What finishes do people use?

[Nautilus21]

Hi

Typically have finished my first few pieces with wax block or Danish oil....

What does everyone typically use?

[edbanger]

Depends on what the piece is, if it's plan wood and I want an instant finish I use Yorkshire Grit with a Hampshire Sheen wax over. If it's really nice piece of wood then it will get 6 plus coats of Danish oil built up with at leased 12 hours between coats.
Some work I use Caranuba wax with the Chestnut buffing system.
For my enhanced work I use CA or lacquer

It's worth playing around with all types of finish to see what works best for you and the work that your doing.

Ed

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

You really need to lay a foundation before using wax or you will find that your wax eventually sinks into the wood and dissapears.

[bernuk1]

It's worth playing around with all types of finish to see what works best for you and the work that your doing.

Ed

Totally agree with Ed-however it would be nice if  manufacturers all produced sample packs to facilitate trying out several finishes.

[Derek]

As Ed pointed out it depends on the piece as well as the type of finish. Not all finishes are suitable for certain types of work. I learnt like Ed by experimenting

[Wood spinner]

As said
Also if it for food use you need a food safe finish ,

If it a item that will be handled lots then Microcrystalline Wax knits down to form a very dense coating which makes it very hard wearing and highly water repellent, ideal for situations needing a tough coating that might get wet. These waxes also have a higher melting point than traditional waxes.

[jjstephen]

I mostly make decorative platters right now and last year it was mostly segmented pieces.  Either way, my preferred finish is multiple coats of an oil/varnish blend (which one depends on the wood) followed by two coats of wipe on poly and buffing with Tripoli and Renaissance wax.  A couple of steel wool rubdowns are also part of my process, usually after the last oil/varnish coat has dried and between the WOP coats. 

[Les Symonds]

....Microcrystalline Wax ..... highly water repellent....

I agree with woodspinner about using Microcrystaline (Chestnut or Renaissance Wax) but think that to say that it is highly water repellent is a bit of an exaggeration. It is water resistent, but may well show dull blotches if splashed. The issue about its melting point is a great benefit though. Whereas beeswax melts at a temperature low enough to take fingerprints very readily, microcrystaline wax melts at a much higher temperature and is far less likely to take a fingerprint.

Les

[Nautilus21]

Thanks I'm going to give the chestnut wax a go at some point.... I do like Danish oil and have a nice burr walnut bowl ready to finish so may just go with that this time!

[Martin Lawrence]

  burs and waxes don't always work well, if all the recesses get wax in them it does not look good so be warned.

Martin.

[seventhdevil]

i pretty much only use danish oil...

[Nautilus21]

Thanks DO it is then...