Wood Handles?

[Raissermesser]

File this one under daydream, a combination of working summers in construction decades ago and thinking about brushes. In other words, odds are I won't make one.

That said, I'm curious about wood handles. The idea of wood and moisture makes me think of split wood, discolored wood, and rotten wood. But there seems to be wooden handled shaving brushes, and wood is generally plentiful and easy to work with. First thought was cypress, then redwood, but both are softwoods and might not be suitable. Doubt these are used in handle making.

Finish is obviously an issue. A oil finish came to mind, followed by marine spar varnish. But the last time I used marine spar varnish, the odor was strong enough that it would make badger brush funk curl up and whimper. Next idea was gym floor polyurethane. Have seen that used on furniture before, so that's not necessarily a wild thought.

So, what is the preferred wood for shaving brushes? I assume it's a hardwood, but other than that haven't a clue. Also, what is the preferred varnish?

All just out of curiosity.

Odd thought: There were some non-woods coming on the market years ago that could be worked with woodworking tools. Has anyone tried these?

 

[Big Jim]

The resin plastic most commonly used for shaving brush handles today machines much like hardwoods. Turning blanks are readily available but it seems that those that have such an interest pour their own resin. 2" PVC pipe makes a decent mold for turning blanks.

There are lots of hardwoods that are popular. It seems that the harder and more burly the better. Cocobolo is one of the popular exotics.

Polyurethane is a very popular durable finish. So is CA (crazy glue). I use polyurethane myself.

I only have one wood handled brush. Resin is so superior that to me it isn't worth the effort to use wood. The one I have is special in that it is made of olive wood from Jerusalem and it reminds me of a trip there years ago. I have a genuine horn handled brush too and prefer the resin faux horn.

 

[Raissermesser]

Thanks. Dust mask when turning resins? Note: Never worked with non-woods, so just don't know.

 

[spoken36]

My brush handles don't see much more water than my razor's wood scales. I would say that carbon fiber scales and stainless steel would be reasonable analogues to resin handled shaving brushes: almost impervious to the ravages of water and need little attention to upkeep. But with simple care, the more delicate materials do just fine, with lifetimes measured nearly in centuries. If you don't like wiping things down, I would choose something other than wood, though.

 

[Mr Bob]

There are many vintage and antique examples to be found. In general, if they are not left submerged in water and are allowed to properly dry between uses, they will last a very long time. The most critical part is the hole where the knot is inserted. This is where water can potentially sit for a long time, causing rot or excessive contraction/expansion cycles leading to cracks. It needs to be sealed well.

You can use most any wood you like, but make sure it's seasoned and not green. A handle is small, but I'd rather not risk the chance of shrinkage over time and enhancing the possibility of a crack.

Most any finish will work on a handle, giving you plenty of creative or functional options. Some examples include:

- Stabilized wood: This will never rot. The wood is basically plasticized. This requires some specialized equipment and experience to be done right. There's a couple of good vendors that can do this if you send them your wood.

- Polyurethane: Very durable finish and very easy to apply. I'd use a wipe on poly, not a spray. This is a good option for most people that don't play around with wood finishing often. However, polyurethane is not highly water resistant. At a minimum, I would seal the knot hole with CA prior to applying the poly (allow a long time for the CA to dry to be certain there is no gassing when the poly is applied).

- Spar Varnish: This has better water resistance than poly, and it's just as easy to apply. However, it's not the best choice for water resistance. Spar is a long-oil varnish. This means there's a high ratio of oil to resin in the varnish. The higher oil content gives the finish flexibility. The flex and reasonable water resistance make it a good choice for marine environments. Like the poly, I'd still seal the knot hole with CA first. Spar can be thinned with solvent for the first coat to get better penetration.

- "Oil" type finishes: This includes stuff like Watco Danish Oil and Formby's Tung Oil Finish. These have low water resistance, but are still fine for handles. And no matter how many times these products mention, tung oil, on the can, they have very little tung oil in them - it's mostly linseed or sometimes soybean. The advantage of these over poly is that they will make a pretty grain pop better than poly ever could. I'd seal the knot hole with CA first.

- Pure oil: These are natural oils that cure hard, that include oils like linseed, tung, and walnut oil. They each have slightly different characteristics. Tung oil, once cured, will give you the most water resistant finish of all the oils (better than poly and spar). Linseed oil, including boiled linseed oil, will never give you the water resistance of cured tung oil. These oils will darken over time. Tung will go slightly yellow to a light amber. Linseed will darken much more. These oils get a bad rap, but cured tung oil beats poly in water resistance. The bad rap comes from the long cure time. Poly is ready to use in 24 hours. Tung oil takes 3, 4, 6 or more weeks to properly cure. I like to thin tung with mineral spirits for the first coat on hardwoods. I honestly would not use linseed as the sole finish on a handle.

