One of the thing I have found as a newcomer to wood turning is there are many ways of finishing an object. The problem is knowing what finish to use on a species, or even better what should not
Does anyone know of a Website out there that lists different species and the basic finishes that work and don't work or to what extent they work?
If one doesn't already exist I can see something like this would be useful to those like myself, as it would save wasting materials, money and potentially wood on something proven not to work, or that is ineffective.
At present I am just playing the experimental game :)
let me second what Derek said - in fact you can make it simpler:
want cold and shiny - use lacquer want soft and warm - use oil want "natural" use karnuba wax only
you can go crazy with finishes - form and grain are generally more important, but folks seem really impressed with ultra high gloss, which is what Lacquer excells at.
As it produces a cold finish. I wonder if it is to reflect their personality?
To me warm is inviting, so I think it will be definitely on my list of preferred finishes. Personally the only person I have to please is me. If the wife likes it that's a bonus :) She has a lovely saying, if you don't like our house and how it is, don't let the door hit you in the ass as you leave
Contempt for the customer seems big with some people. I use the traditional definition of warm finishes returning yellows and reds, cold being whites and blues.
Here are some things I've picked up. Oils and waxes, which are closely related to oils, are soft finishes. Some say non-finishes. With oils we have taken to adding resins to harden them against the knocks and dirt. With wax we can't. Carnauba is as hard as carnauba and bees as hard as bees after any solvent used to soften evaporates. Not durable, but easy to apply and reapplications are just as easy. Lots of oils and waxes also have some color to them. Generally this is at the warm end of the spectrum.
You have probably noticed that oils look really nice after you first flood the surface. Lots of people call it "popping the grain," though it's really just a lesson in diffraction. The smooth continuous film optically adjusts the scatter we got from out torn fibers and variously facing pores. As the oil soaks in, the surface begins to scatter light again, and look matte. Other ways of scattering light include the use of "satin" finishes, where the scatter is from inside the finish itself, and with large polymeric units in some water base finishes and some waxes, which do the same. Some people put on a clear finish and then modify the surface by rubbing with steel wool or similar to get the diffraction from the surface by cutting back on total reflection. By randomizing the scratches, they redirect the light in many directions.
A clear finish with resin to stiffen it rejects dirt and oil from the skin bacteria and their spores, and allows us a low-scatter look at the wood itself. It is not easily renewed in the case of varnishes, though lacquer and shellac will clean up and work up well. An oil base finish is my usual choice. You can thin it and keep it from building on the surface if you don't want a film, or you can work up a couple more layers and get that "deep" finish many customers prize. With shellac you can build easily to brilliance, and you can buff to renew or wax to cut back the shine as you please. Works well on display pieces.
John.. If possible, find someone local that buffs their turnings and see if you like the look and feel..
I use the Beall buffing system on all my stuff, either just buffing the natural wood or rubbing on natural Danish oil on softer woods and then buffing.. The look is warm and fuzzy, the feel is like glass and it's a renewable finish that's "food safe"..
After buffing a few hundred pieces I just bought a 2nd Beall system.. $80 US every 3 or 4 years is a great investment, IMHO..
Note: DO NOT use oil on padauk, especially if you plan on buffing it... DAMHIKT
This sentence also picks up on another aspect that is often forgotten, as I did till I read it. Tungsten lighting produces a yellow light about
2500K where as general normal fluorescent produces a whiter light about
4200K. The yellow light is more relaxing on the eyes, where as the white is better for detail, hence it its often used in electronics inspection.
I wonder what sort of lighting people tend to use when they display their works of art?
I must admit I haven't yet tried buffing of my finished items other than what can be done on the lathe. As soon as the workshop re-layout is completed I will be able to access both 6 inch bench grinders (converted to buffers) Then I will be able to play :)
I think you'll like it... the 1st time I took a sanded bowl and touched it to the buffer, I was blown away at how nice it looked... I sent my mentor an email with picture and he said.. "you ain't seen nothing yet, do the other 2 wheels'..lol
I had a washing machine motor for buffing but use the lathe mostly.. choice of speed and quicker wheel changes.. Especially with the bowl buffs, I find that the recommended 1750rpm for the wheels does little for the buffs.. more like 2,500 or so..
I put the flashy ones in the sunlight and let the common pieces stay under the canopy. Then encourage people to pick them up and move them in the light to showcase chatoyance.
Funny that you'd mention that, George... I've been doing that with the ironwood pieces.. They'll pick one up in the shade and I'll tell them that to "see" ironwood, they have to hold it in sunlight.. I love the "ohhs and ahhs" when they see all those gold lines appear.. (and sometimes it makes a bit of gold appear in my pocket)
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