Finishing Kingwood

dakota.potts · August 21, 2014, 10:31 PM

In this case it's for a knife handle, but if these turn out well I might do a set of grips for my CZ in Kingwood.

I'm wondering how you finish it? I've heard a lot of people say that the oils in the wood itself are so heavy that it won't always take oils and that they aren't really necessary? That you should just sand to around 1200 or 1500 and then buff?

I was planning to use some Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and just see how it turns out. My goal is to darken the wood and enrich the grain pattern. Shine is OK but I don't want that "trapped in resin" gloss look where you can almost see the clear layer of finish separate from the wood.

I've heard some say teak oil, others say shellac? I don't want the yellow or amber color that a lot of finishes get, so this where I'm a little confused. Consider one's for a pocket knife and the other for a range/home defense gun, so they probably aren't going to see bushcrafting abuse or anything, but I would like them to stand up well to time.

Also, as far as buffing: I have one of those triangular handheld sanders (not sure what they're called) and a buffing pad for it. Do I need to use any particular compound and is this the appropriate tool?

Bill DeShivs · August 21, 2014, 10:44 PM

There is no finish that you can put on kingwood that will look as good or deep as just polishing the wood and adding a coat of paste wax. Kingwood won't even take most finishes. Sand as fine as you can get, then use Simichrome or a similar polish on a cloth-shoe-shine style.
Kingwood is one of the prettiest woods in my opinion.
Here is a set I made.

dakota.potts · August 21, 2014, 10:51 PM

I always love looking at your creations, Bill.

What exactly is a "paste wax" and how are they applied? Hand rubbed?

Still trying to get into this whole woodowrking thing. I figure it's a productive head start before I start college for gunsmithing some time net year.

Scorch · August 22, 2014, 04:01 AM

Paste wax is right, I have used it to finish many kinds of wood (ebony, cocobolo, padauk, wenge, maple, etc). Tru Oil won't dry on kingwood, cocobolo, South American rosewood, and many other oily or waxy woods. If you just have to have finish on it, use Bullseye Sand 'n Fill.

Dixie Gunsmithing · August 23, 2014, 01:16 PM

Look up articles on finishing Teak.

Bill DeShivs · August 23, 2014, 03:18 PM

Any grocery store should have Johnson's Paste Wax.
You can also use neutral paste shoe polish.

T. O'Heir · August 26, 2014, 03:24 PM

Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil is tung oil with other oils added. Pure tung oil is a better finish for most woods. Don't think it would for kingwood.
Suspect kingwood might be extremely heavy for a full sized pistol. 75 lbs./cubic foot.
http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...oods/kingwood/
Johnson's Paste Wax is regular wooden floor wax. Wood is wood. use the same products and techniques used on fine furniture.

dakota.potts · September 6, 2014, 12:18 AM

SC Johnson Paste Wax worked admirably. Applied it by hand, let it sit for about a half hour at a time, and buffed it. Did this about a 3 times until the wood would no longer accept it. Darkened the wood without adding the sheen just like I wanted and left the would with a nice, smooth feel that isn't slippery like some other finishes.

Color me happy with the advice I received on this one. Now I have an enormous tub of the stuff. No idea what to do with it now.

Bill DeShivs · September 6, 2014, 01:23 AM

Wax everything! Wax your guns, furniture, car.
One of the reasons I suggest neutral paste shoe polish is the small can.

Durnitz579 · September 12, 2014, 08:53 PM

Cabinetmaker here. Finishing oily wood is not easy. There is a method that has proven itself many times over on teak and other oily woods. I have never played with kingwood, but this method has worked on just about every other oily species you can name. Prep a sample to make sure this is the look you are going for. Go ahead and prep your sample piece the same as you would for your grips. Now, get a can of high-quality Lacquer Thinner, and wet a clean cloth with it. (As a professional finisher, I would advise wearing surgical gloves for this.) Give the test piece a good rubdown with the wet rag. now, before it evaporates, go back and wipe it repeatedly with a clean, dry rag until until it is dry.

What you are doing is leaching the oils out of the surface of the wood. Now you have to replace it with another oil in the next few minutes. I would recommend Tung oil. It's easy to use. Just wet a rag and rub. Add some more oil, and rub some more until you have the results you want. I'd stay away from solvent-bourne film finishes on anything as oily as Kingwood. This includes Shellac. Shellac has a lot of uses. This isn't one of them. Tung oil will bring an almost unbelievable luster out on wood if properly applied.

Hope this helps, and best of luck on your project!

Bill DeShivs · September 12, 2014, 09:40 PM

Why take oils out and replace them with others?
Kingwood will polish almost like glass. All it needs is a coat of wax to protect it.

Durnitz579 · September 12, 2014, 10:01 PM

Tung oil stabilizes over time and doesn't dissipate. Wax dissipates over time, and must be replenished to continue to protect.

