Thread: What are you working on?

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Son bought me these upgrades from amazon.
Having had the traditional jeweler set for years, I love the way these fit. Strap or glasses arms, and the lenses stay in firmly.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...ENT2J3GDAQY0XV
Attachment 307627
Cheers.

Thanks for the info Mike, I would like to try those out. I have my second set of Optivisor's number 5 on the way, My first pair are going into my mobile unit for on-site guitar repairs.

So I just put on Tru-Oil coat #6 over African Blackwood scales. I'm following your instructions to the letter, Mike. I even have the Howard's Restore a Shine and the Jubilee Floor Wax ready for the finishing rub-in. I look forward to the results; it's wonderful stuff to work with-very easy to rub-in and rub-off the excess for each coat!

Drying in the sun-very quick in the hot dry breezes lately! I hope it brings out the red in that front/show scale!

I'm surprised the grain is still visible, after six coats.

I had a tough time with True Oil and the blackwood, and ends up using a water based, acrylic.

Another done with high grit sanding, and rubbed out with Howards Restore A Shine.

It was very dense, and oily.

Hope yours comes out for ya, I've wanted to see it with Tru Oil, on it. Should highlight that wonderful grain and color.

Remember.. Give it two days drying after the last coat, then the steel wool, Howards, Jubilee.

Any soft spots, and the steel wool will tell you with a vengeance. Gotts ta be totally dry.!!

Originally Posted by outback

I'm surprised the grain is still visible, after six coats.

I had a tough time with True Oil and the blackwood, and ends up using a water based, acrylic.

Another done with high grit sanding, and rubbed out with Howards Restore A Shine.

It was very dense, and oily.

Hope yours comes out for ya, I've wanted to see it with Tru Oil, on it. Should highlight that wonderful grain and color.

Remember.. Give it two days drying after the last coat, then the steel wool, Howards, Jubilee.

Any soft spots, and the steel wool will tell you with a vengeance. Gotts ta be totally dry.!!

Got it, Mike-I've got too much work in this set to blow it on the final finish; I know that patience is key-And I'm also a little surprised at the grain still showing too, though if you were to see this piece up close, it has a lot of little squiggly open grain lines that my lousy Iphone pics don't show. At any rate, I sanded up to 600, did a thorough initial 50/50 wash-coat to start-I mean, I really kept rubbing it in until it got too sticky to work. I did a full-strength wet-sand step with Tru Oil at 800 and 1 at 1200, really working the mud into the pores. In any event, it looks way better in person, and I think will finish just fine.

As for oily, I know it's a Dalbergia, so worked it over real good with acetone on a rag, then 91% isopropyl alchohol to be sure I got most of the surface oils out. I have heard of baths in denatured alcohol, but that didn't seem necessary, and every coat has dried quickly and tack-free. I have high hopes for the final finish, as the blade that will sit in them is just gorgeous, very angular and commanding like I tried to shape the scales-we'll see.

In contrast, the cocobolo scales I've got progressing for another build are so oily, I didn't even try. I have just sanded them and polished them up with Fabuluster, and then buffed in several coats of Renaissance Wax:

Prettiest wood finish I've ever gotten, I think, and it's not even a "real" finish-I love the Rosewood family! I'm also loving the Renaissance Wax. I just got my 1st tub, and I'm slowly protecting my entire collection as I put the next one in my rotation away. If it's good enough for the British Museum...

edit: Oh, and I've got a smaller, smilin' Wosty IXL going in these. It should be a real looker with brass hardware, I'm thinking.

That wax coating looks very nice. I haven't tried it yet. The Tru-oil can be tricky, but after you have done a few sets it gets easier. Love the stuff. BTW, i found storing the bottles upside down keeps it from making a skin in the bottle. Just be sure its closed tight.

Jerry-Just get a blank of any Dalbergia (rosewood, coco, etc.), and it will work. Sand/polish up to about 2 to 3k, and polish with a buffing wheel. I use Fabuluster because it works on everything really, but probably many other polishes or compounds would work. A few coats of wax buffed in, and you will have a gorgeous finish that seems to glow from within-both satiny AND glossy if that makes sense (without that "plastic" look that many don't like). Ebony will work this way, as I'm sure Kingwood and Lignum Vitae or any equally dense tropical wood would.

It's really easy with the right wood; probably best to always let the wood tell you what it wants for a finish?

Yes. Ebony. ( black n white ). Will shine up as you speak.

High grit sanded, steel wooled, Howards and Jubilee.

Originally Posted by outback

Yes. Ebony. ( black n white ). Will shine up as you speak.

High grit sanded, steel wooled, Howards and Jubilee.

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Originally Posted by outback

Yes. Ebony. ( black n white ). Will shine up as you speak.

High grit sanded, steel wooled, Howards and Jubilee.

Good to know, Mike, as I'm gonna be doing a very distinctive blade I've got coming in that Gaboon Ebony blank below. I just got back from my knife-making friend's house with the Red Mallee Burl blanks he stabilized for me, also in the pic: