Wood finishes....

[arcos]

I may have touched on this before but now I have.... Problems...

Yesterday I went to my local DIY store, the largest in the region, to search out wood finishes, oils etc

So my choices were....

Linseed Oil - Boiled
Linseed Oil - Raw

And... Yes, that was it!

When I asked if it was possible to order different oils the response I received was "Why? We've got LINSEED OIL"

Obviously there is a SMALL selection of varnishes in various states of 'natural' and coloured.

I am NOT a fan of varnish. I remember using it at school and on some DIY jobs and not being that 'good' at achieving nice, 'natural' results!

I am wondering if there are some clever guys out there who can suggest a 'DIY' alternative?

Yes, I like the olive oil finish on olive wood. It doesn't appear to go rancid (yet) and gives a really nice dark finish but I would like to try something that will give a bit of shine at least without getting it all over my hands and making the piece look unnatural!

Kind of thing I am thinking about is 'watering' down a varnish that I can apply to a piece that is turning on the lathe like an oil? Impossible? I really have no idea!

I'm looking for something a bit glossy!

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

Raw Linseed oil is as it comes, when ground out of the seed. It can take a long time to 'cure', which is why it's a good substance for cricket bats (it soaks in).
Boiled Linseed oil - eh... has not been boiled. It's had metallised 'Driers' added. These are added to many oil based paints and finishes to cure them. When it comes to oil we refer to it as 'polymerisation'.

So if nothing else go for the Boiled Linseed Oil.

Something else you may want to look for is Tung Oil, which may be sold as China Oil, China Tree Oil or something like that. It's actually a base for many finishing oils so look around, you'll be surprised what it's also used in.

Don't confuse it with Tea Tree Oil though - completely different substance.

[George Watkins]

If you can find a polyurethane based varnish you could try making your own wipe on poly- there's lots of recipes on the interweb but at its most basic its 50/50 varnish to white spirit.

[arcos]

If you can find a polyurethane based varnish you could try making your own wipe on poly- there's lots of recipes on the interweb but at its most basic its 50/50 varnish to white spirit.

Ah, thanks George!

This is likely something that I am looking for... It can be applied with the piece still on the lathe?

Tung oil or ANY other oil that I was searching for yesterday is a no, no... Linseed oil and thats it!

So, I can get hold of polyurethane varnish and white spirit! I guess its then time to experiment until I get the finish I m looking for..

[Bryan Milham]

If you search the web there are many finishes you can make yourself from fairly ea silly obtainable components.

This one comes from a guy on YouTube with a lot of turning videos called Capt Eddy Castelin, he calls it O.B's. Shine Juice.

3 fl oz uncoloured or clear Shellac (the premix stuff French polishers use)
3 fl oz Boiled Linseed Oil
3 fl oz Meths

Apply all over your turning, wait a minute and apply a second coat. Then put some on a paper towel and run your lathe, keep the paper moving and due to the warmth you create the meths will evaporate and the shellac will catalyse.

I'm also aware that you can also thin down and use Shellac as a sanding sealer, so a double use there. I've never done it so if anyone can explain how I'm sure many of us would be interested.

[thebowlerhattedturner]

There are loads of finishes that you could try this one is similar to the last one but is
1/3 Turpentine(not white spirit)If you use white spirit in this recipe it acts as a cleaner/reviver.
1/3 Meths
1/3 Boiled linseed oil.

Another polish is beeswax and Turpentine with BLO added. This makes a paste wax whose consistency can be altered by the addition/subtraction of Turpentine.

You can also use Liquid paraffin from the chemist(you know the stuff you take to make you go!)but that can be expensive.

Hope this helps
Regards
John BHT

[Woodcrafts]

You can also use Liquid paraffin from the chemist(you know the stuff you take to make you go!)but that can be expensive.
Hope this helps
Regards
John BHT

If you don't mind an interesting aroma, Johhson's baby oil is basically liquid paraffin, or mineral oil, as they call it in the USA. One of the supermarkets had it on offer recently, at £1 for 500ml. Just remember NOT to use BLO on the baby!!!

[Woodcrafts]

If you can find a polyurethane based varnish you could try making your own wipe on poly- there's lots of recipes on the interweb but at its most basic its 50/50 varnish to white spirit.

