Thread: A good idea for finishing ebony?

I found this on some woodworking site:

"A Great, Super-Smooth "Natural" Finish
Start by sanding your project thoroughly with a succession of finer and finer grits of sandpaper to remove all scratches. Then, flood the surface of your project with a penetrating oil finish such as Watch Danish Oil or Tung Oil. Next, sand the oil (along with the sanding dust from the wood) into the pores of the wood thoroughly with a wet/dry, 320-grit silicon carbide paper. Wipe and leave to dry overnite...then buff with a soft, dry cloth for an incredible, satin-like finish."


I'm not super familiar with woodworking and couldn't tell if he meant to sand while the oil is still wet. Does that make sense? Has anyone used a technique like this on Ebony scales? Is this basically the same thing as using Renaissance Wax?

Sounds like he means sand it while the oil is freshly coated. I suppose it makes sense. I think it would be different than just wax since the wax only coats it while the oil should penetrate it.

I use a gunstock sealer and then a linseed-based oil that is hand-rubbed. I don't do the sanding step as mentioned here, but it leaves a nice durable and natural finish. The oil I use is called varnish oil. Two-three coats gives a nice, deep luster.

Okay, Woodcraft has the Tung Oil the tip mentions. I'll add it to tonight's shopping list. (That place sounds awesome by the way, this will be my first trip but it sounds like a candy store for woodworking.)

I think that he meant to sand with the oil. There is wives tale that if you wetsand with the oil the dust will help fill pores and result in a smother finish. I know that it is not really true but I do it any way. It is a good way to make sure the surface is saturated with the oil. As to filling the pores with sanding dust I say hummm?

• Wet sand with oil or oil blend
  
• Let set for 10-15 minutes
  
• Wipe all the oil off that you can
  
• Let dry overnight
  
• Steel wool 4-O
  
• Repeat
  
• Wax when happy

Be careful with those oily rags.

Charlie

Originally Posted by spazola

Be careful with those oily rags.

You're supposed to put the cloth over your face and inhale deeply, right?

I did this exact same thing with a table top one time. It essentially acts as a combo wood filler/finish. By using the dust of the wood you're working with, you ensure a good color match.

The same priciple is used in french polishing. There, pumice is used in conjuction with shellac to fill the pores. This is somewhat harder to do, though, since shellac dries WAY faster than tung oil.

The drawback is that you lose some "depth" with certain woods. Those seemingly holographic woods will appear less so. On ebony I think this technique would work well.

Thanks guys! I'll try what Charlie describes above. If I remember I'll post pictures of the results. Also, because I'm such a novice woodworker I'd actually like to make sure I understand the warning about oily rags. Am I correct in assuming they are an inhalation and fire hazard? I will probably just throw them in the dumpster once I'm finished if they are a fire hazard.

I just started to sand what I believe to be bone or ivory (how can you tell the difference)? I am up to 1200 grit .I plan to go to 2500. The scratches are disappearing but I'm not pleased w/ the shine.
Al

Originally Posted by KingOfMalkier

Am I correct in assuming they are an inhalation and fire hazard?

Both, yes.