Finish for Lebanon Cedar???????

[Thomas Canfield]

I recently turned a Lebanon Cedar bowl and started to finish it in my usual method of buffing with tripoli, and then apply a oil/polyurethane mix finish. I did one coat and it has not dried after a week. A smaller bowl turned from a drop section took the finish well and dried. Any suggestions?

[Karl Card]

either the cedar has a high moisture content or has quite a bit of oil in the wood. I am not sure about lebanon cedar as to oil content however.

I had the same problem with a piece of cocobolo and red cedar recently and a lifelong woodworker here suggested one of two things, oil or mosture.

[John Keeton]

I have no experience personally with this as I don't use much in the way of exotics, but other threads have discussed a preliminary wipe down with acetone prior to applying any finish.

Also, I would imagine the heat from buffing would lower the viscosity of the oils and they would come to the surface more.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree and think there is a oil problem. I had the same problem Karl had. I wiped the wood down with mineral spirits and that seemed to do the trick.

[James Combs]

I read some about this problem in another thread a few days ago and the suggestion to wipe down with a solvent was mentioned in it also. The wipe down may be fine for bowl or other larger items but I would be reluctant to use it on a pen especially acetone. I would be afraid that it might loosen the CA glue I use to glue the pen together. I think I would be reluctant to use acetone on a bowl too if I had any CA patches in it. All that being said I have turned a few pens from red cedar, cocobolo, bocote, and other hard oily woods but have not had any problems finishing them with my usual CA type of finishing.

[Art Kelly]

...it might be right. (Old aerospace proverb.)

But acetone ain't it.

I'd try mineral spirits on a paper towel. I've used this when I got too crazy with Danish oil.:o

Maybe work up from paper towel to 0000 steel wool.

Good luck.

Art

[Thomas Canfield]

Thanks for replies. Tomorrow I guess I will wipe with MS and then wet sand with MS or use super soft scotch-brite type pad to try to remove sticky finish. I will plan to let that dry a day or so and then wipe with MS before applying finish. I have had some similar problem with aromatic cedar being oily and difficult to get the hard finish final coat.

[Kelvin Burton]

Tom,

I had exactly the same problem today with a bowl I turned of the same wood. Did you get your at SWAT too? I found your post in a Google search. I wiped off the sticky finish with MS and then when it was dry I applied Shellawax and polished it. Worked great! When I was sanding it earlier I had issues with it clogging the sandpaper. Paul C suggested wiping it with Acetone before sanding. That helped greatly.
Kelvin

[Thomas Canfield]

Thanks Kelvin. Yes, I got the piece at SWAT. I did wipe with MS and have some success, but need to add more coats. It is still waiting for me to get to it and hopefully drying on its own more.

[Kelvin Burton]

Tom,
Back to the drawing board on this one. After standing for a week, the resin is coming through the finish! However, the inside which I just wiped with Walnut Oil is fine. Guess I'll have to try more MS and another coat of Shellawax to see if I can tame this wood!

[Jeff Nicol]

Tom, I have used Naptha for Red and White pine also on spruce to reduce any sap or resin areas. Then coat the piece in a thinned shellac sanding sealer, with a couple coats on trouble areas. The alchol in the shellac will also melt away the sappy or oilly areas and blend them in so it dries evenly. After it all dries some light sanding to remove any nibs or rough areas then you can apply the finish of your choice. Shellac is pretty much compatible with every finish I have used.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Reed Gray]

I have used Mahoney's walnut oil on it with no problems.

robo hippy

[Kelvin Burton]

Jeff, thanks for the tip! I looked up my copy of "understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner and found he gave the same advise! Now I'm off to Lowes to buy some Shellac! Bye the way, here's the piece I'm trying to seal (before the resin came through).
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/album.php?albumid=501&pictureid=4555

[Tom Lewis]

I had the same question about some cedar I was turning. Someone recomended no finish, just the Beal Bowl Buffing system. That's what I now use and am very satisfied with the results.

[Thomas Canfield]

My piece is still "drying" or at least that is the story today. Too much other things going on to work on finish. I am hoping it is dry from MS and will accept oil/poly finish. Sometimes on red cedar it has taken about 5 or 6 coats to finally get a uniform finish, and this Lebanon Cedar may have the same problem. A coat of thin shellac for sealing might be a shortcut, but I will put that off at present.