Can this Disston handle finish be saved?

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

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I believe the finish is shellac. I have read about using alcohol and fine steel wool to "restore" an old shellac finish. So I tried rubbing a little bit of alcohol into one small spot with a soft cloth but it looked like I was just wiping a thin layer of shellac off and not spreading it around at all or "reamalgamating" it. Since there are parts of the handle where the finish is basically gone should I try to touch it up with more shellac? I'd like to avoid completely stripping and refinishing.

Thanks!

[Rick Whitehead]

Unless it's uncomfortable in your hand, I'd use it as-is.
Rick

[Phil Mueller]

Unless you have already, I would probably give it a light cleaning with murphys oil soap or even mild dishwashing soap just to remove any surface dirt/grime. Then lightly sand to remove any raised grain, and then a coat or two of shellac. If indeed the current finish is shellac, the new coats should "melt" into the existing and cover the bare spots.

Alternatively, instead of alcohol, you could try finger nail polish remover...just blot (not rub), an area to see if it picks up some of the finish and then blot it on a location without finish.

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

Alternatively, instead of alcohol, you could try finger nail polish remover...just blot (not rub), an area to see if it picks up some of the finish and then blot it on a location without finish.

That was my hope with the alcohol. I used rubbing alcohol so I don't think it gets much stronger than that. It definitely picked up a little bit of the old finish, it just doesn't pick up enough for me to blot it onto another spot.

I'm thinking that more shellac is probably needed since the old finish it worn off in a number of places, but the old finish is pretty dirty even after a good cleaning with oil soap. What would be the next step up in terms of cleaning agents? Should I try to remove a thin layer of the old finish using alcohol?

[Charles Bjorgen]

Based on info I picked up from a video on "Old Sneelock's Workshop" I bought a can of a product call Restor-A-Finish that he used to refinish a saw handle. I've not used it yet but plan to do so on a plane handle that needs some restoration. As I understand, this product is applied with something like steel wool. It essentially lifts the existing finish and then allows it to be redistributed on the piece without actually removing it. I found this product at a local Menards store and it comes in several colors. A final coat of wax is recommended.

[Pat Barry]

I would try a bit of lacquer thinner in a relatively inconspicuous location.

[lowell holmes]

I would steel wool it and hit it with a coat of Johnson floor wax. Buff it afterward.

You can always sand it and lacquer it, but that is not reversible.

Actually, I would make a new curly maple handle and save the old one.

I made a handle for a D7 that I have and it was a successful effort.

[Phil Mueller]

Pat's suggestion is my typical method...I just soak the whole handle in lacquer thinner with a light toothbrush scrubbing to get off whatever finish is there, plus paint, etc. Even at that, the years of sweat, grease, oil, or whatever happened to stain the wood dark, just isn't going to go away completely. Part of the character of an old saw.

In other words, no matter what cleaning agent you use (short of bleaching the wood), some of those dark patches just aren't going to go away. As you suggest, a coat of two of shellac to see what it looks like would be my thought. It's certainly low risk as it would be easy to remove.

By the way, I have found the worst result from trying to sand it to an even finish...just can't go deep enough in some areas and it comes out looking like, well, a splotchy sanding job:

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[brian zawatsky]

Shellac is a universal sealer. You can put pretty much any finish over top of it and not have bonding issues. I like to keep as much of the 100 year old character as possible when I restore hand saws. I use 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits to remove the dirt & grime. I never ever sand old saw totes - it removes all the old character & patina. If I wanted a saw to look new I'd buy a new saw, right? Usually a wipe on poly or Formby's tung oil (which is basically a wiping varnish) is my finish of choice. Much more durable and harder than shellac.

[Pete Taran]

All the saws I sell go through this process Brian outlines,, only I use Kramer's Antique Restorer. It doesn't do anything to the original finish, but does fill in the scratches. I'm not aware of Disston ever using shellac on their handles btw. It's some sort of varnish.

[Phil Mueller]

Thanks Pete. Will definitely give this a go on the next handle restoration.

[Jerry Olexa]

Agree use denatured alcohol not rubbing alcohol...I would also reco using a padding technique with DA and some shellac on the pad...Try to blend the finishes together which is easy with shellac and DA..Just my thought...Wax at end when results are good.

[Daryl Weir]

Not trying to start an argument but inform people that I believe Disston did use shellac on their handles up until the new "weatherproof" finish starting in about the late 20's going to lacquer at that point. I'm not sure why it was called weatherproof, as lacquer is anything but that. As many handles as Disston finished in a day, why wouldn't you use something that dried quickly. Shellac is durable enough they use to use it on floors and it was easy to touch up. Early on, Disston and many of the other manufacturers only used a film finish on the edges, the faces were left bare. The term in the catalogs "polished edges" meant just that.

The pictures I've attached are from 2 D8's, one is a panel saw from the mid 20's and the other from the 1910 era. Both finishes in a small area on the top side of the top horn was softened and brought back to a shine by denatured alcohol, something that couldn't be done if it was a true varnish. The one picture of the top of the horn shows my fingerprint for verification.

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Wearing gloves, a small area of a rag can be soaked in lacquer thinner, and the finish cleaned and spread around a little. It will never be perfect, it's old, so it's something I can live with. Some people frown upon it but I will use a light coat of boiled linseed oil on top of the old finish, let it dry well (a few days) then use Johnsons paste wax and buff it out.

Take care,
Daryl

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

I'm not aware of Disston ever using shellac on their handles btw. It's some sort of varnish.

Aha, news to me. I don't have any lacquer thinner on hand but I'll have to get some and see what it does. I suppose it's possible that the rubbing alcohol wasn't making the finish sticky but instead just loosening dirt and grime, and that was the stickiness I was feeling.

[Mike Allen1010]

I like to soak in oil/varnish mix (Watco), which helps hydrate dried out wood, followed by shelac and wax.