What is your favorite finish and why?

[robo hippy]

As for being totally food safe, just about any finish is supposed to be "food safe" when "fully cured". The fully cured part is the tricky part. Some people will be hypersensitive to just about any finish and the driers that are/can be used with them to get them to cure. If I can smell the finish at all, then it is still curing, and probably "offgassing". I do consider the walnut oil to be food safe because I can eat it straight out of the can. I would never attempt that with any of the "Danish" types of oils or oils with hardeners added. I would guess Rubio Monocote would be better than many, mostly because of the low odors.

robo hippy

 

[Gregory Hickman]

As for being totally food safe, just about any finish is supposed to be "food safe" when "fully cured". The fully cured part is the tricky part. Some people will be hypersensitive to just about any finish and the driers that are/can be used with them to get them to cure. If I can smell the finish at all, then it is still curing, and probably "offgassing". I do consider the walnut oil to be food safe because I can eat it straight out of the can. I would never attempt that with any of the "Danish" types of oils or oils with hardeners added. I would guess Rubio Monocote would be better than many, mostly because of the low odors.

robo hippy

I've been looking for BLO with no dryers, which I've found. I personally don't have a reaction to the metallic salts that are used as dryers. At one time i was considering learning to make my own. For those that do not know, it's a very risky operation without industrial equipment. It is possible though and artist have been doing it for centuries. I've even been looking into blown linseed oil as an alternative, and still might to see the differences.

Gregory

 

[Rick Moreton]

I've been looking for BLO with no dryers, which I've found. I personally don't have a reaction to the metallic salts that are used as dryers. At one time i was considering learning to make my own. For those that do not know, it's a very risky operation without industrial equipment. It is possible though and artist have been doing it for centuries. I've even been looking into blown linseed oil as an alternative, and still might to see the differences.

Gregory

Several years back I made bleached linseed oil following a recipe from YouTube. Put equal parts fresh raw flax oil and water in a glass jar. Shake it up and put it in the sun for a few days. Remove the junk that separated and repeat a few times. I used it on a mallet but it took a couple months to cure.

 

[hughie]

Hughie - I’m confused. Shouldn’t the numbers add up to 100%. 40-20-20=80 what is the other 20%?

yes your right 40/30/30. Long days that go too far into the night at present and or a senior moment 🙂

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

I've used MInwax Antique Oil (discontinued, RIP), Waterlox, and others, but recently have switched to Osmo Polyx Oil satin for the reasons that Mark Jundanian lists above.

Most of these finishes have limited shelf life if stored in the presence of air, specifically oxygen. In other words, the finishes will start to degrade as soon as they are opened. Some like Waterlox are notorious for very short shelf life. Many others will continue to work, but may take longer to cure, or not wet out on the surface of the bowl as well as when they were new.

Stop Loss bags solve that problem and keep finishes fresh for long times, > 3 years in some cases for me. You might consider using them as you acquire finishes to test.

StopLossBags StopLossBags - Quart - 4 Pack | Woodcraft

Buy the StopLossBags - Quart - 4 Pack for sale online from Woodcraft. Visit us to order online or find your local Woodcraft store today!

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This is super helpful thank you!

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

Choice of finish is depends on the item to be finished, as some have already stated. For a colored basket illusion piece I would assume you want a protective coat and not one that would alter the colors. I would try something like Krylon Matte finish (spray can) or some other art fixatif, and others of the same type that would work for you.
Krylon or Matte fixatif

Thanks!!

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

To get specific advice, you might describe some specifics about the wood and use and whether you like glossy, matte, etc..

The other John Jordan, the late, great, famous one, turned, carved, and textured a lot of hollow forms. He told me he sprayed almost everything with matte acrylic in a rattle can from the hardware store. Has pieces in museums and in the hands of collectors all over the world.

The gallery on his website seems to be down now, but this one shows a some of his pieces.

John Jordan

Website: http://www.johnjordanwoodturning.com/John_Jordan_Woodturning/Home.html Tools: http://www.johnjordanwoodturning.com/John_Jordan_Woodturning/Tools_and_More.html John Jordan is a...

www.turninggallery.org

Edit: I often use the Krylon I see Tom mentioned.