- Shellac: This is an excellent finish that gets a bad rap in the modern world of polyurethane. In my opinion, shellac over oil produces the most attractive finish on wood that can be had. It has very good water resistance with one caveat: you need to make it yourself from dewaxed shellac flakes using the most pure alcohol you can buy (no water content). This means no buying that premixed shellac sold in stores. Shellac has a long dry time when used as the final, or only finish. It scratches easier than any other finish, but it is reasonably resistant when mixed and dried correctly, and it's easily repaired. Handles are not high wear, so I personally wouldn't worry about scratches. Shellac is also an excellent sealer. It can be used as a barrier between different types of finish, and, if you are using an oily, resinous wood, it should be used on the wood before polyurethane or spar is applied or the poly or spar might never properly cure (wipe the wood with acetone first).

- Short-oil Varnish: Short-oil varnishes have a have a higher ratio of resin to oil. These are the most water resistant of the finishes mentioned so far. They create a beautiful and durable finish, however, depending on how it is applied, it can chip if dropped. The most water resistant is phenolic/tung, followed by phenolic/linseed and soybean, followed by alkyd types. They are all good though. I like to thin them in decreasing amounts to get good penetration in hardwoods. Though very water resistant, they have two disadvantages: 1) They are expensive - $25 to $50 per quart, and 2) they are not beginner friendly. They also have a long dry and cure time (but it's worth the end result).

- Conversion Varnish: Probably most water resistant of the bunch. Very hard and durable stuff. They must be sprayed to mix in the catalyst. Unless you have the equipment, they are not diy varnishes.



There are other options, but any finish you like will work on a wood handle. What's important is to seal up the knot hole as best as possible to avoid constant humidity in the knot hole. I think that water in that hole, with the associated contraction and expansion will lead to damage over time.

 

[Raissermesser]

Wow. That's a lot of good info. Had no idea that polyurethane wasn't that great for water resistance, though spar varnish was the go-to for exterior doors. Our oil finish was linseed cut with turpentine, and no I don't know the proportion. The last time I used shellac, it was for a Vacation Bible School project. What we usually did with finish was sand, stain, apply sealer, sand again because the sealer raised the grain,varnish, sand with fine steel wool (don't recall the gauge), another coat of varnish, and, depending on use, maybe sanding and another coat. That was for furniture, though, and a long time ago.

Something I'd heard about linseed oil was that it could hasten the deterioration of wood in the long term (100+ years). There was some debate. Don't know if it was true.

If I was going to daydream, might as well daydream big, and thought about lignum vitae. Then found out it's endangered and hard to get. Then thought about persimmon, which was popular for homemade handles and now for some golf clubs, then found it's mostly sapwood and doesn't have good rot resistance. Then there's teak. But anything more exotic than persimmon and black walnut would have to be an ordered blank - and I'm not sure about the black walnut.

If - big if - I did this, it would be a scrap block, seasoned limb, or some such, or a resin blank. For resin blank I'd likely go fake ivory. Don't see myself doing this to the extent of mixing my own resin blocks.

Turning seems straight forward. Saw one source online that, after drilling the socket with a forstner bit, cutting the handle loose and then turning a jig on the remaining block that's a snug fit for the socket, then putting the handle on it that way, and finishing the bottom. Also saw where it was recommended to make the bottom slightly concave so that it would sit on its rim and not have a tendency to rock.

I don't have a lathe, but know of one I could use, but would probably have to buy a forstner bit.

Yeah, it sounds like I might do it, and it's a lot cheaper than the rifle and metal detector I had to shelve due to other expenses. Still probably won't. But if I did, see myself turning some practice handles in scrap first.

 

[dpm802]

All of my active brushes have either resin or acrylic handles ... not that these materials are superior, it just worked out that way.

My wooden handle brushes stay in the drawer most of the time. Take the Semogue Owners' Club, for example. I have two, one in ash and one in cherry. I pull them out and use them once or twice a year to refresh my memory when these brushes are being discussed in a thread.

Another wooden brush handle I have is the Semogue 1305, which is a painted handle. The wood part is fine, but it suffers from the paint-chipping that all 1305s seem to have.

In both cases, I never submerge the handles in water. I stand it up, knot down, in a cup of hot water and let it soak for a minute while I wash my face.

As to turning your own handles ... I've never tried it, probably never will. But I think that any good hardwood would suffice, and there are plenty to choose from. As to finishing, I would use an oil rather than a chemical top-coat, but that's just my personal choice. Whenever possible, use the same oil as the wood itself, i.e. walnut on walnut, olive on olive, etc.

 

[Mr Bob]

Don't be turned off of polyurethane. It really is a very durable finish. It wears extremely well, which is why it's a great finish for floors (some brands and mixes are better, but the cost goes up). Seal the knot hole well, and don't let the brush sit in water all day, and it will be fine.

Spar varnish comes in many varieties and qualities. It will work very well on a brush handle. Spar varnish is excellent for outdoor applications. It retains flexibility, and usually has UV inhibitors mixed in. It is made specifically for items exposed to water and sun, and where flex may occur because it won't crack. Yes, there are more water resistant options, but they come with disadvantages; cost and lack of flex (bad on boats), and more difficult application. You should not have any concern for years if you choose this option. A phenolic resin based spar urethane is your best choice for water resistance, but the cost will be higher. Though any spar will serve you well.

