Finishing for turners

[yorkshirepudding]

Why don't wood turners use mainstream wood finishing products. We go to great lengths to get a high gloss but not with the various varnishes etc. which are commonly available. There must be a good reason but it escapes me.

 

[tekno.mage]

Some turners do use mainstream finishing products - especially finishing oils like Danish Oil (intended for all kinds of woodworking) or Hardwax Oil (intended for kitchen worktops and wooden floors) or Acrylic Lacquer (intended for all kinds of woodworking).

However, some finishes are specially designed for using on work mounted on the lathe, for instance Friction Polish (which is actually a shellac based finish similar to French Polish) which is polished very quickly to high high shine with the work revolving on the lathe - as are some of the wax finishes. A similar effect can be achieved using Sanding Sealer or Melamine Laquer by polishing it with kitchen towel on the lathe once the finish is touch dry.

I've heard it suggested that turners like a finish that can be quickly and easily applied with no waiting for coats of finish to dry so the whole item can be completed on the lathe. It's also possible that (in the past) turners might have avoided finishes that took a long time to dry because they worked in very dusty environments so any coat of standard woodfinishing varnish or lacquer would be spoiled by the dust settling on it while it dried.

I personally apply most of my finishes off the lathe (I use a foodsafe Hardwax Oil for most things now) and then buff the finish to a shine after it's dry (48 hours for 2 coats) on a buffing wheel.

 

[yorkshirepudding]

Many thanks tekno.mage. It makes sense, especially the bit about a lack of patience. That's me to a "T".

 

[Richard Findley]

Depends what you mean by 'mainstream'? If you mean 'available at B&Poo' then that's because, largely these aren't very good or suitable. Look at any specialist area and they have specialist finishes but these are not hard to find once you realise this. There are plenty of woodturning suppliers out there online so it's not really a problem. Kim covered it pretty well, oil is a real favourite for turners. Hard wax oil is my personal favourite.

Cheers

Richard

 

[yorkshirepudding]

Looks like a buffing system is on the cards.

 

[andersonec]

Many thanks tekno.mage. It makes sense, especially the bit about a lack of patience. That's me to a "T".

It's not so much a lack of patience it's more to do with freeing up the lathe and making it available so that more work can be carried out.
My choice of finish is Cellulose sealer followed by Microcrystaline wax, cellulose sealer because it dries in seconds, microcrystaline wax because it's hard wearing, both of these are mainstream.

Andy

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Kym....which hardwax foodsafe oil brand do you use out of curiosity?

 

[tekno.mage]

I use Osmo Top Oil - which is marked as both Food and Toy safe on the can.

 

[Terry Smart]

I'm posting this to clarify something, not to cast aspersions (it might not need clarifying...but I think it does)...

I think (in fact I'm pretty sure) that the phrases 'toy safe' and 'food safe' are being used here in the same way but with different meanings.
'Toy Safe' will mean that it's suitable for application to toys and will not harm a child using said toy.
'Food Safe' here means 'not affected/damaged by foodstuffs' - not 'safe for contact with food' This is relevant to the product as it is designed for use on worktops and these naturally need to be resistant to food spills etc. I don't think the expectation is that anyone is going to be eating off of them or storing food on them.
I don't think this has been done to deliberately mislead as it covers the main use of the oil. Taking it out of this context and bringing it to the world of turning gives the phrase a different meaning.

 

[tekno.mage]

Thanks for clearing that up Terry - although I had thought that Toy Safe meant that it was safe for a small child who might put it in their mouth and potentially chew or suck. (Remember those coloured wooden blocks - I dread to think was was in the paint 30 years ago but I know I saw them being sucked or chewed by my brother's kids plenty of times.)

It's interesting that Osmo Top Oil cans used to state the oil was Toy Safe and only recently the packaging was changed to Toy Safe & Food Safe - which is slightly odd as one of their main selling points is that the oil resists food staining as it's designed for kitchen work tops.

I actually use it on the wooden plates we use at home for eating. I expected that it would probably stain with such foods as bolognaise sauce, chilli or curry - but it doesn't seem to. I do hand wash the plates immediately after use which may make a difference (ie the food is not left to dry on there!)

Of course, the terms Food Safe and Toy Safe do not cover the possibility of someone (or a child) with a nut allergy - and I'm not sure if hardwax oils contain nut oils.

 

[Terry Smart]

Sorry Kim, yes, that's what I meant to say... toy safe means it won't harm the child whatever they do with it (suck it, chew it or even swallow it).

For the record, our Food Safe Finish doesn't contain nut oils.

The recent addition of the text on the Osmo cans is possibly because there is now a recognised test for this which results in a certificate being issued and I guess they've passed this test.

 

[Richard Findley]

This is very interesting Terry. Thanks for the post. I have had a number of turners tell me that Rustins Danish oil is food safe, I have even sceptical about this, as its is quite an 'old fashioned' oil finish (ie it's even around for years and years) so I can't see that they'd have changed the recipe? This may well explain this. Is there a EN number or something to look out for, as there is for toy safe finishes (EN71 I think?)

I think turners should perhaps be made aware of this small but important difference in food safe vs food safe?!

Thanks

Richard

 

[woodyturner]

I have been using Danish and Teak oils for about 40 odd years now on salad bowls and never had one complaint in fact we, friends and family use them all the time with no ill effects but thats me old fashioned LOL

 

[Woodski]

Liquid paraffin used to be amongst the best 'safe finishes' but it's hard to locate now at chemists, that's for sure...

 

[woodyturner]

Liquid paraffin used to be amongst the best 'safe finishes' but it's hard to locate now at chemists, that's for sure...

And it was good if you injured yourself LOL

 

[user 5053]

There is a plethora of finishes, oils and waxes in most builders merchants and they often have small sample tins. I have used cellulose based melamine varnish for many years but fear that a lot of the solvent based finishes will be withdrawn due to EU regulations regarding VOC emissions. I am trying to find waterbased finishes that will do the job but its not easy.