best stuff for finishing pieces

[moby]

to keep things simple for a newbie.

what shop bought lacquers/varnishes give the best finish for a novice? anyone used anything surprsing from under the kitchen sink?

thanks chaps!

 

[Steve Jones]

When I was turning I used mainly Chestnut finishes, it really depends on what the piece is, if it's to contain food then you need a food safe oil but if for decoration you need to decide whether you want a matt or gloss finish.

For decoration pieces I used to use Chestnut cellulose sanding sealer followed by Woodwax 22, for a more hard wearing finish substitute the Woodwax for Melamine lacquer which is available in either a brush or spray form.

Cheers

Steve

 

[nev]

Hi Moby
I think thats one of those 'string' questions, as in 'how long?'
But with 1001 different finishes out there, I share your confusion. I reckon a good all purpose starter would be Liberon lathe polish, or if you want to push the boat out a bit further Ubeaut EEE Ultrashine. The liberon is a (thin) liquid and the ubeaut is paste (with a slight abrasive in it).
But the best way to get a decent finish is use a quality abrasive and go through all the grits, making sure there are no marks left before progressing to the next, something like Richards Rhyno mixed pack is well worth the investment and is a major improvement on cheapy abrasives from the DIY shops.

 

[CHJ]

to keep things simple for a newbie.

what shop bought lacquers/varnishes give the best finish for a novice? anyone used anything surprsing from under the kitchen sink?

thanks chaps!

Don't think you are going to get anything from under the kitchen sink that is appropriate for anything that was worth the effort in turning in the first place.

Personally I think the simplest of all if you want a gloss finish is a burnished cellulose sanding sealer followed by a paste wax blend such as Woodwax22.
This will be fine for shelf display or light use items.
As the paste waxes are normally based on Bees Wax they will dull over time due to handling because Bees Wax is hand heat soluble.
For a higher sheen and one that will stand handling use Carnauba wax, but this needs more friction and care in application if you don't have a buffing system.
Modern alternate to Carnauba is to use Micro crystalline wax paste which really resists handling, is moisture resistant and provides a high gloss.

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

When I first started, I used old candle ends which are a cellulose wax. I have since progressed through various oils, beeswax, CA for pens and other small turnings, poly varnish, and home made friction polish. (in no particular order)
I'm not a fan of the poly varnish. I feel it looks too plasticy.
I have a bit of red ash beside the lathe which makes a good job of burnishing the timber, and also use the shavings to burnish.
I also made a tub of paste from parrafin wax pellets and mineral oil. It is good for keeping the dust down while sanding. I use a dust mask, but some dust still gets in the air. The wax helps reduce this dramatically.
Finally, don't use cheap abrasives. I found it will make more marks than it removes in most cases.

 

[moby]

thanks for the advice.

i recently bought several grades of emery cloth upto 400 grit. my supplier can get up to 1000 grit, which, i havent used just yet. i am part way through a vase in laburnum, what i have finished so far is very good (i think) i prefer the emery cloth as it tears into straight stips very easily.

i remember an old joiner i worked with whilst shop fitting, one of his suggestions was when finishing sanding with fine sandpaper, turn the paper over and buff with the back of the paper. i thought it was bull doodoo until i tried it.

i'll track down the finishes you have suggested.

thanks again

moby

 

[CHJ]

Emery cloth on wood could leave you with some undesirable results. The abrasives (Hercynite-Spinel/iron-Spinel) could have an iron content that could stain your wood if they react with any acids in the wood also dark abrasive particles may show up if embedded in the wood pores.

 

[moby]

Emery cloth on wood could leave you with some undesirable results. The abrasives (Hercynite-Spinel/iron-Spinel) could have an iron content that could stain your wood if they react with any acids in the wood also dark abrasive particles may show up if embedded in the wood pores.

ah!, every day is a learning day.....

thanks for that

 

[tekno.mage]

I've tried several types of finishes on turned work, but now use only one - Osmo Top Oil, which is actually intended for finishing kitchen work tops. It's a hardwax oil and is foodsafe and really is water resistant, hot coffee resistant and everything else they claim on the tin. You can hold a finished item under a running tap, then dry it off and the finish will not be marked or the wood grain raised. Simple to apply, just brush on, wipe off and leave for 24 hours, then apply a second coat the same way. As it dries it gives a satin/matt finish, if you want a glossi finish just buff it on a wheel.

The only downside is the drying time compared to other types of finish which you apply and burnish on the lathe, but in terms of durability and resistance to fingerprints, moisture etc I've not found anything better. Also as it is an oil finish, it doesn't sit on top of the wood and look like varnish.