Chess pieces finish
- Thread starter Damian
- Start date
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Melamine lacquer is commonly used on pens due to it's fast, easy application and hard wearing properties on something that is handled a lot.
There's an excellent write-up here: Beaufort Ink - Achieving success with melamine as a pen finish
Oh, and good for you on starting turning with something so ambitious.
Duncan
There's an excellent write-up here: Beaufort Ink - Achieving success with melamine as a pen finish
Oh, and good for you on starting turning with something so ambitious.
Duncan
Thank you Duncan.
Really good article and very detailed, I will give it a go.
I have turned a few bowls out of pine in Feb but wood very soft and my son loves playing chess so I decided to take on the challenge. Let's see how it goes
Really good article and very detailed, I will give it a go.
I have turned a few bowls out of pine in Feb but wood very soft and my son loves playing chess so I decided to take on the challenge. Let's see how it goes
MARK.B.
Established Member
Maybe just a clear wax and buff up would suffice, quicker and easier to do 
lots of different stains out there to give the colour contrast needed.
lots of different stains out there to give the colour contrast needed.scooby
Established Member
Nice piece
That lacquer article is very good. I recently used melamine lacquer (non aerosol) for the first time and found it pretty easy, you have to work relatively quickly though. I left the piece mounted on the lathe whilst finishing and dropped the speed down to 'very slow' (about 80 rpm). That certainly made it easier. The nice thing about lacquer is it doesn't darken the wood much, which is useful for ash and melamine isn't overly glossy.
Another alternative would be a hard wax oil or a finishing oil. In my experience, hard wax oils bring out a nicer colour and you can choose matt, satin or gloss (you can also use burnishing cream or buff them when they have cured if required). Finishing oils can make ash go very yellow.
That lacquer article is very good. I recently used melamine lacquer (non aerosol) for the first time and found it pretty easy, you have to work relatively quickly though. I left the piece mounted on the lathe whilst finishing and dropped the speed down to 'very slow' (about 80 rpm). That certainly made it easier. The nice thing about lacquer is it doesn't darken the wood much, which is useful for ash and melamine isn't overly glossy.
Another alternative would be a hard wax oil or a finishing oil. In my experience, hard wax oils bring out a nicer colour and you can choose matt, satin or gloss (you can also use burnishing cream or buff them when they have cured if required). Finishing oils can make ash go very yellow.
