Blade sealing/varnishing question

ProgramCrazy · Apr 14, 2022

Hello! Today, I've received my new DHS Hurricane 301T blade after waiting about a month. I sealed the blade with JOOLA's blade sealing varnish. After waiting a couple of hours to let it dry, I come back to notice that the faces of the blades became coarse. Is this supposed to happen? Is it alright if I glue my rubbers on? I don't want to have the blade splinter when I change out the rubbers, because I want to use this blade for a good while. If anyone has any advice on what to do, let me know!

Images/Video

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fGsBUM8ly3M

ProgramCrazy · Apr 14, 2022

So apparently I need to post 3 more times in order to have images/links in my thread, so I'm going reply here a few times. Please ignore.

ProgramCrazy · Apr 14, 2022

Post 4

ProgramCrazy · Apr 14, 2022

Post 5

lodro · Apr 14, 2022

yes, normal, the fluid will let little wood fibers stand upI normally I block the surface carefully using about 320 grit sandpaper.
Only a very light sanding action is needed and you should use a flat block behind the sandpaper. Make sure you do not round off the edges

ProgramCrazy · Apr 14, 2022

lodro said:
yes, normal, the fluid will let little wood fibers stand upI normally I block the surface carefully using about 320 grit sandpaper.
Only a very light sanding action is needed and you should use a flat block behind the sandpaper. Make sure you do not round off the edges

Thanks for your reply! Sanding won't damage the top layer of the blade too much to the point that it'll thin it and change the characteristics, right?

Also what motion do you use for sanding? Do go from handle to top, or side to side? I also believe that I have very fine sandpaper ranging from 600-3000, would those be okay or is that too fine?

lodro · Apr 14, 2022

ProgramCrazy said:
Thanks for your reply! Sanding won't damage the top layer of the blade too much to the point that it'll thin it and change the characteristics, right?

Also what motion do you use for sanding? Do go from handle to top, or side to side? I also believe that I have very fine sandpaper ranging from 600-3000, would those be okay or is that too fine?

Now that i have seen the pictures i am in shock !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you soak the blade surfaces in the varnish ?????? 😁

Kidding apart, I have never seen a blade go so bad. (Brilliant photos though)
Before doing anything PLEASE wait for some more input from the profis here on the forum.
If nobody gets involved, this is what I would do:

1. Use a good straight edge and check if the blade surfaces are flat. This is important because if they are not it will
influence the way you should sand
2. if the surfaces are flat I would use a good sanding block and 320 to 400 grit sandpaper. If you use paper that is much finer you will just
polish the surface not take the the wee mountains down to the level.

3. I would hold my blade on its handle on a flat surface . Then move the block lightly from the handle to the tip BUT NEVER over the tip
and NEVER over the sides. The block always has to be , lets say, 90% on the blade and only a little bit over the edge.
The weight on the block must be kept on the blade otherwise you will induce a rocking-horse motion and round off the edges.

If the test for flatness shows one side to be convex and the other concave = completely different parameters will apply

Dumper · Apr 14, 2022

I have used Tibhar clean coat on 5 blades without any similar result.

Lazer · Apr 14, 2022

It looks like a very rough outer layer, are You sure the blade is legit?

Anyway let the varnish set and use a fine sandpaper together with a block. keep sanding until the surface gets nice and even.
Then apply a thin layer of varnish (You can thin it a bit with turpentine if You think it's) tooo thick. Wait a day and let it set.
Then use the sandpaper and rough it up a little (so the next layer bonds easy) an give it a second thin layer, wait another
day and it's gluing time ...

Cheers
L-zr

mocker88 · Apr 14, 2022

Yep use a fine sanding paper from the bottom to the top and back along the fibres, and add a final very thin layer of varnish. And don't use turpentine with water based liquids, just add some water if it's too thick.

JRW911 · Apr 14, 2022

I've used Minwax fast drying polyurethane to seal all of my blades and have NEVER had any of them look like that after sealing them! Is it a water based sealer? If so, did you soak the blade in the sealer??? Wow 😲

ProgramCrazy · Apr 14, 2022

JRW911 said:
I've used Minwax fast drying polyurethane to seal all of my blades and have NEVER had any of them look like that after sealing them! Is it a water based sealer? If so, did you soak the blade in the sealer??? Wow 😲

I followed this video since they used the same JOOLA varnish. I didn't have to wipe it off with a paper tower because the varnish kinda just absorbed into the blade and didn't really spread as nicely as shown in the video.

