May 6, 20215 yr So I have a knife I'm making (what a shock) and I plan to use some red wood that I found to make the handle. I don't have the equipment to stabilized the wood and I know that moisture and such will cause the wood to warp if it's not stabilized. My question is, if I use linseed oil on the wood, will it protect the wood from absorbing excess moisture and warping? Alternatively, is there any way that I can stabilize the wood without having to make some elaborate vacuum chamber? Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading. - Novak
May 7, 20215 yr One method is to mix the appropriate epoxy and dilute it with toluol. Soak the scales in the mix, the toluol thinned epoxy will absorb more deeply into the wood. When the toluol evaporates the epoxy will set and cure but it can take days or longer. Poly ethylene resins can be cut with acetone for the same effect. In either case go easy with the catalyst, you do NOT want a hot resin mix, B A D things can happen. I suppose you can do the same thing with BLO to the same effect. I don't know the proper thinner for BLO, ask at a paint store they should. Frosty The Lucky.
May 7, 20215 yr How dry is it to start? If very dry then you can soak scales in BLO thinned with turpentine and they will be pretty good with humidity changes; especially if you do it after most of the shaping is done ---folks often try to use double sided tape to hold the scales on the tang to shape then remove and soak. Finish shaping and then more BLO! Mounting and then more BLO. (Oil finishes improve with multiple applications!)
May 8, 20215 yr If you know any bladesmiths close by you might be able to have your scales stabilized when they do theirs. I was lucky an acquaintance let me borrow one of the extra vacuum pumps from work but there is a fellow maybe 3/4 mile from me who stabilizes wood for pretty reasonable, my knife handle would've cost about $10 usd. and I wouldn't have had to buy the epoxy. There are or were two years ago 3 more in the closest city and another 2 dozen in Anchorage about 50 miles from here. See what you have available near you, bladesmiths are everywhere and other wood workers stabilize wood, wood turners come to mind. The TPAAAP works for finding services as well as anvils. Ask everybody you meet. It works a treat, honest that's how I discovered someone I know has a vacuum pump he could loan me. It still would've been smarter to have it stabilized but it was an experience. Frosty The Lucky.
May 10, 20215 yr A vacuum chamber need not be elaborate. I used the compressor off a dehumidifier someone was tossing out and a 2 quart canning jar when starting out. The Cactus Juice cost more than the fittings and other parts I used to make it.
May 12, 20215 yr Process, Technique . . . semantics. . . Pedant! I had to look at that 2-3 times before I figured out what you were talking about. However, I have dents in my head so my plausible deniability remains unchallenged! Plllt Frosty The Lucky.
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