I decided to work on a wooden handle this time. It was painted with a thick layer of white and black, mostly chipped, crazed and missing so I sanded it all off. I'm wanting to stain it or just coat it with danish oil. I like natural wood. Also, against my better judgement, I'd like to leave the original knot in but usually haven't had much luck with old knots. Usually they lose hairs like crazy, but I'm wanting to save a few bucks right now, and maybe some time/work. My question is, what would you suggest to fix the crack? If I glue it or fill it in some how, a stain or oil won't cover it up and I'd almost be forced to repaint. Or, would it be best to remove the knot first, glue/fill/repair, then put in a new knot?
@Jayaruh I know you work mostly in new blanks, but got any ideas? It cleaned up beautifully with sandpaper and steel wool. I'm about to test it out as is with a coat or two of danish oil.
Yeah, that looks like a nasty crack. If you want to keep the knot, I would wrap it with some plastic and then wrap it again tightly with some masking tape so you can work on the handle. I'd clean the crack as best as I could and see how it closes up by gently clamping it. If it closes up pretty good, I would use a good carpenters glue and glue and clamp it. Anything that squeezes out should be cleaned immediately to keep it off the surrounding wood. I would let it sit a day before removing the clamps. Sand it, remove all dust, and stain and seal if you like. The crack should be minimal I would think. Looks like a fun project. Best wishes. Hope it comes out great for you.