Be careful if you buy polyurethane varnish for this recipe as many are now acrylic (water based) so will not thin with white spirit.

[arcos]

So, today I bought BLO and a synthetic varnish to try out making my own wipe on finish...

Just tried a little experiment with each individually and then approximately a 50/50 mix...

Results....

BLO well yes of course no surprises there.
The synthetic varnish appeared to actually go on fairly well BUT it did not leave an shine! For some reason it did cover the piece that I had on the lathe but it acted almost like oil and soaked into the wood!

50/50 mix.... Looks just the way I wanted! It has given a really nice shine with just one coat and has given a lovely depth to the wood.

I guess one more question needs to be asked...

How long, more or less, should I leave it to dry before applying a 2nd and 3rd coat?

I want to see if I can build up a really deep shine without it becoming unnatural.

[Bryan Milham]

Oil, I'd use one or two coats in fairly quick time, wiping off between. Then daily for as long as it took to build the finish I wanted. It can be applied with rag, cloth, synthetic abrasive, wire wool or even abrasive. Sanding (use your final grit again) will build a slurry and fill any grain or small cracks.

Poly, I've never used but definitely follow the instructions on the tin, the manufacturer knows best. The only warning I'd offer is it set's more slowly in the cold, so be prepared to adjust the drying time upwards.

Now the hard one, a 50/50 mix, I don't think I'd try to use any abrasive with it. So work it like the straight poly, but that's a best guess. Anyone else done this and can offer a better answer?

[arcos]

Oil, I'd use one or two coats in fairly quick time, wiping off between. Then daily for as long as it took to build the finish I wanted. It can be applied with rag, cloth, synthetic abrasive, wire wool or even abrasive. Sanding (use your final grit again) will build a slurry and fill any grain or small cracks.

Poly, I've never used but definitely follow the instructions on the tin, the manufacturer knows best. The only warning I'd offer is it set's more slowly in the cold, so be prepared to adjust the drying time upwards.

Now the hard one, a 50/50 mix, I don't think I'd try to use any abrasive with it. So work it like the straight poly, but that's a best guess. Anyone else done this and can offer a better answer?

Ah, now, I am liking the "slurry" bit! As you have seen I seem to have a lot of critter marks in my 'finished' pieces and maybe, just maybe, a |slurry" would be good to at least disguise them a little bit!

Wire wool??? I have seen this mentioned a few times but wire wool?? Isn't that incredibly abrasive? I mean too abrasive?

So, I have a little test piece of apple that almost got to be a bottle stopper, almost, that has had two coats of the 50/50 mix, in fairly quick succession (30 - 40 minutes apart) and is looking like a really nice semi gloss finish with a nice deep, rich colour. I am hopeful that another coat or two will start brining up more gloss but thats for the morning!

Using an abrasive with it? Well, I guess there is only one way to find out eh! Thats for the morning too! However, I do think that it will take the gloss finish off and just need more 'building' again. Will let you know in the morning unless someone else confirms my fears about an abrasive on a varnish/oil mix!

[woodndesign]

Steel wool products are supplied in a range of grades from the coarser grades 5 and 6 to the very fine grade 0000, the finer grades are ideal for buffing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_wool

Cheers  David

[ru55ell1]

Use the Web for home delivery, that way you can get pretty much anything you like.

[malcy]

I'm not a fan of using wire wool as the metal fibres can potentially break off and embed themselves in the work or finish, only to rust later and leave unsightly brown marks. If I'm going to do this, I prefer to use Scotchbrite pads, which come in various grades. Malcolm.

[woodndesign]

I'm not a fan of using wire wool as the metal fibres can potentially break off and embed themselves in the work or finish, only to rust later and leave unsightly brown marks. If I'm going to do this, I prefer to use Scotchbrite pads, which come in various grades. Malcolm.

Very true Malcolm as I have found this with the coarser grain timbers, we have a far greater option of abrasives and finishing materials than when Wire wool was first about: but should you be limited with local supply, as arcos maybe finds, it's to be used, I find a large rolled wad as best, less chance of small ends breaking away.

Cheers   David