Any Tru-Oil advice?

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Qapla'
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Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Qapla' »

When attempting to use Tru-Oil on trad-j handles, I cannot seem to make Tru-Oil'ed handles not be gummy, no matter how thinly I try to apply the coats nor how much I try to rub the stuff into the wood. I'll also note that contrary to the indications, it seems to take much closer to 24 hours than 2 hours to completely dry. Does anyone here have any advice on the matter?

Techniques I've tried:
- Applying with a cloth (e.g. discarded shirt, paper-towel, etc.) and then rubbing it in with bare-fingers
- Applying bare-handed (point of a finger), and rubbing the oil in as mentioned above; if necessary, wiping it down with cloth afterward
- For the area where the tang enters the handle, I use a small shred of paper-towel and just "paint" the entire surface and then wipe any excess off with another shred of paper-towel or a q-tip.

I've also read of the other major school of thought, that a thicker coat should be used and then scrubbed off with steel-wool; I've scrubbed off an overly-gummed handle with scotchbrite pads, but I'm not sure how much a help that is in the greater scheme of rendering it truly water-resistant.

Thanks to any who have any knowledge to share.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Bmoze »

I recently tru-oiled three handles: two ho/buffalo horn handles and a walnut/maple handle. They came out great. Here’s what I did.

1) I used blue painter’s tape to mask off the ferrule and blade.
2) I sanded the handle with 150 sandpaper, 220 sandpaper, and black wet/dry sandpaper. It didn’t take long. I used Naptha between standings to remove dust, etc.
3) I applied tru-oil using my wife’s cosmetic sponges. They’re small triangular sponges and they’re cheap. I used a few drops of tru oil, applied to the sponge, for each coat.
4) I applied 4 coats over 4 days, lightly brushing with fine steel wool between coats. Be sure to get all the steel wool shards off the handle before applying the next coat.
5) After the last coat, I lightly buffed the handle with a rag.

Sounds like more work than it really is. Came out waterproof and beautiful.
Last edited by Bmoze on Mon Nov 26, 2018 12:10 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Bluenoser87 »

I've found 2 hours is enough to handle it and apply extra coats but that it does take about 24 hours to fully cure up and lose its tackiness. I apply the oil with my finger until it's all wet then immediately wipe it off with very light pressure with a small piece of paper towel. It doesn't really need to be worked into the wood, it will just soak in. After 2 hours, I use a bit of 0000 steel wool to very lightly smooth the surface then repeat until I get the desired finish. I haven't tried any other methods with tru-oil though to be fair, this was the first I tried and it worked fine.

What kind of wood are you trying to seal? I've had very good luck with the above method on ho wood and maple. I did try a rosewood handle and it seemed like it took a lot longer to cure up, probably because the wood is denser and it didn't soak in as well.

I'd wait a lot longer than 2 hours though if you're going to scrub hard with steel wool. Mine are pretty much bulletproof now. No amount of washing or scrubbing seems to bother the finish. Acetone will remove it very easily though.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Bluenoser87 »

Bmoze wrote: Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:41 pm I recently tru-oiled three handles: two ho/buffalo horn handles and a walnut/maple handle. They came out great. Here’s what I did.

1) I used blue painter’s tape to mask off the ferrule and blade.
2) I sanded the handle with 150 sandpaper, 220 sandpaper, and black wet/dry sandpaper. It didn’t take long. I used Naptha between standings to remove dust, etc.
3) I applied tru-oil using my wife’s cosmetic sponges. They’re small triangular sponges and they’re cheap. I used used a few drops of tru oil, applied to the sponge, for each coat.
4) I applies 4 coats over 4 days, lightly brushing with fine steel wool between coats. Be sure to get all the steel wool shards off the handle before applying the next coat.
5) After the last coat, I lightly buffed the handle with a rag.

Sound like more work than it really is. Came out waterproof and beautiful.
Yeah this is almost how I did it. Except that I applied the oil pretty heavily and then wiped it off, but I expect it's a similar effect. 4 coats over 4 days probably produces a nicer overall finish than my 2 hour method but I expect temperature and humidity probably plays into this quite a bit too. It is possible to do this with 2 hours in between coats if you're gentle and don't go crazy with the steel wool as things are a bit tacky at that point. I'm super pleased with my results.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Jeff B »

Qapla' wrote: Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:13 pm When attempting to use Tru-Oil on trad-j handles, I cannot seem to make Tru-Oil'ed handles not be gummy...
What woods have you tried it on?
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by pd7077 »

I thin TruOil down with some mineral spirits (usually about 50:50), and then I apply it like how the guys above have said. I’ve found that I still get the waterproofing benefits, but the final finish is less glossy.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Qapla' »

Thanks for the info so far all. To answer the question regarding what kinds of woods, all of the ones I've been dealing with are ho-wood ones.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Jeff B »

I've only had it stay gummy for long periods on some Rosewoods and there are other very oily hardwoods where it might stay gummy.
I've never had a problem with Ho wood. I guess you could have a bad bottle or environmental conditions could be contributing to this.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Wjhunt »

I think Tru oil has a short shelf life after it is opened.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Carter »

I agree with Jeff, maybe a bad bottle (though have never experienced that in 50+ bottles) or environmental conditions. Or, and we usually speak of the little bottle of TruOil, are you using the aerosol version?? I hear it does not perform nearly as well as the bottle version.

