Finishing kitchen tool handles

[Joe McMahon]

I have been away for a few years from turning. I decided to start up again and turn some Christmas gifts. I am primarily making small handles for kitchen tools. Some excellent wood that I have, has turned nicely but exhibits small cracks and very minor voids, into, but not through the wood. Am I correct that these can be salvaged by use of CA glue? If so, what thickness?

Would a CA finish be appropriate for kitchen tool handles? If not, what should I use.

Thanks!

[Howard Pollack]

I have used CA glue for a finish on kitchen knives for years. It works well, can be polished to a nice sheen and holds up well to hand washing (I wouldn't put a knife in a dishwasher...). I don't know about the cracks and voids. -Howard

[roger wiegand]

For both kitchen and shop tools I like to use a dense, oily wood (rosewood family, usually) for handles and leave them either polished and unfinished, or with a bit of an oil finish. I find they both feel better and, in the long run, look better, than those with a film finish.

You can fill cracks with CA, thickness will be a function of how big the crack is. Thin will get to the narrow places, perhaps followed up with medium or thick if there's a real gap. For something small like a tool handle though I'd just get a better piece of wood-- as someone said recently, wood grows on trees and life is too short to turn crappy wood. An exception would be if it can be made to be a feature; there are very nice pieces that have been stitched or patched with pewas that look great. Most filled cracks end up looking like mistakes that have been patched, unfortunately.