DIY Wasters: Linseed Oil vs. Polyurethane

[JeffGentry]

Hey David

I just happen to have a hickory waster i made sitting here ready to be sanded and "coated", i may just go buy poly urethane and thinner to use on this new one and see how it work's out.

Jeff

[Jeremiah.Phipps]

While crafting my first waster, I decided to try the polyurethane since I had the supplies already. My wooden wasters are made of maple (as that was the best material available at the local lumber yard). I'm no expert in wood finishes, but it seems to me that the maple absorbed only the first coat of poly. After the second coat, I don't get the "wood" feel any more. Maybe I'm doing something wrong or using the wrong kind of poly.

Does anyone have any experience with maple and polyurethane?

- Jeremiah

[Jeff Hansen]

While crafting my first waster, I decided to try the polyurethane since I had the supplies already. My wooden wasters are made of maple (as that was the best material available at the local lumber yard). I'm no expert in wood finishes, but it seems to me that the maple absorbed only the first coat of poly. After the second coat, I don't get the "wood" feel any more. Maybe I'm doing something wrong or using the wrong kind of poly.

Does anyone have any experience with maple and polyurethane?

- Jeremiah

The first coat sealed it, everything after that layers on top. There was a thread about this a couple years ago. IIRC if you want to use poly you have to thin it waaay out( 90-95% mineral spirits) and do many coats to get it to sink in. You'll have to sand the heck out of it to open the wood back up after the poly you've already put on it.

Personally, I'm not that motivated and linseed oil is just easier. I pour it on thick for the first coat and wrap it in cellophane so that it dries slower and soaks in better. Leave it over night. Then, when you take the plastic off you have to wipe it down with some kind of thinner to get rid of the sticky cosmoline-like residue. When that's done, wipe it down with linseed, let it dry, and you're done.

Hope I helped

edit-
I just noticed that this is that thread from a couple years ago. Oops. The linseed oil thing still works.

[Jeremiah.Phipps]

Thanks for the quick response, Jeff. I did use laquer thinner to thin out the poly (25% poly as prescribed in this thread). Should it have been thinner (for the tight grain of maple)? Also, would mineral spirits be a better choice for thinning than the laquer thinner (i didn't notice any instructions for thinning on the poly can)?

As it stands, the supplies are cheap so I just experimented on the waster. Even with no added strength (from a messed up poly job), it is still a useable waster.

- Jeremiah

[Curt Dunham]

To improve slipperiness of wasters for improved feel during winding simply wipe the blade down with car wax. The wax really improves winding with padded swords, too.

Curt Dunham
ARMA-SFL

[Jeff Hansen]

As for what to use to thin the poly; whatever they specify for cleanup will work as thinner. And, yeah, if it doesn't seem to be absorbing properly at 75% dilution then thin it some more and give it a shot. If you aren't sanding between coats you might want to give that a try.

Cool idea with the car wax, although it occurs to me that it might interfere with absorbtion of linseed oil, letting it dry out in the long run.
On the other hand, if you get the poly thing to work then there's no problem.

[Curt Dunham]

I only used the car wax on wooden (oak) rappier simulators I made and coated with polyurethane (and the padded swords). It made a significant difference.

If you use linseed oil, I think waxing once the linseed oil has soaked into the wood will make the blade steel slippery and will keep the oil from continuing to evaporate out of the wood.

I had a problem with cracking of the polyurethane on the rappiers, but I hadn't thinned it to get to soak in. In fact, I had coated the swords with epoxy first and then just added two thick coats of polyurethane on the outside. I think I'll give more thought to the thinned polyurethane technique although just wiping on linseed oil (and then waxing) is awfully easy.

Curt