JKJ

Thank you - I don't think the finish needs to be 'fancy' to be good! ☺️ I will get a can of it and see what I think. I haven't tried any spray-on finishes yet mostly because I'm afraid of how to fix it if I mess it up haha

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

I use Faber Castell artist pens. I have not had a problem with the finish affecting the colors with these. Once I put on a coat of Wipe on Poly I “pat” it dry with a paper towel. I don’t wipe. Just a precaution. Spray on lacquer does not affect the colors of FC pens. If you search the forum for Basket illusion tutorial by Curt Fuller, all of your questions will be answered on basket illusion. I highly recommend it.
As for bowls, I would think over time maybe. Depends on how much use.
One word of caution, basket illusion is highly addictive. Look forward to seeing your work.

haha thank you! I also want to try the burning method that Jean-Louis Meynier's uses for basket illusion (where he burns individual lines in the form of a 'stitch') - it looks so real! I think he learned it from Jim Adkins maybe? Have you done this before?

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

The Faber-Castell Pitt artists pens are the best I know of. I really like the black, pens, and brushes, the india ink never fades. At minimum good for signing work.

https://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-PITT-Artist-Pen-India/dp/B09GB573ST

I have some sets of some colored ones too. I find the brush pens especially useful for adding color to wood, for things like these:
(Christmas tops for the kindergartners)
View attachment 71149 View attachment 71150

(But sometimes I cheat and turn from SpectraPly! Shhh, don't tell anyone...)
View attachment 71151

SpectraPly Wood

SpectraPly wood is made in the USA from veneered layers of premium yellow birch that have been brightly dyed. Spectraply blanks offer a unique turning experience that yields high quality, vibrant projects! The veneers are dyed under extreme pressure for full penetration of the dye throughout...

www.cookwoods.com

JKJ

Ha! These look great. I bought a set of 48 of the Faber Castell pens but haven't opened them yet. Soon...

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

Thanks John,

Tops is definetly one of the things I can see coloring with pens. You mention signing your work and it's something I've gone from ambivalent about to being solidly in the sign your damn work camp. Now I just have to work on a crafting signature that is legible. I've been asked numerous times if I'm a doctor based on my signature.

Gregory

You can also use a laser engraver, I picked up a relatively inexpensive one on Amazon and I use that to engrave my logo on the bottom so that people can actually read it 😄

 

[Jaramiah Severns]

Thank you - I don't think the finish needs to be 'fancy' to be good! ☺️ I will get a can of it and see what I think. I haven't tried any spray-on finishes yet mostly because I'm afraid of how to fix it if I mess it up haha

I wouldn’t worry too much fixing any mess ups. If things go completely sideways, you just sand it down to the wood and start again. I’ve had to do so more times than I care to admit 😅

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

@Maggie Shapiro , I make non-utility pieces and use Osmo Polyx Oil satin. It is one of the hard wax oil products like Rubio Monocoat. But unlike Rubio, it is a one part product. No unpleasant smell. It's easy to wipe on. It has low tack and dries quickly, so it doesn't collect a lot of dust nibs. It brings out the grain like an oil (i.e. better than polyurethane). It has an amber hue, but I think a touch less than polyurethane. Usually two coats, 12 hours apart. It dries quickly, but full cure (no smell) takes 3-4 weeks. Osmo also makes a version of Polyx Oil with more solvent called Top Coat. The Top Coat products have been tested in Europe and are food safe.

A can of Osmo is very expensive, but you use very little. A simple 12" bowl might need a few tablespoons.

Yes definitely I love Osmo, though sometimes it isn't right for the project (like with a live edge - I've found it just attracts dust that settles in the live-edge and then stays there forever lol). I do love it for a simple finish though, very easy to apply and looks great! I have been working on some hollow forms made from alligator juniper and a friend who works with it a lot said that over time the juniper has eaten through every finish he has tried with the exception of CA glue 😱

 

[Michael Brown]

Bowls and handles I like blo, and my blend of paste wax. Blo, limonene and beeswax. Local aviary trades me turning for raw gross wax and I filter and separate it clean and brick it. I made about 10oz of paste wax a few years ago and it's been awesome. I go through the brick faster when I friction polish. His bees make wax faster than I can use it.

 

[Mark Fairchild]

haha thank you! I also want to try the burning method that Jean-Louis Meynier's uses for basket illusion (where he burns individual lines in the form of a 'stitch') - it looks so real! I think he learned it from Jim Adkins maybe? Have you done this before?

This is as close to that method as I have come. Still working on it. His work is beautiful.

 

[Maggie Shapiro]

This is as close to that method as I have come. Still working on it. His work is beautiful.

Oh my gosh that is amazing! I love it! How do you figure out how many 'stitches' to make and what angles to do? Do you just use an indexer and kind of stick to those lines as a guide?

