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arcane
19th November 2000, 05:27
I've got hanbo which is a natural color. I was thinking of sanding it a bit, staining and re-coating it. Can anyone advise me what sort of stain to use and what to coat it with for a good texture? Is it possible to stain then apply tung or mineral oil and have the texture right?

Thanks,

Marcus Abrahams



[Edited by arcane on 11-19-2000 at 01:53 AM]

Fredrik_Svensson
20th November 2000, 00:17
Uhm, sand it off (really fine sandpaper at the end), then coat it with raw linseed oil.
I have done this with all my weapons, and it gets a great finish.

Be sure not to use boiled linseed oil, since it dries. I prefer the raw.
The color all depends on the material which the oil gets applied on. I have had different results on different types of material, all from really light natural color to dark toned.

Well, my thought anyway...

Tony Peters
20th November 2000, 20:49
Originally posted by Fredrik_Svensson
Uhm, sand it off (really fine sandpaper at the end), then coat it with raw linseed oil.
I have done this with all my weapons, and it gets a great finish.

Be sure not to use boiled linseed oil, since it dries. I prefer the raw.
The color all depends on the material which the oil gets applied on. I have had different results on different types of material, all from really light natural color to dark toned.

Well, my thought anyway...


Whoa....Raw linseed oil never dries, picks up dirt and is really sticky if that is what you want then go right ahead and use it. Otherwise try to a drying finish oil like Tung, Boiled linseed or my personal favorite Watco dainish finish oil...it is even available with stains built in.

Fredrik_Svensson
20th November 2000, 23:16
hehe... Well, my weapons isn't really sticky. The oil goes INTO the wood. Can't say that it is sticky on the outside.

I havn't seen the tung oil myself, but heard alot of good things about it. But boiled I do have experience with, and I thought it got a bad finish for weapons.

Evan London
21st November 2000, 13:06
I had very nice results using straight mineral oil. Wet sand the bo with several grades of paper starting with 150 and go to 400. Then fully coat the bo with oil and set aside until the oil is soaked up into the wood. I have a Buki co. hickory bo and it needed 4-5 coats until it didn't soak in anymore. Now I only treat the wood every few months.
Good luck!
Ev

mike hamel
22nd November 2000, 23:05
Amazon Lemon Oil is very nice (Japan Woodworker in California, and West Marine both have it). Just put it on with a cloth (no sanding required).

mike hamel

Hank Irwin
30th November 2000, 12:25
Most agents with Lemon in it will bleach. Linseed Oil is used for restoration and repair and should be cut with Turpentine 70/30 mix. Linseed oil will gum up if not applied properly. Tungoil is a water repellant not a wood treatment. Water on ANY weapon will cause it to swell, opening the grain. Start with 100# sand paper and work your way up to 1500# if necessary making sure you use a tack rag in between sanding to remove grit and dust from the grain. Orane Oil Preservative can be found at most Ace Hardwares or Specialty Hardware stores. If you want a high sheen use Feed Wax(Us Woodsmithys know what this is for) Anybody needs further help, just drop me a line. Watco Oils are perfect for treating dry or fresh woods and can be found in a variety of colors. I make a Bo that is buried for 6 months IN oil,(not motor oil) and it comes out as hard as a rock and shinny like glass when complete.

TysonWalters
30th November 2000, 16:46
A method I have used is to sand the wood to open the grain, and then use a stain to reach your desired colour. From there I do a progressive sand down and oil job using mineral oil until I get the right effect. I found that works great for me, and it usually takes over a week if you are doing it right.

Thats what I do!

Tyson

Bob Barton
30th November 2000, 19:01
Personally, I like to sand the bo using progressively higher grits as I go. I coat the bo with mineral oil, wait for it to soak in, sand, and repeat. I continue this until the bo/jo stands for 24 hours without absorbing any more oil. I add a small amount of clove oil to the mineral oil for a nice scent.

Someone once said, that you shouldn't put anything on the wood that you wouldn't put on your own body. Tung oil has alls kinds of warnings and the can suggests you use it in a well ventilated area, and wear protective gloves.

Later,
Bob (the mineral oil and sanding gives a beautiful natural finish) Barton

Neil Yamamoto
30th November 2000, 19:35
Hi Bob, nice to see you back on the forum.

Bob's suggestion is identical to mine for some reason. :D

The only thing I would add is once a piece of wood is finished properly you only need to oil it every couple months.

Some people have said the method I use is not needed for a hunk of wood. True, but when I posted on e-budo pre crash, I posted this was for a presentation piece where you wanted to have a high gloss shine, not needed for a working bokuto.

The endless polishing is great if you are making a present for sensei or something along those lines though.

Bob Barton
30th November 2000, 20:44
I use my bo's for kata only...I made one from hard maple, and it stood up to a really hard beating...but it broke my budo heart to see the wood get dented. LOL

Thanks for the welcome back, Neil.

Later,
Bob (thinking it is time to finish that piece of cherry I have) Barton

Hank Irwin
30th November 2000, 23:21
Originally posted by TysonWalters
A method I have used is to sand the wood to open the grain, and then use a stain to reach your desired colour. From there I do a progressive sand down and oil job using mineral oil until I get the right effect. I found that works great for me, and it usually takes over a week if you are doing it right.

Thats what I do!

Tyson Walterssan, mineral oil is ok, but will take a long time to penetrate. The Watco oils I reffered to penetrate to the center and harden from the center out. This will help insure no water is sealed inside, provided the piece has been dried thoroughly and properly. Always make sure you never use laquers or enamels, finish or top coat, Naptha is good for cleaning also(60%laquer, 40%mineral spirits;laquer helps it dry quickly) on any wooden piece.

Hank Irwin
30th November 2000, 23:28
Originally posted by Bob Barton
Personally, I like to sand the bo using progressively higher grits as I go. I coat the bo with mineral oil, wait for it to soak in, sand, and repeat. I continue this until the bo/jo stands for 24 hours without absorbing any more oil. I add a small amount of clove oil to the mineral oil for a nice scent.

Someone once said, that you shouldn't put anything on the wood that you wouldn't put on your own body. Tung oil has alls kinds of warnings and the can suggests you use it in a well ventilated area, and wear protective gloves.

Later,
Bob (the mineral oil and sanding gives a beautiful natural finish) Barton Yeah, Tung oil is toxic. Is a good point Sir. Amazing, you are one of the first I have heard of (besides myself) that has "scented" a piece of weaponry. I used to scent all my weapons in an ammonia and pine fuming room. The scent stays FOREVER! Ha! Ha! In my own kinda"memory" of Pine Forest Temple.

Bob Barton
1st December 2000, 02:28
Hanksan,

The idea to use a scent is also not originally mine, but I like it. Clove oil is pretty expensive. I think I paid around $4 for an 1/8 ounce bottle. On the plus side, it only takes a couple of drops in the bottle to scent the whole thing.

Some wood, like teak and black walnut, have strong enough scents on their own. Hickory was a perfect wood for the clove scent.

Nice hearing your ideas too.

Later,
Bob (I like the idea of curing from the center out) Barton