Trying different finish for wood scales

Well, I may be one of the few but I'm not the biggest fan of finishing with CA or epoxy...Don't get me wrong they look outstanding with those finishes. The down side is the smell from CA and the mess with epoxy. On the other hand, the down side of not finishing with them is you is I miss the high gloss you get.
So over the last few month I've been search/playing with a few different things. Most have turned out about like a thought, I nice finish but a bit on the dull side.
So this is the newest one I've tried and to be honest I'm pretty hopeful this one just might work.
I'll refrain from post what it is until I can determine if the finish will hold up and keep the semi-high gloss look.
Here are a couple of pics, so what do you think?

Nice Brian. I not only like the shape of the scales to compliment the blade the finish looks very nice.

Great finish,I want to try wood scales, I'm looking forward to finding out what you used.

Thanks,
You should grab a prece of wood and try it out. It's not that difficult.
I say go for it.

That is a very nice job and I really like the finish! It looks like wood and not plastic! Whats the wedge made of?
It reminds me of some I did using minwax stain with polyurethane. Holds up great.

The wood look is pretty easy to get, just use a good tung oil. Getting the gloss without using CA, epoxy, poly..ect is easier said then done (atleast for me)

Tung Oil trick that I have found that works for the "High Gloss" effect...
Multiple coats is a given :)

But use a true "Hand Rubbed" finish in other words rub it in with your bare finger :) I use that on most all oil/oil based finishes if I want a high gloss look....

Agreed a true hand rubbed finish will get you the gloss...just looking for a quicker way and to prevent the finger cramps...lol
The scales pic'ed have more then a few coats of tung oil..lol. I just added something different to the end to prevent the serious "hand rubbing"

I am not a big fan of CA too, I use Tru oil and it works very nicely
Currently I am exploring other options and I think they are very promising.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainaman

I am not a big fan of CA too, I use Tru oil and it works very nicely
Currently I am exploring other options and I think they are very promising.

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When I know for sure or not this one will work, maybe we'll compare notes:hmmm:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MileMarker60

When I know for sure or not this one will work, maybe we'll compare notes:hmmm:

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sure no problem

I found a pic of the Minwax with polyurethane stain job! Looks very natural. I got the darkest stain I could. Applied easily with fine steel wool, 3 times! I have done others and it always works good for me. Very easy! I believe this is long grained hickory. it seems to be sealed well, yet natural looking, like the OP's!

This is a set that I am just finishing up in Turkish Walnut with a High Gloss Tung Oil finish, I rarely go high gloss on these, I personally prefer a satin, but this wood was special, so I stuck with building up the High Gloss but it was done slowly and by Hand Rubbing...

Attachment 72635

Hey Gssixgun,
The proof is in the pudding for the Tung oil. That's nice looking work. I like to use it too. I start out with a mixture of Tung oil and mineral spirits so it will soak into the pours. Extra coats are lightly sanded and re-applied with yes, rubbing. I agree that it is time consuming and a bit tedious but, well worth the effort. I like to reduce the amount of mineral spirits gradually and I seem to use different dilutions according to how dense the wood may be. Once the full strength Tung oil has fully dried some light cotton buffing with polishing compound makes the gloss brilliant. The Tru oil finish is high gloss straight from the bottle but tends to look a bit plastic in appearance. It's longevity is short in my opinion. I also like working with Spar Varnish in a like manner. However, my all time favorite is Boiled Linseed oil. Using that stuff is definitely tedious and labor intensive. Even so, it is a beautiful finish and smells great.

You wouldn't happen to be a Gunsmith would you? For some reason, I just had to ask.

Very Respectfully

Chasmo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainaman

I am not a big fan of CA too, I use Tru oil and it works very nicely
Currently I am exploring other options and I think they are very promising.

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I use tru oil also..i think it looks pretty good..but my skills at restoring suck..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chasmo

You wouldn't happen to be a Gunsmith would you? For some reason, I just had to ask.

Very Respectfully

Chasmo

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Former but I still tinker,
and your system is nearly Identical to mine, the thinned down "washcoat(s)" are a so important part.

This is similiar to the "french polish" many coats with a lot of hand rubbing with a high luster finish.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

This is a set that I am just finishing up in Turkish Walnut with a High Gloss Tung Oil finish, I rarely go high gloss on these, I personally prefer a satin, but this wood was special, so I stuck with building up the High Gloss but it was done slowly and by Hand Rubbing...

Attachment 72635

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That sure looks like a catalyzed Tru-Oil finish to me, did you try out my ArmorAll method?

Looks very nice, btw!


-Xander