with a clean cloth, let it set 10 minutes and rub well into the wood. Dry overnight and repeat until level of gloss you prefer.

 

[brancho]

You can get Linseed/Danish oil from DIY or decorating store its not expensive.
I you can try a test piece.
My advice is to saok the handle in Danish oil overnight and buff it up over a few days while it drys out.
I have tested danish oil on oak and my results with Rustins danish oil did not darken it.
I hope come out well and let us see it when you finish it.

 

[heath]

thanks guys, great advice.