I don't know about deterioration due to linseed, but I would not use pure linseed if water resistance if important. Boiled linseed is not that much better, and it contains dryers. However, linseed, as part of a good varnish, works very well. Pure tung oil will cure hard and give you decent water resistance, but can you wait a month or two to use the handle? I like linseed and tung, but my opinions are likely biased based on how I prefer using them.

One thing to keep in mind with lignum vitae, or any other oily tropical or sub-tropical wood is that unless you prepare the wood before applying poly or spar, you might end up with a finish that will never dry, or worse. I like to wipe down the finished piece with acetone, and then seal with dewaxed shellac - probably around a 1 1/2lb cut, very thin so that it soaks in - then use whatever finish I want on top of that.

This is just my opinion, but any wood would work well as long as you seal it up. And most any finish should be fine if the handle is not left sitting in water all day.

Oh, by the way, I don't know if lignum vitae can be imported anymore. There's a sawmill about 40 minutes from me that sells the real deal, but I have heard that some vendors misrepresent other species as lignum vitae. Caveat emptor! It's beautiful stuff, and it's a wood where the beauty is in the details of the fine herringbone grain. But, you can get southwestern ironwood (desert ironwood, Olneya) that shares similar qualities, and is real pretty wood.

 

[Raissermesser]

I really didn't know if lignum vitae could be finished. My introduction to oil finish was on heart pine over a century old made into furniture. Was told the reason was that he had some doubt that regular varnish would adhere. Knew lignum vitae was used as bearings, so that meant it was pretty oily.

From what I've found, there is indeed an import ban, and much of the "lignum vitae" isn't.

 

[Mr Bob]

I've made knife handles from the stuff about five years ago. I did the acetone and shellac seal, and they have not shown any issues. You can varnish on top of the shellac. Or, you can simply do an in the wood shellac finish.

 

[dpm802]

I really didn't know if lignum vitae could be finished. My introduction to oil finish was on heart pine over a century old made into furniture. Was told the reason was that he had some doubt that regular varnish would adhere. Knew lignum vitae was used as bearings, so that meant it was pretty oily.

From what I've found, there is indeed an import ban, and much of the "lignum vitae" isn't.

I have some lignum vitae bookends that were made from the bearings on an oil tanker's propeller shafts ... they have held up well for 50+ years with no maintenance whatsoever except for being dusted off once every decade or so whether they need cleaning or not.

Considering that their original purpose was to be submerged full-time in salt water, I think they would stand up well to the rigorous life of a shaving brush.

A quick search shows that lignum vitae is available from Amazon, eBay, and several specialized vendors.
https://www.bing.com/search?q=lignu...id=18528fe384d8452392d0c0ec58085f0b&pq=lignum

 

[smuckers]

I do all of my handles in a CA finish - takes some time and patience but end result is a very durable layer for the wood.
Showing a Claro Walnut and Jobillo wood brush below, both taken to a CA finish and MicroMesh to 12K

 

[Big Jim]

Wow. They look spectacular.

 

[DCRIII]

Thanks. Dust mask when turning resins? Note: Never worked with non-woods, so just don't know.

Yes, wear a dust mask when turning resin!

 

[azwetshaver]

I've seen Romera brushes in a dark wood. I believe it was African Ebony.

 

[CigarSmoka]

Thanks. Dust mask when turning resins? Note: Never worked with non-woods, so just don't know.

Wear a respirator! It's not the dust you see that's a problem, it's the stuff you can't see that will get you, and it gets through dust masks as well. Acrylates (all acrylics) were the allergen of the year for 2012. If you're allergic you're gonna be miserable. Cover all your skin & wear nitrile gloves. I had a horrible burning rash & got thrashed from being on steroids for 2 weeks. I had the reaction 3-4 weeks ago and I still haven't cleared up yet. I wear a respirator regardless of whether I'm turning acrylic or wood now.

I prefer a CA finish on my wood handles because basically you're covering it with acrylic, making it impermeable to water. You also get an amazing shine! As mentioned though, you just can't beat acrylic but it's a little different to turn. It likes to chip especially when roughing, and once it's rounded I turn at high speed. You also save a step, just sand if needed and buff, whereas wood may need a sanding sealer, danish oil etc before final sanding & finishing. When turning acrylic, I find a round tip carbide tool is the best for making curves, a skew for rounding over the edges, and a Sorby spindlemaster everywhere else that I would normally use a skew and for the final clean cut before finishing. I also cut the rough shape with a parting tool. Yes, you read that right. A parting tool is the ultimate weapon to make the rough shape with acrylics, and then the other tools are used for final shaping. I find this almost completely eliminates chipping, but keep that tool sharp! Just have fun, and before you know it you'll be addicted to making them! I will eventually get around to doing a video on how I turn my handles, I just haven't set the equipment up in my shop to do it yet. Brushguy has some vids on youtube that are very helpful.