best water resistant finish

[bensoelberg]

I'm making a couple handles for kitchen knives for Christmas. I'm sure that they will get a little wet when washed, but I would like to put a nice looking finish on them that will have a little durability. Any suggestions?

 

[Justturnin]

Tung Oil, the real stuff 100% not a Formby's Mix that has little to no Tung in it. It polimerizes and soaks deep into the wood, dries hard and water will bead when it hits it. The only thing I would be concerned about would be if you are using Glue. Not sure if the Tung would eat it. Also all you have to do is give it a fresh coat every year or two to refresh the finish.

One word of warning, I have used Tung Oil on bowls and it has taken 20-30 coats to get the finish (gloss) I was after. You can get anywhere from a satin to an ultra high gloss w/ tung if you are patient w/ it.

 

[bensoelberg]

I have to epoxy the knives into the handle. I've never used tung oil before so I don't know if it eats through stuff or not. How long do you have to wait between coats?

 

[chrisk]

Rustin's Danish Oil.

 

[TellicoTurning]

There's a guy down in Georgia that makes sinks on his lathe... they're usually segmented and complete with drains etc... he uses a product called Waterlox.

 

[bitshird]

I've heard that waterlox is great, Tung has to be reduced the first coat with Turpentine, and it stinks like the dickens. But I've used it on a couple of bowls, let the first coat sit over night, then use pure Tung oil but it dries slow. I got a quart fro Woodcraft, I don't think you'll find pure Tung oil at a home depot or lowes. and it's kind of expensive, Waterlox isn't cheap either. but I think you'll get a gloss finish a lot faster than with Tung oil.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I've heard that waterlox is great, Tung has to be reduced the first coat with Turpentine, and it stinks like the dickens. But I've used it on a couple of bowls, let the first coat sit over night, then use pure Tung oil but it dries slow. I got a quart fro Woodcraft, I don't think you'll find pure Tung oil at a home depot or lowes. and it's kind of expensive, Waterlox isn't cheap either. but I think you'll get a gloss finish a lot faster than with Tung oil.

I know that his bathroom basins were spectacular... regular sized, segmented and with a high gloss finish. In a correspondence he spoke very highly of the Waterlox... haven't tried it myself, but I did like the way it looked on his basins.

He had 3 or 4 on display at a gallery in Lenoir City that I was contemplating showing some of my stuff too, but they didn't stick around long enough for me to make up my mind.

 

[bassinhuntin]

Use acrylic.

 

[nava1uni]

I use Tung oil on all of the kitchen utensil handles that I make. It holds up well and has a nice finish without being slippery if wet.