Finishing Turnings

[Carl Eyman]

I hear you pen turners talking about finishing the pens on the lathe, but is there a way to do this with a larger spindle? Take a look at the columns in this post http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=10124&highlight=clock. The columns at each corner of the bonnet are 15/16" in diam. I'm using button lac shellac for the finish. Is there any way to apply lish on the lathe so it will have a rubbed out appearance? TIA.

[Jim Becker]

Carl, I almost always apply the finish to turnings while they are still on the lathe, both for convenience and to speed up the process. Varnishes, shellacs, lacquers and other finishes done that way can be "pushed" via heat generated through friction. The one consideration for your project would be insuring that the finish on those spindles matches the rest of the project...it all has to have a unified look, IMHO.