FYI...I was able to apply 3 coats of TruOil to a saya today, weather conditions were upper 40'sF in my shop and 70% humidity....and I put on the first coat after 12pm and did the last by 5pm.

Ho wood generally poses no issues....was the handle previously coated with another oil or beeswax?? Oil is not generally an issue, but wax could be.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Qapla' »

Thanks for the info all.

Answers to the questions:
- It's the "little bottle of TruOil", i.e. the 3oz bottle of liquid.
- Regarding a bad bottle; it's possible. I'll have to see what happens with the next bottle. (Today I did another coat each on two knives, and they were still a bit sticky several hours later that night.)
- Regarding previously-extant coatings; that's something I hadn't thought of. All the knives were brand new. Though one of them was significantly smoother than the others before oiling (perhaps it was waxed?), that one isn't causing me more trouble than the others. (The one that'd been causing the most trouble was simply badly-sanded; I'll have to just sand down and redo that one.)

On a hypothetical note: I've heard that ebony, which is popular among the higher-line knives, is very difficult to waterproof; is that true?
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Wjhunt »

It’s always best to test your finish on a piece of scrap wood. I have never used ebony. On oily wood I wipe with acetone then use a barrier coat of de-waxed shellac (1lb. cut) . The barrier coat is a controversial subject but I have never noticed a problem. You can follow the de-waxed shellac with just about anything but I prefer some type of oil based varnish. Don’t use the regular can of shellac. You can use Zinnser Seal Coat just make sure it’s not an old can because it does have a shelf life. Hypothetically speaking.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Carter »

Qapla' wrote: Tue Nov 27, 2018 2:17 am Thanks for the info all.

Answers to the questions:
- It's the "little bottle of TruOil", i.e. the 3oz bottle of liquid.
- Regarding a bad bottle; it's possible. I'll have to see what happens with the next bottle. (Today I did another coat each on two knives, and they were still a bit sticky several hours later that night.)
- Regarding previously-extant coatings; that's something I hadn't thought of. All the knives were brand new. Though one of them was significantly smoother than the others before oiling (perhaps it was waxed?), that one isn't causing me more trouble than the others. (The one that'd been causing the most trouble was simply badly-sanded; I'll have to just sand down and redo that one.)

On a hypothetical note: I've heard that ebony, which is popular among the higher-line knives, is very difficult to waterproof; is that true?
One thing to try is to clean the handles thoroughly with acetone to remove any oils/waxes that may be present.

I use a lot of ebony, some of it finishes no problem, other's do take longer for the finish to cure. I have not been able to identify which species are worse than others, I've had pieces from the same larger block of wood act differently. One thing that can help, and may help with your original question, is to use the Birchwood Casey (maker of TruOil) Sealer product and build up a few coats and then apply the TruOil.

Late edit here: putting the coated piece outside in direct sunlight can also help the curing process and/or with the colder weather now, I have been putting the pieces in front of a small bathroom heater...I don't let the wood get too hot but the warm constant air does speed up the cure time.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by old onion »

Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil sealer is a good recommendation before using the Tru-oil. I usually rub ( wisker ) my walnut gun stocks with cloth from an old pair of levis between coats after each cure.Store your bottles upside down. Don't rush your cures between coats.I went as high as 12 coats and 24 hour cures between for some muzzle loaders I built. If you don't want the shine,TruOil also has a conditioner to rub on afterwards that gives a satin sheen.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by old onion »

old onion wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 3:49 am Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil sealer is a good recommendation before using the Tru-oil. I usually rub ( wisker ) my walnut gun stocks with cloth from an old pair of levis between coats after each cure.Store your bottles upside down. Don't rush your cures between coats.I went as high as 12 coats and 24 hour cures between for some muzzle loaders I built. If you don't want the shine,TruOil also has a conditioner to rub on afterwards that gives a satin sheen. Oh and to address your gummy thing,I apply my TruOil with just a small bit on my finger tips and rub it in a little at a time in small circles.You do not want runs.Build your foundation little by little,very thin coats.To much and you will have gummy then you will have to strip down all your hard work and start over.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by old onion »

old onion wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 3:54 am
old onion wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 3:49 am Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil sealer is a good recommendation before using the Tru-oil. I usually rub ( wisker ) my walnut gun stocks with cloth from an old pair of levis between coats after each cure.Store your bottles upside down. Don't rush your cures between coats.I went as high as 12 coats and 24 hour cures between for some muzzle loaders I built. If you don't want the shine,TruOil also has a conditioner to rub on afterwards that gives a satin sheen. Oh and to address your gummy thing,I apply my TruOil with just a small bit on my finger tips and rub it in a little at a time in small circles.You do not want runs.Build your foundation little by little,very thin coats.To much and you will have gummy then you will have to strip down all your hard work and start over.I read the directions on the bottles,don't believe them,they don't know what they are talking about. :lol:
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by cliff »

Thought I would revive this one to ask if consensus is to tape off the ferrule, as Bmoze does above? Getting that line just right is a challenge. I wonder if horn will absorb much if any oil? I'm refinishing some ho/horn handles. Thanks in advance.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by Jeff B »

You can coat the horn too if you want.

Using a foam brush like this makes the job easy too. https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-Chisel ... /100635279
You can buy them by the bag cheap on Amazon.
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Re: Any Tru-Oil advice?

Post by cliff »

Thanks!
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