Finish For Ebony Or Rosewood?

[Glenfilthie]

I bought some mystery wood from Lee Valley that was supposed to be ebony but it may be rosewood - or so I am told.

Can any of you recommend a good finish for those woods? Will linseed cut with paint thinner work?

 

[LRB]

I would suggest to just wax it well, or send it off to be stabilized.

 

[Glenfilthie]

What kind of wax would you use, Wick?

I sanded it down to 600 grit and it doesn't look bad...will the colour change a bit do ya think?

 

[lonehunter]

What kind of wax would you use, Wick?

I sanded it down to 600 grit and it doesn't look bad...will the colour change a bit do ya think?

Wick would probably use ear wax! :stir:

May I suggest you try going a little finer on the grit of paper and then try buffing.
Most exotics have a lot of oil in them.

 

[LRB]

Other than wax, if you have a Woodcraft store near by, you might ask them about a finish. Super glue is being used as a finish by many knifemakers, but I don't know how they go about it, or if it would work on those woods. Rosewood will darken with time. Ebony is subject to crack with time. If going with wax, Carnauba, gym floor wax, or Renaissance Wax if you don't choke at the price of it.
www.woodcraft.com

 

[Rifleman1776]

Ebony is subject to crack with time.

Ebony is very stable. Probably less prone to cracking than most woods. However, virtually all the ebony being imported these days is fresh cut. Most is not cut until ordered. It is then dipped in parafin and distributed to retailers. It takes years to cure properly, especially when encased 100% in parafin. That is why users claim it is subject to cracking. They cut and use while still wet. I'll admit, it is hard to tell a fresh piece from a 20 year old piece. I have a small hunk of ebony that is probably 70 years old. I use only for very special and small projets.

A reccomendation was made to stabilize the wood. I do stabilization of wood. Certain dense and oily woods will not stabilize and, really, do not need it. I will not accept ebony, ironwood or any of the related rosewoods.
To answer the original question. I reccomend, just sand as fine as you can and use, or don't use, a wax.

 

[Glenfilthie]

I wonder what I have here. Lee Valley sold it as 'ebony' and it came in a hunk covered in wax. The fellas here said that they often do that but sell rosewood and call it 'ebony' when it really isn't.

I started making a handle for a dirk last year with mosaic pins and skip line checkering and I am going to finish it this winter...and it hasn't cracked or chipped and has been pretty nice to work with.

maybe I lucked out? :idunno:

 

[Rifleman1776]

I wonder what I have here. Lee Valley sold it as 'ebony' and it came in a hunk covered in wax. The fellas here said that they often do that but sell rosewood and call it 'ebony' when it really isn't.

I started making a handle for a dirk last year with mosaic pins and skip line checkering and I am going to finish it this winter...and it hasn't cracked or chipped and has been pretty nice to work with.

maybe I lucked out? :idunno:

From Lee Valley, you probably got genuine ebony. They are an honorable business. But, still covered with paraffin, it is probably still green/wet. Very hard to tell with ebony.
That doesn't mean the possibility of another type of wood being purchased from honest dealers. The illegal shipment (and importation into the U.S.) is a huge problem. It is virtually impossible to monitor all the wood coming into our ports.
Since ebony, and all the rosewoods, dry very slowly, the possibility of your project cracking in the next few weeks or months is highly probable. I do hope you lucked out and got a piece of dry wood but the chances of that are pretty slim. Tough, I know, because ebony is expensive stuff.

 

[Sperit de bois]

Got some wood from a man in NY that made Bag Pipes,the wood was used to make the "pipes"??? made a knife handle out of it,,epoxy will not stick to it unless you just about soak it in Acetone,Hard as a wood peckers lip,, but turns real nice on the lathe,, Hard on saw blade and other power tool.eats planer blades and band saws to.

 

[crockett]

Well the notion that both ebony or rosewood have enough oil in them to just buff and that's it- I've heard that and done that. In my experience an oil type finish on those woods isn't that great. I also do the superglue finish which will work with both woods. It isn't pc.
Here's how: put some superglue on the wood and QUICKLY spred around with a piece of plastic- an old credit card works well. The superglue will dry in about 20 seconds but it needs more time to cure. I wait about 20 minutes. The first few coats will be uneven. You can put on about 2 or 3 coats and then start sanding. The sanding evens out the finish. Maybe 320, 400, 600 grits and then the next coat, then sand 320, 400, 600, and another coat. When the coats are even and you are happy, 320, 400, 600 AND then 1,000 and 1,500 grit and buff. You can buff to a high gloss but a satin finish looks better IMHO.
Or, you can just buff the bare wood, or put on one coat of wax- like Wick said. That's most likely the PC finish anyway. Some of the extant trade/scalpers from the 1840 or earlier era are still around and the wood looks pretty good. Rosewood is a pc choice. Ebony is as well although less common.

 

[davec2]

I use a lot of ebony and rosewood. I have had excellent luck just soaking the finished part on Watco oil for one or more hours, then wiping down and let cure. If I really want to get it deep in the wood, I put the part in a heavy plastic bag with a plastic tube sticking out each end. To one end I attach a vacuum pump and draw a hard vacuum. Then I clamp off the tube to the pump. The other line started off clamped shut, and in a can of Watco. Now I open the Watco side clamp and let in just enough Watco to wet the part well. Clamp off the Watco tube. Let sit for an hour and then remove from the bag, wipe down and let cure. The vacuum draws all the air out of the cells of the wood and allows the Watco to fill in.

Ebony knife grip:

Rosewood knife grip:

Ebony bullet board:

Silver, rosewood, and whale ivory bracelet:

Rosewood and ivory jagging wheels:

Ebony powder horn parts:

 

[Pete44ru]

Damn fine work, there....... :bow: :bow:


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[hawk]

very nice :hatsoff: