Thread: Need a finish for maple scales

I know you are not supposed to get scales wet when shaving and I am good about that. I get the occasional drop on the scales of my Hart when washing or rinsing though. My problem is the scales do not seem to be finished. The grain is raising on me. I have lightly sanded down the raised grain an the scales are very smooth but what can I use so I do not have to keep sanding? Any suggestions are... Needed. I love my Hart.

CA (cyanoacrylate = super glue) puts a beautiful watertight finish on wood.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ints-tips.html

Tung oil might be a good one to use with maple, but please don't take my word on that! Hopefully others will chime in.

Good old bees wax works also

In my opinion, to seal the wood properly you really need to un-pin the razor.

Here's how I do it. Fill a glass jar with Danish oil and totally submerge the scales. Leave them in for a good while, overnight wouldn't hurt. Then take them out and wipe off all of the excess oil until they feel pretty much dry, then leave them overnight to dry out totally. You can repeat this process a couple of times if you want to do a belt and braces job.

I prefer this method to CA glue as it still leaves a natural feel to the wood. Hope this helps

I think CA may be difficult on the on piece Hart scales. I am going to attempt all the suggestions on scales that I am making and decide which I like best before doing the Hart.
Thanks for the suggestions. Once again SRP proves to be an awesome source of knowledge. I can't wait to see the "magic" with CA

I'll throw one more at you, that I got from an excellent bowl turner. Approximately 60% tung oil, 35% poly or spar, and 5% japan drier. His bowls get washed in soap and water regularly, and I have used it on brush handles.

Originally Posted by JTmke

I think CA may be difficult on the on piece Hart scales. I am going to attempt all the suggestions on scales that I am making and decide which I like best before doing the Hart.
Thanks for the suggestions. Once again SRP proves to be an awesome source of knowledge. I can't wait to see the "magic" with CA

One tip for CA that I can't recall whether Glen included in his post: watch for excessive humidity. It can cause clouding of the finish which means sanding down and trying again. I haven't had that problem but I'm in a (relatively) low-humidity part of the world most of the time. I don't have a Hart, so I had forgotten about their one-piece scales. You're right that CA might be a bit of a challenge to use on them. I'm sure it's possible, but there's no sense making your life difficult when there are other options that are probably better suited.

Best idea so far is yours of trying different finishes and going with what works best for you.

Good luck!

My favorite finish is boiled linseed oil. Wipe on a nice thick coat and let dry overnight. Wipe on a second coat and let dry about five minutes. Then wipe of the second coat. It will take a long time (days or more) for it to be fully cured, but that has never stopped me from using the item while it cures. Just try not to get it too wet while it is curing.

Another vote here for a soaking in Danish oil. I have used it extensively on knife handles I've made in the past and it does a great job sealing the wood and locking out the moisture. I recently made some razor scales from oak and gave them that treatment and finished with a carnauba based polish I make up (40% carnauba wax 60% bees wax), I'm guilty of using the bath water to rinse my razor while shaving so its got plenty wet and there is no sign of any water sinking in

Wipe on poli or shellac is enough. If you want to go extreme, then CA or Epoxy.