Finishing

[slemishwoodcrafts]

Anybody got any tips on finishing? I want to get bowls etc to the mirror finish I see in so many magazines but can't seem to get it right.
I sand bowls and spindle work down to 2000 grit, use a sanding sealer and then friction polish. It seems to go a more dull sheen instead of the polished look I'm after.
Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

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[CHJ]

Think you are making hard work for yourself in burnishing the wood to that level, to get a high gloss as you would see in glazed china you only need to sand to a smooth surface that has no discernible scratch marks and then seal and lacquer if required and then polish and burnish the surface finish not the wood.

Have a look at the results of these two techniques polishing the sealer/lacquer:-
Basic buffing of sealed surface

Super Gloss of lacquered work

(PDF pamphlets formatted for double sided printing)

You can build your friction polish and then burnish it with a burnishing cream once hardened.

 

[slemishwoodcrafts]

some good reading there. Thanks Charley

 

[Castanea]

Make sure you let your sanding sealer dry completely - ie at least 24 hours - before waxing. Otherwise there's a good chance that the remaining solvents will take all the shine off your wax as they evaporate.

 

[MattRoberts]

I've had really bad results using stained wax after liberon sanding sealer - it turned the finish pink.

Washing after just a 120 or 240 grit sanding was fine though

 

[sunnybob]

sand to 360 and then use wipe on poly clear varnish. Put the poly on a little bit thicker than you would normally paint, let it dry for two days in a dust free zone. Job done