Finish Suggestions

[Kathy Marshall]

Just turned these 2 pieces over the last couple of days, and I'm undecided on what to use for the final finish.
The first is an Acacia NE bowl. Once again, forgot to do any measurements before I came in from the shop, but it's probably about 7" x 3". Turned it last night and then soaked in DO until tonight. I'll give it a few days for the DO to cure before a final finish. I use alot of WOP and normally would probably go that route, but I just picked up some clear shellac and I'm wondering how that would look. I've not used shellac before, so I'd like to hear some opinions from anyone that uses it. Another thought would be to go with a satin WOP, I'm wondering if that might look better than a gloss look. As an aside, I turned a twin to this one tonight from the other side of the log, it's going through to DO soak as we speak.
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The 2nd piece is a Pecan HF, it's about 4" tall x 6" wide. This is the 1st time I've done a short fat one. It looks like the widest point is at about midpoint, but I also took a pic with it turned upside down to better show the dimensions. It has a couple coats of BLO. I would normally use DO, but I was thinking I might prefer the lighter color from the BLO (the camera angle really changed the color on this one, it's not as yellow as the 1st pics, but not as light as the bottom ones).
I think I'd like to go glossy with this one, would the shellac work for that, or would WOP show off the grain better?
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Thanks for any suggestions or comments you throw my way :D

[John Keeton]

Some nice pieces, Kathy!! I haven't done but a couple NE bowls, but personally, I like a very matte finish on them - at the very most, a satin. I think the satin WOP would be about right. Unless rubbed back, shellac will have a high gloss.

On the HF - nice work! I think the shellac and WOP will have about the same effect on the figure and color. I have used shellac for filling the grain by applying several coats, but sanding/buffing them back with fine sandpaper or steel wool. I have also used it as a final finish by building several coats. If you use dewaxed shellac, you can always apply a top coat finish over it, such as WOP, lacquer, etc. Shellac that has been rubbed out will leave a very tactile finish with a soft luster.

[Michelle Rich]

OK, I'm old and shellac has been my finish of choice for years & years. You can make it shine,("burn" it in) or rub it back. I think you can experiment & see how it works, as you can cover over with any finish if you hate the look.You can use as a sanding sealer to the last coat. The advantage of shellac is it's safe to use, from the factory to the piece, no VOC s no allergic reactions etc. VERY SAFE PRODUCT

[Cathy Schaewe]

Very nice. I especially like the NE bowl. Why not just have a DO finish on it? I agree with JK that matte is the way to go on that one.

I'd do lacquer on the HF, but that's probably only because that's what I've been doing.

[Richard Madden]

I think I would stay with DO only on the NE. Oil finishes are probably my favorite. Less chance of screw ups, and when buffed they leave a nice, soft sheen. On the HF, it's your call. Shellac or gloss WOP would do it. With shellac, I'd cut it down a bit, maybe a 1-1/2 lb. cut.

[Greg Just]

My preference is a matte finish. IMHO the real shiny surface can begin to look like plastic and not real wood. In any case, they are real nice pieces.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I like Antique oil or a wipe on poly. If buffed will give you a satin or semi-gloss sheen.

[Roger Wilson]

Since you're in the mood to experiment I'd vote for using shellac on at least one bowl. Remember shellac was the finish of choice on furniture long before the 20th century.

Zinser makes three shellacs; clear with wax, amber with wax, and clear de-waxed (seal coat I think). You can also buy shellac flakes in a variety of colors and mix them with DNA. Also there is the Ubeaut line of shellac based products (use instructions on their site); Shellawax and Shellawax cream.

When applying shellac imitate the french polish techniques with a pad, a thin cut and a number of coats. You can get as deep a shine as you wish and you can polish the finish.

I'd also keep the container covered as much as possible as the alcohol is quite volatile and you don't want to breath it in.

And as someone said if you don't like the finish, Shellac is the perfect undercoat for other finishes.

[Jon Nuckles]

Kathy, I'm new to finishing turned work, but have used shellac and WOP on flatwork for years. IMHO, nothing brings out grain and figure as well as shellac. A good french polish makes wood look like you can see down into it. Now I just need to figure out the right application routine for using it on turned pieces. Good luck!

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks for all the input!

I've decided to stick with just the DO on the NE bowls and I'll just buff them out a bit when the DO is cured. The 2nd one is almost an exact replica of the 1st, just a bit shallower due to the pith being off center.

For the HF, I went ahead and applied a coat of DO, and I'm glad I did. It did darken it up just a bit, but the grain really popped and the little bit of figure there is shows a little better now. I'm going to go ahead and try the shellac as a finish coat. It's the Zinser clear (I'm assuming with wax since it doesn't say Seal Coat). It will give me a chance to see how a shellac finish looks, and then I think I'll give this piece to the tree trimmers that I got the load of pecan from.