a simple hard wearing finish for a chess set

[buzzby]

Hi Everyone,

I am about to start a project making a chess set on the lathe out of maple and wenge but I am not sure what finish will be suitable. On a previous set that i knew wasn't going to get much use i had a bees wax finish but i know this isn't hard wearing. I have looked at O.B. Shine juice as an option but not sure how hard wearing that would be and if i used the shelac sanding sealing i have if that would effect it. Have thought about BOL/CA but not had a lot of experience with that and is a bit of a faff plus i know it can catch fire (the rag not the work). Given the shape of the pieces i am not sure the BOL/CA could be applied effectively.

Have used some spray lacquer on a project i just finished which was great but quite expensive and time consuming applying 3 coats over 40 minutes.

Basically I want a nice gloss finish that can be easily applied on a lathe that will be hard wearing and can be applied quickly.

What would you recommend?

 

[marcros]

i would go with tru-oil, but not apply on the lathe. build up the coats to a high shine.

 

[ED65]

I have looked at O.B. Shine juice as an option but not sure how hard wearing that would be

That's shellac lubricated with linseed oil isn't it? What you end up with on the wood is shellac, so quite hard and durable. Not in the league of a polyurethane varnish or malamine lacquer, but good enough for a chess set I would have thought.

 

[marcros]

the problem that I see is you want a consistent finish, and some pieces (knights for instance) will have to be finished off the lathe. For a friction polish, some waxes or (IIRC) the OB shine juice, you need to generate some heat on the lathe to make them work. The CA and BLO is ok for round pieces, but isnt going to work on the more complex ones. brushed shellac may be hard to apply. what about a hard wax oil applied with a cloth?

goes without saying, but... test on some scrap first

 

[buzzby]

Hadn't heard of malamine lacquer before but looks interesting. Have used a few chesnut products and have been pleased with the results. It looks like it covers off the easy to apply, quick drying and hard wearing finish i am after. Can then use a burnishing cream if I like after it has set up.

I see a lot of people in the US using polyurethane finishing on stuff but I have never seen it in the UK, is it available. I buy a lot of stuff from Axminister (or online) but never come across it.

 

[marcros]

polyurethene is just varnish isn't it. i know that they add it to oil mixes, and do various other things for a hand wiped varnish. "Maloof mix" is one such recipe.

 

[ED65]

I see a lot of people in the US using polyurethane finishing on stuff but I have never seen it in the UK, is it available. I buy a lot of stuff from Axminister (or online) but never come across it.

A great many varnishes these days are polyurethanes, they just don't always specify on the tin. A lot of the varnishes from Ronseal for example will be polyurethane even if the product name doesn't reflect this.

Polyurethane varnishes are a development from the older alkyd varnish, they just add some polyurethane. Hence the technical name for it: uralkyd varnish.

Alkyd varnish is actually pretty good stuff by itself but the added poly improves scratch resistance.

 

[nicguthrie]

I'd go with Marcros' suggestion of a hard wax oil. There's nothing easier to apply, no matter the shape of the piece, it's fairly durable, especially if the wood it's self is pretty tough. I say "fairly durable" but I mean it's perfectly well suited to the likes of skirting board etc, so quite a bit more than you'd need on a chess set!

It'll also have a lovely and classy soft-touch feel in the hand in comparison to a plastic feeling lacquer or varnish, giving it more of a hand made feel as well as a touch of class. It won't however come to a glossy shine, if that's what you're after. The other advantage is retouching if there is any damage or such, requires a little wipe of the same stuff again, rather than any complicated faffing about!

Nic.

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Maple is already very hard wearing so you probably just need a finish to prevent dirt accumulation. I'd just go with a wax finish, you could use a weak shellac seal coat brushed on.