Waster Maintenance

[RayMcCullough]

I was wondering what to do to extend the life of my NSA Waster. What can I put on it to work out the scratches?

[Aaron Pynenberg]

You can sand out the scratches etc, and then soak the thing in linseed oil. I have a NSA that I keep Linseed oiling from time to time and it has held up very well. I think the key is to not let it dry out.

[Shane Smith]

You can sand out the scratches etc, and then soak the thing in linseed oil. I have a NSA that I keep Linseed oiling from time to time and it has held up very well. I think the key is to not let it dry out.

Aaron is right but be sure to use "boiled" linseed oil to rub the waster down after sanding.

[Corey Roberts]

that's interesting to know, recently the glue that holds my pomme on my NSAl to the grip is vibrating off, I glued it once with wood glue and that didn't hold, and I glued it a second time with epoxy, still came undone. The pommel is not coming off but it is looser than previously. Does anybody know what kind of glue is best to use in that area?

[Denise Smith]

Have you tried gorilla glue?
A little goes a long way. Wipe off excess immediately with damp cloth. It is an expanding glue and it is very strong.
Although if epoxy didn't hold.. WOW I'm not sure what will. I've glued a stone sculpture together with two part epoxy.

[Richard Strey]

Cleaning the surfaces beforehand is the key, as you will know. And if Corey's pommel hasn't fully come off yet, that might have been the problem.

[Shane Smith]

A wooden dowel to pin all of the components together is not a bad idea in this case after you reglue.

[Lorraine Munoa]

You can sand out the scratches etc, and then soak the thing in linseed oil. I have a NSA that I keep Linseed oiling from time to time and it has held up very well. I think the key is to not let it dry out.

Aaron is right but be sure to use "boiled" linseed oil to rub the waster down after sanding.

There was some question raised a while ago as to whether the boiled linseed oil or this stuff called Tung oil was best...

[Brian Hunt]

either linseed oil or tung oil will do the job they are supposed to do well, seal the surface of the wood. I use tung oil because linseed oil gives me migraines. In the past I have used both and both work well.

just my experience.

Brian Hunt
GFS

[Corey Roberts]

Yes, it never came completely off, and as I was not familiar with how it was constructed I don't want to pull it off. Most likely previous gluings failed because I could not properly clean the surface beforehand and make sure everything fit together. Is anyone here familiar with NSA wasters enough to know whether you can just pull the pommel off and clean it up and put it back on? It's very annoying to have a wobbly pommel everytime I go and try and do something, although it's still totally functional.

[Jaron Bernstein]

Yes, it never came completely off, and as I was not familiar with how it was constructed I don't want to pull it off. Most likely previous gluings failed because I could not properly clean the surface beforehand and make sure everything fit together. Is anyone here familiar with NSA wasters enough to know whether you can just pull the pommel off and clean it up and put it back on? It's very annoying to have a wobbly pommel everytime I go and try and do something, although it's still totally functional.

Gorilla glue and duct tape!

[Brian Hunt]

NSA Waster are constructed with a square pin or peg that extends off the end of the handle and the pommel is glued onto this. This is the area where I feel NSA has a weak spot in their construction. The pin is a little too small for the weight of their pommels IMHO. But still, I love their wasters and will continue to purchase from them.

hope this helps.

Brian Hunt
GFS

[Corey Roberts]

I just didn't do it right the first time, I took the whole thing off, cleaned it up and glued it back together properly now and it's been going strong since. Thanks.