# Filet/ Paring Wip



## Woodman (Dec 20, 2015)

This week a longtime customer made his twice yearly trip to my place to pick out his own jumbo curly maple and crotch walnut blocks. He asked what I used to get the golden brown color on my curly maple pieces using homemade stains. I had a small piece that I had applied beet juice on the one side and a mixture of yellow onion skins and instant coffee on the other. He liked the onion/coffee color but asked how he could get it without boiling onion skins. Since he was staying all day to have dinner with us I said let's make a small filet knife. I rasp formed a handle where the beet juice had been applied. Went to a friend's house to use a vise so that I could inlet the handle for a blade I had made months ago from a sawzall blade, I just moved and I no longer have a shop. The blade is about 5-6 hundredths of an inch thick which makes a very good little filet/parer.

http://i594.Rule #2/albums/tt28/lakeridge3/100_17091_zpsdoyc0a84.jpg

http://i594.Rule #2/albums/tt28/lakeridge3/100_17101_zpspgxav0o9.jpg

http://i594.Rule #2/albums/tt28/lakeridge3/da86db14-576f-496c-8126-fa55f7f3dcf1_zpsdfjbo72h.jpg

In the next step I applied golden colored fabric dye as a base. My wife gets thanks for having this in the house. :)
http://i594.Rule #2/albums/tt28/lakeridge3/100_17131_zpsjamdgqvr.jpg

The next step was instant coffee stain. The yellow dye and coffee can be combined into one step but I wanted to show him how each did it's thing.
http://i594.Rule #2/albums/tt28/lakeridge3/100_17151_zps6hxa6eqd.jpg

After drying the handle using 8 second heatings spread over a half hour in the microwave we applied the first coat of Minwax Tung Oil. The wood is wet so I'm holding it up by the blade.
The blade has been fitted to the handle but not yet epoxied in. I'll use fine steel wool before another coat. When it's done I'll sell it at the next show.
http://i594.Rule #2/albums/tt28/lakeridge3/100_17161_zpsd0yhapfc.jpg

Reactions: Like 5 | Way Cool 2


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## Nature Man (Dec 20, 2015)

Gorgeous chunk of wood you started with, and fascinating dye job. End result for handle is magnificent. Chuck


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## Sidecar (Dec 20, 2015)

Another knock it outta the park moment.......never stops at WB 
Really neat and lots of info !


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## Schroedc (Dec 20, 2015)

way cool. I'll have to remember to save some beet juice next time I make beets at home. I've also made a dark brown dye using walnut husks and a blue one using indigo that grows in my back yard.

Reactions: Informative 1


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