What finish for new saw tote?

[lowell holmes]

I'm ready to finish a saw tote I've made out of figured maple. I'm thinking to start with shellac and maybe an oil finish over the shellac.

I wonder if wipe on lacquer would be better?

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Ron Bontz]

If the maple is figured, a coat of BLO will make the figure pop a little better. It will warm the color up a bit also. Allow it to dry about 24 hours. Then you can finish it with tru oil, arm-r-seal, etc. Best wishes.

[lowell holmes]

Thanks Ron.

It's been awhile since I started the project. I ended up making several totes before I was satisfied with one.

The last challenge was the carving on the top front of the tote where the back recesses into the tote. I tried to emulate the Lie Nielsen carving and had to do more than one to get there.

I've never used BLO, but I will get some today.

[Chris Hachet]

Please post pics when you are done, I have a saw I want to re handle.

Chris

[Cory Waldrop]

Lowell,

When I made my last saw handle I used a wash coat of blonde Shellac as a sanding coat to show me any place that needed final sanding and then followed it up with several very light coats of Truoil wiped on and off with a cotton rag. Truoil dries hard so it seems like a durable finish for a saw handle. I liked the outcome. 306478

[Steve Schoene]

An oil finish over shellac doesn't work. Oil finishes need bare wood to penetrate and shellac seals it. But starting with an oil finish and topping with shellac would work well. Personally I like the feel of shellac under hand on tools.

[Cory Waldrop]

Good point Steve... I did make sure to use the Shellac as a sanding coat, so I did sand it off mostly before applying the Truoil.... Had I not, there probably would have been adhesion problems.

[lowell holmes]

That is a fine looking tote!

[Mike Holbrook]

Glad to see this post. I was refinishing the wood on a #5 Stanley plane this AM. While I was at it I made some changes to the handle I made for my Adze requiring a new finish job. I have used WATCO for just about everything for quite a while. I like it for planes, hand saw handles...most tool handles. I keep soaking the wood with it until it stops sinking in then wipe the excess off. It seems to help restore old dry wood very well. It leaves a tough finish that is not very different than freshly dried BLO. The difference is the WATCO seems to last much better. I think it can actually add a little strength to the wood surface. I like the dull, natural surface I get. Varnishes seem to level the surface more leaving a slicker finish. Lately though I have been thinking about trying something different just to see what I might be missing, so I am eager to hear what others use.

[Dave Anderson NH]

For reference Mike Watco Danish Oil is a mixture of boiled linseed oil, oil based varnish, and mineral spirits. I used to use it for the convenience factor, but now I make my own because it allows me to vary the mixture based on my needs. It is a lot cheaper way to go and I can make up a batch as small or as large as I figure I'm going to need.

[Kent A Bathurst]

FWIW -

I use a push-stick for narrow pieces thru the TS. I made a few "sticks" out of scrap oak, maybe 1.5" x 14", nibble them cdwn as I go, re-cut the tips as needed.

For the handle - I took a scrap chunk of QS sycamore , traced out the handle of my Adria DT saw, cut, filed, sanded, etc. Then - a light coating of BLO, followed by 4 - 5 coats padded ultra pale 1.5# shellac.

Looks great after 4 - 5 years; keep the handle, and replace the stick as needed. Handle attached with BORG 1/4" Tee-nuts - not fancy saw nuts.

[Mike Holbrook]

Thanks for that info Dave, good to know. I may try that as well. My sales dude at Highland Woodorking suggested I use the WATCO Teak Oil Finish for hard dense woods. He explained that it was a thinner mixture/more mineral spirits, which allow it to penetrate better. I guess I can just add mineral spirits to thin any that gets thick then? I just bought a gallon to finish a couple Windsor chairs, saw benches, squirrel house, mobile tool table/bench... I made.

I am curious if all boiled linseed oil and oil based varnish is pretty much the same or if there are better varieties I should look into?

[george wilson]

After having a violin bridge sink all the way down to the bare wood in an experimental Tru Oil finish that was several months old before I strung the violin up,I worry about Tru Oil not really drying as hard as it might seem. I don't use it on instruments for fear that just laying in the case,the velvet lining might get stuck to it.

[lowell holmes]

Chris ask to see the tote after I finished it.
Here it is after 2 coats of blo, and 2 coats of Deft Danish oil. I will put a coat of wipe on poly tomorrow.

I'm not real pleased with the carving at the sawback mortise, but it's just going to have to do.


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[Stewie Simpson]

Hi Lowell. I hope you don't mind me making some suggestions that will improve the look of your backsaw handle. On a saw handle there should be a visual separation of both face and end grain profile. You may wish to consider lightly flat sanding the faces of your handle with 400gt. The lambs tongue should also be tapering in thickness as it nears and then makes contact with the underside of the cheek.


regards Stewie.

[lowell holmes]

Stewie,

That's why I posted it. I will remember that about the lambs tongue. I see what you are saying. I will go back and work that area again.I was challenged when working that area.

I had another handle that I really liked better, but I messed it up. (imagine that :) )

I had a fixation about using the curly maple and was running out of that piece.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

On a saw handle there should be a visual separation of both face and end grain profile. You may wish to consider lightly flat sanding the faces of your handle with 400gt. The lambs tongue should also be tapering in thickness as it nears and then makes contact with the underside of the cheek.

In this post, Mr. Simpson demonstrates that he knows more about the names for the different parts of a saw handle. So, to help the ignorant (that means me), I annotated the parts of the saw handle. Now, lets see if I can upload the image.

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Thanks for the comments Stewie, they were helpful for me.

[John Crawford]

After having a violin bridge sink all the way down to the bare wood in an experimental Tru Oil finish that was several months old before I strung the violin up,I worry about Tru Oil not really drying as hard as it might seem. I don't use it on instruments for fear that just laying in the case,the velvet lining might get stuck to it.

That is interesting about the Tru Oil. I wonder if the bottle was old?

I fool around with instruments (nothing near the level of what you do) and have used it to good effect on banjo necks. I think a few modern small-production makers use it on necks as well. Of course banjo necks aren't receiving the kind of pressure that a violin bridge creates.

I like it for small projects (again, amateur), tool handles, etc., as it is easy and forgiving.