ProgramCrazy · Apr 14, 2022

mocker88 said:
Yep use a fine sanding paper from the bottom to the top and back along the fibres, and add a final very thin layer of varnish. And don't use turpentine with water based liquids, just add some water if it's too thick.

If I sand the blade then add another layer of varnish again, what if the same problem happens again?

Lazer · Apr 14, 2022

I've used both water based and others, I definitely prefer when its based on turpentine or naphtha. Do NOT wipe with paper like this if it is naphtha based. You will end up with a mess. You'd be best not viping at all and if You desperately need to, use a LINT FREE RAG.. If its water based I don't really know (and don't care) I wouldn't use them again.

Cheers
L-zr

Lazer · Apr 14, 2022

ProgramCrazy said:
If I sand the blade then add another layer of varnish again, what if the same problem happens again?

I think it will be fine, You have a thin layer already. Why don't You take another small piece of wood and see what happens.

Cheers
L-zr

JRW911 · Apr 14, 2022

ProgramCrazy said:
If I sand the blade then add another layer of varnish again, what if the same problem happens again?

You're a brave, brave man to attempt to use the same sealer with that blade. From the looks of the first result, it doesn't appear the sealer and blade are a good combination.

I've used the Minwax polyurethane on blades with koto, limba, and white ash outer plies. None of them absorbed the sealer like yours did.

hipnotic · Apr 14, 2022

There is nothing wrong with Acrylic lacquers, they are safer for the environment, dry clear, fast and hard, and can be applied very thinly. You just need to know what you are dealing with. Because they are water based, this will cause the wood fibers to raise. If the fibers weren't raised during the manufacturing process, you will get a lot more of it when sealing. It's a good thing you did, otherwise you would be left with most of the top ply on your rubber after removal.

Now you need to flatten the top ply, you don't need a very fine sandpaper for this, 180 grit will work fine. Use a flat block and go along with the fibers, never side to side, apply little presure. Clean off the dust and aplly a new layer, no need to thin it down, sand it with 240 grit. You shouldn't have more fibers raising, but if you do you will have to apply a 3rd layer.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

JRW911 · Apr 14, 2022

hipnotic said:
There is nothing wrong with Acrylic lacquers, they are safer for the environment, dry clear, fast and hard, and can be applied very thinly. You just need to know what you are dealing with. Because they are water based, this will cause the wood fibers to raise. If the fibers weren't raised during the manufacturing process, you will get a lot more of it when sealing. It's a good thing you did, otherwise you would be left with most of the top ply on your rubber after removal.

Now you need to flatten the top ply, you don't need a very fine sandpaper for this, 180 grit will work fine. Use a flat block and go along with the fibers, never side to side, apply little presure. Clean off the dust and aplly a new layer, no need to thin it down, sand it with 240 grit. You shouldn't have more fibers raising, but if you do you will have to apply a 3rd layer.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

I know you're a blade manufacturer, so I'm not going to disagree with you, but I honestly don't see the point in using a water based sealer that literally affects the structural integrity of the blade when there are other sealers that don't. I'd hate to have to remove any amount of wood from my blade by sanding, especially if it has a very thin outer ply.

hipnotic · Apr 14, 2022

It's called raising the grain and it's a common wood working practice, not just in blade building. If this were done before, he could have applied any kind of finishing without any problems. The point is that, those fibers that were raised, were already loose, so you really want to get rid of them. In this specific case, if he had used a poly finish he wouldn't have had any raised fibers, but the first time he used a water based glue they would all come attached to the rubber, or worse. Unless he used a considerable amount of sealer, but in that case he would have changed the properties of the blade. People really overestimate the amount of effort it takes to sand through a top ply...

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DukeGaGa · Apr 14, 2022

I use Joola Varnish as well, and I notice the grains lifting up on my blades too, though not as bad. I usually sand it down a bit with 1500 grit sandpaper wrapped on something that's flat. But now I think I'll follow @hipnotic's advice and use 180+240 in the future.

Blade sealing/varnishing question

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