Glad to say we made it through Isabel with only one minor mishap: a big old Maple tree in the back yard decided to fall over onto the workshop. Happy to say that there was very little damage to the workshop and I ended up getting three very large trunks to add to my woodturning pile. Other than that, one week of no power or internet had us going crazy!!!
Evon, I use the Beall buffing system. I first soak my pieces with 1/3 part Lacquer thinner + 2/3 parts Deft high gloss Laquer. I let the mixture soak into the wood well (about 2-10 minutes, depending on the wood), then I wipe off all excess liquid. I then use the Tripoli compound with a buffing wheel, switch to Diamond compound with another buffing wheel, then finish it all off with a Carnuba wax and third buffing wheel. That's it. Gives a great, shiny finish. The most important part of all this is, of course, sanding down to a very fine grit. I start the sanding process with 220 or 320 grit, to 400, to 600, to 1200 grit. I sand in both directions (my lathe is bi-directional). That's it. Hope this helps you.
-- Ali T. Borahan AliSails - Fine Wood Artistry & Custom Woodcrafts Web URL:
Thanks for the tip on the Behlen's Deluxing Compound. Your pieces have a marvelous finish! I will look for it during my next visit to WoodCraft (luckily for me one is fairly close to my house, as is a Rockler's store).
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.