shiny or not

[Lloyd Frisbee]

What type of finish do you prefer?

[Ted Shrader]

Lloyd -

Need to add one more category -"Depends". Depending one the item, I have done them in all categories. Though "Shiny" is the least used.

Ted

[Dick Parr]

I agree with Ted, it depends on what the project is as to what finish I use.

[Lloyd Frisbee]

I knew this would happen! Pick the one you use the most. Then you can clarify what goes on what. Otherwise the poll would be several pages long with every conceivable combination of woods and forms. I can't edit the poll.

[Steve Inniss]

Although I'm in the depends group -hey, I'm not sure about the sound of that - but I find the semi-gloss/waxed the most pleasing -Steve

[Steve Clardy]

I use all 40- sheen, satin lacquer or poly. Mostly lacquer. Never did like that SHINY effect on wood. Always thought it detracted the nice wood look.
Never had a customer to complain. Never had one to ask for a GLOSS finish.

[George Tokarev]

I say shiny because the smoother it is the better folks seem to like it. I've never liked satin or semigloss, because I'd rather look into the wood directly through my finish rather than through the scatter.

Oil and oil/wax show up a lot in other folks' booths, but only on salad/popcorn bowls in mine. First outing with wax was a day with spitting rain years ago, and I had water marks all over everything. It doesn't last well in bright sunlight, either, so I've taken to buffing surface finishes for those small look-at things.

[Barbara Gill]

I use an oil finish and buff it. I guess the shiny is subjective. I would say such a combination gives a glow to the surface. I usually consider a surface finish such as polyurethane to be shiny.

[Glenn Hodges]

My customers prefer the glossy finish, so that is what I give them. I use an oil finish with wax.

[Richard Allen]

I like shiny because it shows off all my "refinments" (like sanding scratches and tear-out). The satin tends to hide my "refinments". Perhaps when I get good enough to make a turning without such "refinments" I will change the finish. But during this learning process I like to see where I went wrong so I can do better on the next one.

[Jim Becker]

Unfortunately, the poll doesn't include an entry for "it depends"...I use multiple types of finishes from flat to blindingly-buffed. The form itself helps to make the decision, as does the material/species. That said, I would say that my forms trend towards a soft shine in most cases.

[Michael Stafford]

I guess you would say I like a satin finish buffed to absolute smoothness.