A finishing question

[Donny Lawson]

When you get a bowl finished how do you decide what kind of finish to use or do you use the same finish on all bowls?What kind of finish do you use? What is a food safe finish?I'm looking for all opinions and ideas for when I get ready to finish my first bowl.Thanks, Donny

[Bernie Weishapl]

Donny for me it is if it is going to be a utility bowl for kitchen use or a art piece. All finishes are food safe if cured for 72 hrs or more. On utility bowls I use Mike Mahoney's walnut oil most of the time. I also use Minwax Antique oil on utility items sometimes. I also use AO on decorative bowls as well as wipe on poly or lacquer.

[David E Keller]

Lots of choices. Depends on what look you are going for. I tend to use an oil finish on most things(tung oil) because I find it easy to apply. A lot of folks use walnut oil or mineral oil on food service pieces. I use beeswax for tool handles and some smaller items or children's toys. Some folks use polyurethane or lacquer. Lots of books written on the subject. I'd suggest you experiment a little to find what you like.

[Steve Vaughan]

Be sure to give us a picture of your bowl! I will use Danish oil (natural) on walnut and cherry, maybe some other kinds of dark wood. On maple, or other lighter woods, I use deft spray laquer. I also use the laquer over the danish oil after it's cured a few days. Following the laquer I will buff it out with #0000 steel wool, then wax it using another #0000 steel wool. When I wax stuff, I use the darken wax, thinned to a more creamy consistency with mineral spirits. Then buff it real good. Smooth as a baby's butt!

Of course, any defect areas of the wood or any decoration you might add such as grooves or texturing can affect the wax job if you're not careful. Hope this helps and gives you an option.

[Steve Mawson]

Many good ideas here. Just have to kinda find what works for you. I use a home brew oil mix, laquer and wipe on poly mainly. Also have the three wheel buff that I like real well.

[John Keeton]

I guess as a carryover from flat work, I like BLO followed by shellac - both applied while on the lathe. Quick and easy, and one can use any finish on top of the dewaxed shellac.

[Paul Maue]

Bernie

Does the Miniwax Antique Oil darken maple as much as Watco's danish oil or BLO?

[David Walser]

Donny,

There are two basic types of finishes, film finishes and oil finishes. Film finishes, like lacquer, varnish, polyurethane, and shellac, form a film and basically set on top of the wood surface. Oil finishes, such as tung oil, boiled linseed oil, and walnut oil, soak into the wood and become part of it. It's important to keep these types of finishes in mind when selecting a finish for a particular use. For example, if a bowl is going to be displayed and not used, a film finish may be best at showing off the wood's beauty. However, if the bowl is going to be used a lot, a film finish -- no matter how strong -- will not stand up to frequent abuse from a salad fork. The sharp steel tines of the fork will quickly, and deeply, scratch the film finish. For such a use, an oil finish might be more appropriate.

As others have said, any finish sold in the USA today is food safe once cured. So, pick the finish that is compatible with the item's use and gives the look you're after.

HTH

[Steve Schlumpf]

Donny - lots of good info so far! I started off using Watco Natural Danish Oil, then moved to Minwax Antique Oil, then switched to Minwax Wipe-On Poly and when I get real ambitious I use brush-on lacquer. As mentioned it all depends on the turning and it's intended use.

Looking forward to seeing your first bowl!

[Allen Neighbors]

I went to Mike Mahoney's demo at SWAT. He passed around a bowl and a plate that he brought from his kitchen to show us what his 'home used' utility items looked like. Both were scratched from multiple uses. Both were still very usable heirlooms (as he called them). He said when he was making a bowl to sell, he used his Walnut oil on it. When he is making one to use in his home, he puts no finish on it. Just wood.
My .02. :)

[Reed Gray]

Like others have said, I use Mike's walnut oil, though other food oils will work. For sales purposes, the bowls feel and look better, but will acquire a nice patina over the years. I do not like the solvent based finishes. Even though they are 'food safe' after a bit (a week to cure, and about a month before you can't smell it any more). Solvent based finishes will penetrate just like the soft oils will, and if they have varnish, poly, or other solids in them, that part will stay on the surface. I don't use mineral oil as it really doesn't do anything other than look nice for a few days, then it is dry again. A bees wax finish is nice, looks and feels good. Surface finished will chip, crack, flake, and peel off, and in general aren't good for daily use pieces. I do use wipe on poly for my 'art' pieces.

robo hippy

[Donny Lawson]

Sounds like I have alot of choices.I will have alot to think about while I wait until my bowls dry.
Donny

[Scott Hackler]

Almost every project I turn I use a liberal coat of BLO and let that dry at least over night, then start a 3-6 coat of spray poly with 600 grit sanding in between each coat after a 2-3 day drying for each coat. A final rub down with the 600 grit and the Beal System for a super smooth and fantastic finish.

I have been using spray laquer on my ornaments to try something different and really like it (except for the smell) and might be switching to laquer, but I always start with BLO. It just warms the wood so well.

I need to try Mike's walnut oil and have been meaning to try Tung Oil.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I can offer no help. :) It all depends on what you like. My advice is to try many different finishes. Have fun. I like tung oil the most. Actually, it's a tung oil blend, not a pure tung oil. Pure tung oil takes days to dry. I also like WOP, and the Antique oil. I also use Deft. Due to the recent BORG blow out of Watco at ridiculously low prices, I also have a lot of that. They all have different qualities, and strong and weak points..... The only thing I would say to avoid, is poly directly on a wood bowl, but some other people like it, so much for my opinion..... One of my friends uses just the Beal buffs, no finish.... There are no rules.

Try anything and everything, most of all, have fun.

Oh, in case you didn't know, BLO in a rag is known to combust.... Be careful when using that, or any oil....

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bernie

Does the Miniwax Antique Oil darken maple as much as Watco's danish oil or BLO?

Paul pretty much the same.

[Allen Neighbors]

I have been using spray laquer on my ornaments to try something different and really like it (except for the smell) and might be switching to laquer, but I always start with BLO. It just warms the wood so well.


Scott, try this for your 'art' pieces... you might like it. ;)
I make a lacquer wash (approx 65%thinner/35%lacquer) that I use if I have to CA a crack. (it keeps the CA from staining surrounding wood). I wipe it on with a piece of tee shirt, then wipe it off with a clean piece. Then I use my CA. Then I sand the piece normally. Then I use the BLO or Danish Oil, and spin dry it, using another piece of tee shirt. The BLO or DO really make the grain "pop", and the Lacquer Wash doesn't affect the BLO or DO if you sand it before the BLO or DO application. Then I use the spray lacquer for the finish.
Hint: I have a spray gun. Since lacquer melts lacquer, I never empty or clean the gun... just take it off the hook, rub my finger back and forth across the end and go to spraying. Works well for the lazy fellow I am. :D
Donnie, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. :)

[Charles Bouchelle]

So the steps would be to sand to about 220 on the lathe than BLO,let the piece dry for a day than add something like a shallac (dewaxed??? not sure about that)than the item can get a top coat of a "shell type" coating. Where does the buffing process fit in,with the 3 different compounds?

[Peter Lamb]

Donny,minwax wipe on poly. Satin or high gloss. Very easy and forgiving.The CA after first coat if needed.
Peter