[Thomp]

Morning folks,

I got a Stupid Question thats driving me nuts:

current project: dipping knife handles in deft gloss clear finish, (because my spray can finish, technique gets lots of runs...)

current results:
im getting big blistery bubbles in the finish, they dont start to appear till many hours after i leave the shop, when, the finish is dry to touch, i suspect its gremlins?..... due to lack of a better excuse... oh im careful not to make bubbles in the can of finish,

im careful to remove all the places where the finish has dripped from like very bottom of handle (i'm hanging them by blade) so all drips wont effect looks if i miss one,
but after dry to touch 30 min, i quit wiping off the single drop that forms on the handle.. and leave them alone, that problem solved., coming back the next day i find up to 1/4" air bubbles have formed in places, now there mostly in the end grain where it comes out to meet the curve in the shape of the handle,, especially if i have sanded off some finish that wasn't smooth, IE: like porous black walnut which dont fill properly like other hard woods birch, maple..

but i got one knife handle of burrel and curly figured wood that is absolutely driving me nuts... with blisters coming up under the finish as it cures..
is it the heat?
i have got to leave the shop before 12:00 because its pushing 100 degrees inside, then i go in the shop the next morning. to find the gremlins have been at work again...

any of you ever had this problem? or know of a solution...

[BobD]

Thomas,
It might be the heat that is doing it. The heat could cause moisture and humidity problems.

Are you cutting the lacquer with anything? I'd consider diluting it with some lacquer thinner so it dries faster.

Bob

[Thomp]

no bob, im not cutting it, but am about to pull out my hair, i have dipped handles and small things before and never had this problem, but never left it to cure in a 100+ heat bath.. i fear moving them due to dust and bugs getting the finish, down here in bug country,, and the smell in the house would definitely get me a divorce...

i was thinking maybe the 5 minuet epoxy core i set the blades in had some effect with deft...? but the epoxy has been cured 2 weeks...

ill probably go to cutting the deft to thin it out, wish i would took a picture

thanks for the suggestions.

got this from tom h. in email hope he forgives me for posting..
i like #4
tom H. told me.
1. Too friggin hot! What happens when you burn your finger.....a blister!
2. Wood not sealed, and end grain blowin bubbles.
3. Finish too thick, and is drying in some weird way, like from the outside in (or from the inside out). Just the opposite of how it's supposed to dry. Maybe the heat and too thick of finish combined.
4. You got wormey wood and the worms are breathin their last gasps.

[BobD]

Another option would be highly thinned shellac (quickly becoming my favorite finish due to the ease of application.) It dries quick, applies nicely, and is pretty durable.

Is it water based Deft?

Bob

[Just Carving]

Thomp,

Is the wood absolutely dry? If there is any moisture in the wood, then the heat would bring the moisture out but it would be trapped under the lacquer--resulting in a bubble or blister. My suggestion would be to somehow dry the wood before dipping.

I spray all my carvings with lacquer spray. But I do it under the sun so it dries quickly. So, even if I overspray, and there is a run, it will smooth out and the sun will set the coating pretty quickly. I usually spray coats a half hour apart.

Just a thought--heat the wood up enough to dry it out without affecting the blade or charring the wood,--or wipe the handle down with alcohol which would remove any moisture on the surface and any hand moisture or oil that you might inadvertently leave when handling the knife. Just allow the alcohol a chance to evaporate.

Bob L

[Thomp]

Bob D,

i dont think, it stinks like chemicals and will get you funny feeling quickly if in a closed area, but ill check,

i was having a real problem with water base sealer staying sticky or getting sticky after applying the spray deft over the handles i sealed with water base sealer, so i switched to dipping them in straight deft, it got rid of the sticky problem,

when i used the water base sealer...the finish looked fine until you carved with the knife a couple days, and then it stuck to your hand,,,

Bob L.:
this wood is over 6-8 months old, its dry bought from woodcraft a grab box,,, unless normal southern humidity is taking effect...

this is getting frustrating.. think i need a course in finishing wood....

i fear using polyurethane because some oils and repellents soften poly to sticky very fast

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I use Deft spray and never have a problem, dries in about 5 minutes and ready for another coat......dipping has always caused drips, especially off the bottom point ....for me anyway.

[AlArchie]

Thomp......even if your wood had dried for years, it will still maintain some moisture, usually dependent on the ambient relative humidity. If you are to set that wood in a location with any temperature significantly higher that the wood was before, that moisture will vaporize and work it's way out. And if it is contained by a vapor proof finish, like Deft, there is only one thing it can do....blister the finish.

You may have similar results if you happen to ship sealed carvings via air mail, or over some of the high mountain passes. The drop in air pressure will cause a relative increase in the vapor pressure under the finish and cause blistering.

Al

[Keoma]

hi-I just had to tell you this was a great thread title and it made me spit-laugh. ok, now back to read the posts!

[Thomp]

Hi_Ho_Sliver;

I use Deft spray and never have a problem, dries in about 5 minutes and ready for another coat......dipping has always caused drips, especially off the bottom point ....for me anyway.

hi ho i listed all the runny and sticky problems that i had with spray and i went to dipping them...

Originally Posted by Keoma

hi-I just had to tell you this was a great thread title and it made me spit-laugh. ok, now back to read the posts!

well i was so mad i couldnt spit.

AlArchie; Thomp......even if your wood had dried for years, it will still maintain some moisture, usually dependent on the ambient relative humidity. If you are to set that wood in a location with any temperature significantly higher that the wood was before, that moisture will vaporize and work it's way out. And if it is contained by a vapor proof finish, like Deft, there is only one thing it can do....blister the finish.

You may have similar results if you happen to ship sealed carvings via air mail, or over some of the high mountain passes. The drop in air pressure will cause a relative increase in the vapor pressure under the finish and cause blistering.

Al

well, im still stumped as to the real reason. lots of possibility's.. but humidity and temperature change seams to be a constant....

its over 100 in my shop now i just returned from dipping a freshly sanded and dipped knife handle,,, we will see if it blisters the same in the morning,, ''but to do it properly i guess i need ti dip 3, leave one in the shop, one outside, and bring one in the house all on the same day,

i agree relative humidity here can change from morning to afternoon, with the heat, and it could cause pressure, i know a hot diet Pepsi will blow the tab outwards violently and sound like a 38 going off, if left in the sun and your dumb enough to try to open it round here so the sun dose cause pressure,,,

hopefully thinning the deft with lacquer thinner will fix this,,,, more tomorrow.... ill get some thinner tonight...