 

[Doug Freeman]

I consider finishing, which includes prep for finishing (sanding, etc), a skill unto itself. I started finishing and refinishing wood (mainly furniture) decades before I ever turned anything. As such, I had a lot of knowledge and experience with finishing when I started turning. I think it deserves a good amount of time investment to sort out, just like learning to turn. The previously mentioned books "Great Wood Finishes" by Jeff Jewitt and "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner are excellent resources. Knowledge of prep, application, and characteristics of different types of finishes enables choosing the right finish for a particular item. Just as you turn things for practice and learning, you should finish things for practice and learning.

A major choice to make concerns VOC's - do you want to deal with them or not? There are quite a few reasonable choices available today that are very low or no VOC's, but there are limitations with them in the end result achieved compared to more traditional solvent finishes with more VOC's. Waterbased finishes have lower VOC's but they suffer in 3 areas: 1) short open times, don't lend themselves to wipe on, 2) the water raises the wood grain, 3) the solids in WB finishes are chemically different vs solvent based, and refract light much differently. This decreases chatoyance significantly, and the finishes can look pretty drab. There are ways to help, but they still are not a visual match for solvent finishes.

Another choice to make concerns "food safe". The FDA considers most of the finishes the hobbiest deals with - varnish, lacquer, conversion varnish, BLO, etc - food safe when cured, due to the fact that although these finishes contain substances that are hazardous to human health if ingested directly, these substances are contained in a "plastic wrapper" that will pass through the human body without harm.

My most used finish for turnings is Minwax Helmsman Spar Varnish semi-gloss. I thin it 1:1 with paint thinner, and apply it like danish oil - flood on, keep wet for 15-30 min, wipe off. I like it better than the danish oils on the shelf due to cost and it's available in semi-gloss. 2 things make a varnished item look plasticky: 1) too thick of finish film, 2) glossy negative grain and surface areas (like natural defects in a turning). Wipe on/off makes film thickness minimal ()though sometimes I do build a bit of film thickness if I want more gloss), and the semi-gloss flattens the gloss sufficiently to my eye to not have the plastic look. I like the long open time which allows the finish to absorb deeper and get into cracks and other defects, and dries with some structural integrity, unlike a straight oil. This enhances the structural integrity of the piece. Spar varnish has more oil vs interior varnish, similar to danish oil, so wood movement is not really a concern. I use oil based dyes mixed into the spar for grain enhancement and/or moderate wood coloring.

The 2nd most used is Parfix 3408, which is a long open time (40 seconds I think) CA glue. It had a different chemical make up that doesn't fume up and smoke like the quicker drying CA glue. It is water clear in the bottle and remains so after curing. I use it on smaller items (~6"x6") where I either want a water clear finish or don't care about color.

For food type items that will have metal utensils used on the surface, I've been using Mahoney's walnut oil. I don't make a lot of them, and have had the bottle for a few years. For bowls etc for fruit, nuts, candy, I'll use the spar varnish or the parfix. It takes a while for the walnut oil to actually cure (~6 weeks at room temp), which is ok from a safety aspect, but I don't want oil transfer from the piece. In cooler months, I have a "hotbox" I put spar and walnut oil pieces in to speed curing.

If I want hi gloss and/or deep intense colors, I spray finish with a sherwin williams CAB acrylic lacquer solvent finish. Unlike NC lacquer, it stays water clear to allow intense vibrant colors to shine through. I finish this finish similarly to how an automotive finish is done. Its a lengthy process overall and I don't do a lot of them.

The spar and Parfix items get buffed with carnauba wax.

 

[Bill Alston]

For most things I use Cellulose Sanding Sealer and Microcrystalline Wax. It’s become a habit for me as it’s quick and easy to apply. Protective enough for many things. The wax doesn’t leave fingerprints and is easy to reapply. Fairly cheap as well. I have used oil in the past, sometimes topped with paste wax but it can darken some woods too much for my liking. For a Matt finish I’ve tried Lemon Oil but I’m not that keen on it really.

 

[John K Jordan]

Minwax Helmsman Spar Varnish semi-gloss

Is this the same as the "Spar Urethane" semi-gloss?

 

[Odie]

I've kind of settled on watco danish oil. It's readily available locally where a lot of people seem to use it so it's fresh. And if it's good enough for Odie, it's good enough for me.

Thanks for the good word Sam. 🙂

Yes, I've been using Watco Danish Oil for close to 40 years. After using a variety of other finishes at first, I was really happy with how simple and easy it was to apply, while getting a superb finish.

Like with any finish, it's dependent on the quality of the wood preparation.

For the past 20 +/- years, I've also settled on the Beall 3-step buffing process. These combination of these two things have worked out very well for me, and both DO and Beall processes need to be refined to get the best results. This takes some time in the saddle to get the very best results that are possible.

=o=