Finishing question.

[Jason Silva]

I'm nearing the end of my plumeria piece (Plumeria WIP thread). I want to really pop the figure of the redwood. Ive had luck with waterlox in the past...laquer is apealing but i dont like the orange peel. I wont be able to buff the nooks and crannies. Oil? WOP? Should i raise the grain at some point in my sanding process?

I'm looking for a deep rich look. It doesnt have to be super shiney but i dont want it matte. Im hoping for some thoughts for this one. I have a lot of time into the process.

Thanks!

[David E Keller]

I like to wet sand with the final grit... I typically use BLO for that step, but there are plenty of options. WOP would be my finish of choice. I haven't found the need to raise the grain when I wet sand with oil. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

[Scott Hackler]

Jason, an oil finish ....pre poly or lacquer.... is what I would do. The oil will really bring out the figure in just about any wood. I am partial to BLO but it has a yellow tint to it. 100% tung oil would be less yellowing. After a few days of letting the oil dry I would probally use WOP or brush on poly (semi gloss). after it's all polyed up and cured I would knock down the finish with 0000 steel wool and run it through buffing AND wax.

But that is just me... :)

[John Keeton]

Jason, I finish much like both David and Scott, oil application, then WOP, and with wet sanding/BLO, etc. That works great on 95% of woods I have used.

However, on redwood, I am afraid the BLO will muddy it some. It will soak up the oil like a sponge, and the results can be disappointing. I had a small piece of redwood that I was using as a test board once for some finish, and the BLO really darkened it, and not in a good way. Do you have another piece of this wood you could use for a test piece?

I would lean toward using shellac on this with no oil. But, I have an even better suggestion - Jack Mincey just finished up a couple of striking redwood forms, and I would contact Jack to see what method he used. This was one of them, and it certainly does well with the figure -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/IMG_3661.jpg

[John Keeton]

Jason, I wanted to follow up, as I failed to state that the one piece of redwood I finished was done with shellac as a sealer, sanded back and WOP. It worked out OK, but does not have the depth I had hoped for.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=184071&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1298591246 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=184071&d=1298591246)

I really think additional coats of shellac would have worked better. I also have a couple of really nice pieces of redwood to turn, so this has an added interest for me. I did a little searching to see if Jack listed his finish anywhere, and failed to find anything. However, he did inquire as to finish in this thread and David D. made a similar comment about problems with the oil application.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?156090-Best-Finish-for-redwood

[Jason Silva]

Wow...glad i asked. I would have been happy to put oil on this thing. Shellac or laquer seem like the way to go. Could someone telk about how they "buff" out a piece after the finish is applied. I wont have the luzury of my buffing wheel due to the contours of my piece.

Thanks again for the heads up on the oil and redwood.

Jack Mincey! Calling Jack Mincey! You there Jack?

[Jim Burr]

I finished 2 RW pieces recently and both received the same tx...Formby's Tung oil finish. The wet one received 2 coats post DNA and finish turning. The powder dry one took 6 coats until it stopped soaking it up. WoP semi gloss after that did well.

[Jack Mincey]

Hi Jason,
I finished this one piece with Antique Oil start to finish. It took around 12 coats in all. I then let it sit for a couple of weeks and steel wooled it with 0000. It was then buffed using the beal system, but not waxed with this system. The other redwood bowls I've done were finished with deft. I like the look of both, but the Oil takes much longer.
Jack
Here's a form I finished with deft.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/IMG_3303.jpg

[Jason Silva]

Thanks Jack. Got the PM. I think i will go with the laquer option. My project is in the sanding stage. Hope to have some finish on it in the next day or so.