August 21, 2014, 10:31 PM	#1
dakota.potts Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Location: Keystone Heights, Florida Posts: 3,084	Finishing Kingwood In this case it's for a knife handle, but if these turn out well I might do a set of grips for my CZ in Kingwood. I'm wondering how you finish it? I've heard a lot of people say that the oils in the wood itself are so heavy that it won't always take oils and that they aren't really necessary? That you should just sand to around 1200 or 1500 and then buff? I was planning to use some Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and just see how it turns out. My goal is to darken the wood and enrich the grain pattern. Shine is OK but I don't want that "trapped in resin" gloss look where you can almost see the clear layer of finish separate from the wood. I've heard some say teak oil, others say shellac? I don't want the yellow or amber color that a lot of finishes get, so this where I'm a little confused. Consider one's for a pocket knife and the other for a range/home defense gun, so they probably aren't going to see bushcrafting abuse or anything, but I would like them to stand up well to time. Also, as far as buffing: I have one of those triangular handheld sanders (not sure what they're called) and a buffing pad for it. Do I need to use any particular compound and is this the appropriate tool? __________________ Certified Gunsmith (On Hiatus) Certified Armorer - H&K and Glock Among Others You can find my writings at my website, pottsprecision.com.

August 21, 2014, 10:44 PM	#2
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,991	There is no finish that you can put on kingwood that will look as good or deep as just polishing the wood and adding a coat of paste wax. Kingwood won't even take most finishes. Sand as fine as you can get, then use Simichrome or a similar polish on a cloth-shoe-shine style. Kingwood is one of the prettiest woods in my opinion. Here is a set I made. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 21, 2014, 10:51 PM	#3
dakota.potts Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Location: Keystone Heights, Florida Posts: 3,084	I always love looking at your creations, Bill. What exactly is a "paste wax" and how are they applied? Hand rubbed? Still trying to get into this whole woodowrking thing. I figure it's a productive head start before I start college for gunsmithing some time net year. __________________ Certified Gunsmith (On Hiatus) Certified Armorer - H&K and Glock Among Others You can find my writings at my website, pottsprecision.com.

August 22, 2014, 04:01 AM	#4
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Paste wax is right, I have used it to finish many kinds of wood (ebony, cocobolo, padauk, wenge, maple, etc). Tru Oil won't dry on kingwood, cocobolo, South American rosewood, and many other oily or waxy woods. If you just have to have finish on it, use Bullseye Sand 'n Fill. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

August 23, 2014, 03:18 PM	#6
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,991	Any grocery store should have Johnson's Paste Wax. You can also use neutral paste shoe polish. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 23, 2014, 01:16 PM	#5
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	Look up articles on finishing Teak.

August 26, 2014, 03:24 PM	#7
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil is tung oil with other oils added. Pure tung oil is a better finish for most woods. Don't think it would for kingwood. Suspect kingwood might be extremely heavy for a full sized pistol. 75 lbs./cubic foot. http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...oods/kingwood/ Johnson's Paste Wax is regular wooden floor wax. Wood is wood. use the same products and techniques used on fine furniture. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

September 6, 2014, 12:18 AM	#8
dakota.potts Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Location: Keystone Heights, Florida Posts: 3,084	SC Johnson Paste Wax worked admirably. Applied it by hand, let it sit for about a half hour at a time, and buffed it. Did this about a 3 times until the wood would no longer accept it. Darkened the wood without adding the sheen just like I wanted and left the would with a nice, smooth feel that isn't slippery like some other finishes. Color me happy with the advice I received on this one. Now I have an enormous tub of the stuff. No idea what to do with it now. __________________ Certified Gunsmith (On Hiatus) Certified Armorer - H&K and Glock Among Others You can find my writings at my website, pottsprecision.com.

September 6, 2014, 01:23 AM	#9
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,991	Wax everything! Wax your guns, furniture, car. One of the reasons I suggest neutral paste shoe polish is the small can. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 12, 2014, 08:53 PM	#10
Durnitz579 Junior Member Join Date: January 22, 2014 Posts: 11	Cabinetmaker here. Finishing oily wood is not easy. There is a method that has proven itself many times over on teak and other oily woods. I have never played with kingwood, but this method has worked on just about every other oily species you can name. Prep a sample to make sure this is the look you are going for. Go ahead and prep your sample piece the same as you would for your grips. Now, get a can of high-quality Lacquer Thinner, and wet a clean cloth with it. (As a professional finisher, I would advise wearing surgical gloves for this.) Give the test piece a good rubdown with the wet rag. now, before it evaporates, go back and wipe it repeatedly with a clean, dry rag until until it is dry. What you are doing is leaching the oils out of the surface of the wood. Now you have to replace it with another oil in the next few minutes. I would recommend Tung oil. It's easy to use. Just wet a rag and rub. Add some more oil, and rub some more until you have the results you want. I'd stay away from solvent-bourne film finishes on anything as oily as Kingwood. This includes Shellac. Shellac has a lot of uses. This isn't one of them. Tung oil will bring an almost unbelievable luster out on wood if properly applied. Hope this helps, and best of luck on your project!

September 12, 2014, 09:40 PM	#11
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,991	Why take oils out and replace them with others? Kingwood will polish almost like glass. All it needs is a coat of wax to protect it. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 12, 2014, 10:01 PM	#12
Durnitz579 Junior Member Join Date: January 22, 2014 Posts: 11	Tung oil stabilizes over time and doesn't dissipate. Wax dissipates over time, and must be replenished to continue to protect.