How to finish wood scales

[binder]

I have some olive wood and was thinking of making scales with it. Would be interested in what would be good to use for finishes on this material and how to apply. Also what is there any difference between polymerized and those that are not. This is my first set of scales so am looking for something that is not too involved or costly.

Thanks

 

[dakotaev]

For starting out you could try something like wipe on polyurethane or similar, it should bring out the grain of the wood and also keep the water out.

If you want more of a challenge CA (Superglue) looks really really nice when done properly.

 

[fast14riot]

Olive wood looks best (I think so) with an oil finish. Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil is easy and not that expensive either.


-Xander

 

[skipnord]

Olive wood looks best (I think so) with an oil finish. Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil is easy and not that expensive either.


-Xander

I agree - I have used Tung oil on Olive, and it turns out beautiful - olive has a lot of oil in it naturally. Birchwood Casey is great stuff - I've been using it on knife scales for years.
Good Luck with your project!

 

[redbreast]

I am currently working on a pair of olive scales, thinking of finishing with shellac. I think it gives a more natural look.

 

[barneykiller]

I used Beeswax and it looks great. I think I'll have to reapply the coat every now and again but I ok with that.

 

[tomjr]

+1 on tru oil, it is an easy finish to use and repair.

 

[binder]

Thanks for the recommendations. I looking for the Tru Oil or a wipe on poly. I think I should be able to find some locally. Does this dry hard? I was wondering what I would need to prepare the wood; wipe it with a solvent or lighter fluid? The wood is very light. Would these finishes help to darken it some and bring out the grain? How many coats would you recommend?

Thanks for the advice

 

[fast14riot]

Tru-Oil can be had from your local gun store. It dried pretty hard, tough enough for gun stocks! Only caveat, the directions say dry in about 2 hours, this is wrong! Give it a solid 8 hours minimum, 12 is better. I would do 2 coats a day. I would say 4 coats minimum. Wet the wood with alcohol to see how its going to look finished. Prep the wood by sanding to at least 400#, but higher is better. Always sand with the grain and use a sanding block. DONOT use steel wool, it will leave shards in the wood and it can rust under the finish. I use a tack cloth after sanding.


-Xander