Thread: scale finish

I am making my first set of scales and am getting to the point of finishing them. What do you suggest for a finish? Has anyone used CA glue as a finish? It is for a pair of cocbolo scales.

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

Maybe it's just me, but CA is not a finish.

...Not that I know how to finish wood

For CoCo,which has a very high oil content,Just use a good wax such as ren wax,all that is needed IMO

I have not figured out how to get the CA to lay flat enough that rubbing it to a gloss finish is not that difficult. Every time I use it the surface gets wrinkly and takes a little bit to get it smooth before polishing it. It is a nice finish though on wood. It is also quite hard and will provide excellent protection.

If you decide to try CA as a finish I suggest you experiment on some scrap wood first - it's easy for things to go wrong.

I tried, unsuccessfully, to use it and decided it was not worth the effort. Personally I didn't like the high gloss finish and prefer Bill's suggestion of renwax. For less oily woods you can also try an oil with hardner - this protects against moisture and with a few coats will also buff up to a subdued sheen.

Originally Posted by Quixoticshaver

I am making my first set of scales and am getting to the point of finishing them. What do you suggest for a finish? Has anyone used CA glue as a finish? It is for a pair of cocbolo scales.

I've used CA on a few razors. Which means I've spent hours upon hours fussing over it to get it right. Looks beautiful no doubt about it.. but it's a PITA! Doesn't really self-level, forms layers, off-gases for a long while so needs to be polished up again.. perhaps depending on the number of coats.
Anyway I found myself thinking "there's got to be another way". I've got alot of experience with epoxy from building boats, so the next time I finish anything it will be with a product called Mirror Coat. It self levels. And has other really great properties and characteristics. A friend told me about it. Maybe check that out.
But the best consideration IMHO is what Pixelfixed suggested, just a wood conditioner/sealant wax.. Ren Wax is good stuff. And some woods need nothing but very high grit sanding and buffing..

I've only used it once and it was a complete success. I followed this guide and everything went accordingly. I used fine wet dry sandpapers and blue magic polishing paste to finish.
It is beautiful, but plastic in feel. There is a sense that I'm holding a very nicely printed piece of acrylic instead of wood. The Renwax option is a good one, you can get a nice gloss and still have a natural wood feel with a lot less work.

Renwax on Teak then CA on Oak burl.

At the end of the day,it all depends on the type of wood and how cured it is.JMO

Beautiful scales! Thanks for the advice.