Making a higher gloss friction polish

I am made some of Bonnie Klien's homemade friction polish using equal parts of: Zisner bullseye 3lb cut shellac, rubbing alcohol, and boiled linseed oil. This mix does not produce a very high gloss finish and I am looking for advice on what to add or change proportion to make a higher gloss.

Thanks,

Jay

Reply to
turnerjguest
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Try just using the shellac, I've always gotten really nice glossy results with that alone. You can dillute it with the rubbing alcohol to a lighter cut if you're having trouble with it (directions are on the side of the can) It also helps to really shine the wood before you put anything on it. You can get automotive sandpaper up to 2000 grit, and working up to that will give you a glossy finish all on it's own- it's really easy to get the finish to shine when that's the case.

For the stuff you've already done, try buffing it with a little paste wax. I've actually found the shellac to be a little glossier on it's own, but it can't hurt anything!

Reply to
Prometheus

Jay, That mixture works ok, and should easily give you a high gloss finish. I prefer to use less oil and more alcohol in the mix, though I don't actually measure. How are you applying the finish? Are you fingers getting hot or at least very warm? For a high gloss finish the wood should be sanded to at least 320 grit, but this varies with the wood. If you don't see some shine off of the wood, it will be more difficult to get a high gloss finish. I just re-read your post and see that you are using rubbing alcohol, I use denatured alcohol. The rubbing alcohol I've seen is typically 70% alcohol, the rest water. Even if it is 100%, you might consider trying denatured. The only problem I have is with the center of a bowl where the linear speed is near zero and it is difficult getting enough heat built up. Are there any other symptoms or observations besides not glossy enough? Hope this helps Martin

Reply to
Martin Rost

I use shellac and wax finish a lot, in fact it is almost the only finish I use on a turned piece. I have found that if you put the shellac on with the lathe turned off, you get a smoother application. Buff to the desired luster and then apply a couple coats of a good furniture wax buffed to a rich luster. I use BreWax

Deb

Reply to
Dr. Deb

You may be having two problems. The first may be the Rubbing Alcohol. The commercial rubbing alcohols are Isoproply Alcohol that are only 70% alcohol, the rest being water. Water in combination with the oil, and the wax that may be in the in shellac will make for a finish that is soft with no gloss and a very short life. Better to use a good quality of Denatured Alcohol, Everclear from the liquor store, or buy reagent grade (99% purity) Isopropl from the pharmacist. Denatured is the cheapest source. Alcohol will absorb a lot of moisture from the air, so buy a small can, keep it closed, and store in a dry place.

The common problem with all friction polishes is one of application. The objective is to lay down a film of pure uncontaminated shellac on the wood surface. You are using a mixture of thinned shellac, oil, water (from the alcohol), and wax from the shellac. Some commercial friction polishes have added more wax to make them easier to apply. The application must generate enough heat to bring all of these contaminants to the surface where they can either evaporate or be picked up by the application rag. That requires finger burning hot. Hot enough that you will need a thicker pad under your fingers. Failing to do this, the contaminants remain in the finish and it will be soft and dull. I have articles on using Friction Polishes, and finishing pens and small things that might be useful to you on my Website at

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Reply to
grusserry

Hi Russ,

Thanks for one more helpful post from an old friend of rcw and a teacher who is an accomplished and experienced turner. You haven't been on rcw for a while and newcomers may not know how much sage and usable advice you have given to this ng. If Russ says it, I believe it!

I heard that you are getting out a finishing video. Tell us about it and please mention for new members, your other worthwhile teaching endeavors; website, Russ' Corner, videos, lessons and demos. We Floridians miss you. It was great belonging to the same club as you & Mel Lindquist and Read living nearby.

btw, 70% alcohol was chosen because it is the most efficient concentration for killing bacteria and sadly choosing 60Hz sine waves assured the most efficient electrical power for killing people. (ie. for producing v. fib.)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

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Reply to
Arch

A bit of clarification or explantion for me please. I use the Zisner shellac & mix it equal parts shellac, denatured alcohol, and BLO. I apply perhaps 4 coats allowing each coat to dry for perhaps 8 hours and then sand with 400 or 600 between. The finish comes out rather well. Now when I apply and go for a "finger-burning hot" I have serious problems with the wood cracking - small cracks. I do use green wood 2.5" thick. It has laid outside, not covered but off the ground for about a year. I bring it into by rather dry basement and there it will sit for perhaps another week or two. Would the cracking be the end-result of using green wood or is some other agency at woik here?

Reply to
Kevin

I agree with all that have posted so far. Go to your paint store and you can get denatured alcohol for $7 a GALLON. This should last you a while making small batches of finish.

Using that basic formula of Ms. Klein, I also use less oil, about 1/2 the regular measure. It seems to work better for me.

I do have something that was pointed out to me that really helped me with this finish. First, flood the area with the BK finish and allow it to get really sticky, almost dry. Then charge up your applicator with more finish and start burning it in. You should see it turning to glass about the time it is getting difficult to keep a small applicator in place.

I wait about an hour or so, then rechuck and buff with a soft cloth then burn on some Carnauba. Works like a champ. Glassy, deep, wet looking finishes can be built up with multiple coats of BK finish before waxing. Not my taste, but it sells my lamp pulls.

BTW, you should also know that this finish is not so hot for really porous or poorly sanded woods. As mentioned above you need to get the surface really smooth to close the pores.

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

All wood is moist to some extent unless it's oven dried to zero and worked immediately. You're creating the oven with friction, drying the wood from its ~10% moisture content to near zero. Same thing happens with sanding heat. You energize those bound moisture molecules and they'll find a way out, allowing the fibers to pack more closely - shrink.

I use a mock French polish for my final. Shellac with ethanol for high evaporation rate, a soft cloth and a drop of _non-curing_ oil as lubrication. Object is _no_ friction, just a spread of the thinnest of coats which dry almost instantly. Staying in one place only softens the previous coats, so keep it moving. Slow alcohol like isopropyl is for brushing. Gives you a two-second wet edge rather than a one-second, and a chance for a heavier coat to level.

Though Russ didn't mention it, water, its analog polar solvent alcohol, and oil find separate places in the wood. If you want the effect the oil gives you, use a curing oil under shellac. If you want a lubricant, I prefer a non-curing oil, which is easier to draw up and spirit off.

Reply to
George

Arch,

I don't see the connection. Twixt us and bacteria, I mean. You mean about effeciency of death-dealing? We _do_ tend to be accomplished at it, don't we? (People, I mean.) I guess that's what "dominion" means, ultimately.

But don't weep for the poor bacteria. They didn't get the short end of the stick. 140 proof UNdenatured juice will do people in just as surely as the juice out of the socket...albeit a little slower.

Reply to
Chuck

As Arch said, it has been a long time since I have posted a message on the RCW Newsgroup. I just now discovered that it is still alive, but has moved.

If you want to know who I am, you can go to my website at

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Arch asked about my new video on finishing turned wood. It is completed and available. You can see what it is about by clicking on "Finishing Secrets" on the site menu at the above address, or go there directly at
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Reply to
grusserry

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