Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Wooden knob question
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
I have not used wooden knobs for decades so I have no experience in long term wear of finish used on a wood knob. What lasts? Varnish will get soft from body oils. What about shellac? Just linseed oil holds up well on gun stocks and can be easily restored? Is just oiling a good choice? Wood is walnut.
Possible finishes
Ellis Walentine
Bill, I have used varnish (and Waterlox) on various knobs without a problem. If you want a gunstock finish, how about Tru-Oil?
Ellis
Re: Possible finishes
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
I have Waterlox and the luster will go with the rest. Upon your recommendation I will use it. It dries quick so that will move this thing to completion quickly....yea.
Good call...
John in NM
Waterlox is my favorite all around finish.
Lately I've been using button lac on pistol grips too with good results. For some reason I never warmed up to dewaxed shellac, but I like button a lot (discovered that by accident).
Another good choice is a dense tropical wood for small pulls, one that can do fine with no finish at all.
Finish that Goes Soft
Don Stephan
Nitrocellulose lacquer turns gummy from body oil, but I have not found alkyd varnish to do that. Unfortunately Pratt & Lambert alkyd varnish was discontinued, and I haven't found another alkyd varnish. Per the manufacturer, Waterlox will not stand up to repeated washing with mild dish soap, but that will not be an issue for furniture knobs.
Re: Good call...
TomD
As a frequent user of 2 pack finishes, Bill, they would seem to be perfect for this use. You get hard, and very resistant to any solvents, and you probably don't get that result you get with walnut that shows a ton of end grain where the different absorption levels leave a very muddy look.
I have never used Waterlox, so doubtless a good choice also, based on all the replies. I could see almost anything working pretty well, with the correct application. Application is the biggie, and there are work arounds for most products.
The one overlooked category is all the different preparations and techniques specifically for turnings, since once mounted on your lathe (or drill motor) there are a ton of materials that provide good, quick, relatively permanent finishes. I have a bowl that Richard Raffan made, my only piece by another maker, and he finishes everything, it seems, with wax and non-drying oil. What a mess that approach should be. But in his hands, the results are still great decades later.