First post - need some advice on gloss finish

[Burt25]

Can anyone please recommend a good gloss finish for bowls (up to about 9" diameter). I'e been trying Mylands friction polish with very mixed results and know that its really only recommended for smaller turnings (Even with small pieces I've found it difficult to get consistent results). Ive been using Danish oil and bees wax to get a satin finish, but really want a good gloss option for medium sized pieces.

 

[chipmunk]

Hi Burt,
Welcome to the forum.

Friction polish can be a bit tricky on larger items as you've found.

How about a lacquer such as melamine or acrylic? My advice would be to try following this video as a starting point before adapting the techniques to suit your style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76z25Ej63tU

I would hesitate to recommend the friction polish over the top though...

HTH
Jon

 

[Burt25]

Thanks Jon, I had been thinking of lacquer, have you used Melamine finish - is this easy to apply / get good results with?

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

I have a can of Bolgers melamine lacquer which I wipe on then buff when dry.

 

[chipmunk]

Hi Burt,
Yes I use it a lot when I need a hard-wearing finish. The nice thing with melamine is that has a degree of heat and moisture resistance.

It takes about a week to fully harden (it is pre-catalysed) and if you can it's best to wait a few days before you buff it to a real shine.
Jon

 

[KimG]

I have had great success with Shellac recently, it is a lot more time consuming than using a rattle can, but the results are spectacular, if a glass like finish is what you are after then I would suggest you explore this route, for items that have not been coloured this is the best I have used yet.

It does require a few items, Blond dewaxed shellac, meths, lint free cloth (for the rubber) and a set of buffing wheels.

The shellac is best used freshly made, apparently it has a fairly short shelf life once the meths has been added, so make small batches up and using them is more practical and yields consistently good results.

Do some searching for French polishing and see how a rubber is used to apply the shellac, this is pretty much what I do, building up an even coat, I sand the whole lot back every now and then to get a very smooth surface using 400 grit.

the final few coats I apply as evenly as possible then allow it to dry for 24hrs, then I use the tripoli buffing wheel to bring up a perfect finish, I do not use the diamond white wheel as I find it tends to grab the shellac more and causes marks that are hard to remove, the polishing wheel though is good for the final buff up, I use the chestnut buffing system for this stage.

Here is a good example of what is possible.

 

[Grahamshed]

Don't know enough to help with your question but I can say welcome to the forum.

 

[CHJ]

The simplest/easiest way I know to get a gloss finish is to use a triple wheel buffing wheel system. Unfortunately this does not come without the expense of purchasing such a system.

This pamphlet (formatted for double sided printing on A4) may give you some idea of the process.

You could try burnishing sanding sealed surfaces with burnishing cream as an alternate before waxing with a high temp wax like Microcrystalline, either way you must wait for any sealed surface to fully cure though, Cellulose will take minutes, Acrylic, Shellac, Oil may take days to cure sufficiently.

 

[procell]

Welcome to the forum.

Not had chance to try them yet but I just bought 3 buffing wheels, pigtail, tripoli and diamond white wax for £43.75 from
http://www.twwoodturning.co.uk/shop

They arrived today and seem to be good quality.
Quite a saving over the Chestnut system

 

[RogerP]

I can recommend Chestnut Melamine lacquer, either aerosol or can, fast drying and hard wearing.

 

[Burt25]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I bought some melamine lacquer which I haven't tried yet. Tried some ca glue and boiled linseed oil on a small piece today though which I then buffed and waxed with great results! Will try the melamine next on a larger piece.

 

[CHJ]

Be aware that Melamine enhanced lacquer needs to cure before any significant abrasion attempt.
Although the surface is touch dry and can be handled in a reasonably short time it continues to cure/harden and obtain in depth strength over several days.
Rigorous buffing with strong abrasive too early may strip the surface.

Good luck with your trials, melamine is a great finish but due to its initial rapid skinning and build up tendencies if you stray back over recently applied areas it takes a little practise to get things right on large areas.

 

[Burt25]

Should I apply the Lacquer in thin coats with a cloth or brush on?

 

[CHJ]

Afraid it's a case of experimentation in the first instance, a little thinners is a help sometimes for larger areas but main thing is to be quick in application whichever method and leave well alone until dried.
Re-touch a surface that has started skinning at your peril.

Spray Can version can be easier for awkward pieces but then again there is the usual spray can quirks of overspray mist or runs to be avoided.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Try Rustin's Plastic Coating.