UV-blocking finish?

[Wes Ramsey]

I was just looking at the box elder pieces posted by George Guadiane and got to thinking about UV-blocking finishes. Is there anything on the market that can protect color like the box elder flame from fading? I've had a box elder bowl drying in a dark corner for several months and it hasn't faded much if any, and my blanks sitting outside in the sun have almost no flame left. I figure it is the UV rays that fade the color and I would like to preserve it for as long as possible. If possible...

[Roger Chandler]

I have heard that nothing really does the job completely, but Minwax Helmsman Spar Varnish does have UV inhibitors in it. I purchased some a few months ago, but have not done another box elder piece to try it on as of yet........that is on my "to do" list. I read where another turner used it [John Lucas, I believe] and said that the red lasts only about a week or two longer than other finishes. I have not verified this and others say it helps, so I suppose the only way to find out is to try it for yourself and see.

[John Keeton]

There are several UV finishes available in the art world that are used to protect pigments on 2 dimensional work and I often will spray my dyed pieces with Krylon UV acrylic spray, but I don't know if any of those would work on box elder.

[Thom Sturgill]

Steven Russell recommends thinned marine varish. Unthinned it leaves too thick a coat, but thinned it can get better penetration and a thinner surface coating. He blends with other oil finishes to create a wiping varnish.

[Dennis Peacock]

Doesn't a UV protector type finish have an "orange" tint to it? Seems like the last marine spar varnish I bought and use on a canoe for a customer that the finish was deep orange in the can and added a nice "orangish" type color to the wood finish. Or maybe I'm thinking of orange shellac....it's been a while, as if you couldn't tell. ;)

[charlie knighton]

brown paper bag works best.....bring it out for special showigs......I still have my Arrgg turning, I usually bring it out once a year for a couple minutes

[Grant Wilkinson]

I have a small cup that I finished with marine varnish years ago. It sits on a shelf that gets sunlight directly for a few hours a day and the red is still as prominent as when I turned it. Just lucky, I guess.

[Lee Watermann]

What look does the red take when it fades out? I have several box elder bowls I just turned.

[charlie knighton]

the one on the right is faded out.....the one on the left is been kept in brown bag.....it has faded some

the one on the right was my first in the rover series.....shown at Richmond symposium

[Wes Ramsey]

I may have to try some aerosol Helmsman spar urethane from the local big box. Got a few box elder bowls that need finishing. Might as well try it!

[Brian Tymchak]

If you are going to go the marine varnish route, I highly recommend Epiphanes over Helmsman. I order from Jamestown Distributors (http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search.do?refineType=1&sub_attr_name=Brand&refineValue=Epifanes&page=GRID&engine=adwords&keyword=epifanes_varnish&gclid=CjwKEAjwz_-nBRC0zbDb_YOT1TgSJACW2VEC90TNWc4jP9NCqHh6J9YfvE0px 6baV2ZlTzM4mOd1xRoCONTw_wcB). I used Helmsman on my east facing front door (fiberglass) after stripping and restaining. It lasted less than a year and the stain faded quickly. I recoated with Helmsman every year for 3 years and each year it was highly degraded at the time of re-applying. I changed over to Epiphanes 2 years ago (right over the old Helmsman cause I'm lazy..) and I can't tell any degradation yet. It must have superior UV protectants. I don't know if it's available in a spray can, but I've read that you can spray it after thinning.

[Reed Gray]

Well, I heard of a turner who was a master with an air brush, and painted over the reds of his box elder. As I understand it, the color fade is part UV exposure, and part oxidization. So, no matter what finish you put on it, you won't stop the fade, but you can slow it down a lot. I have heard of using Armorall as a finish or final coat too.

robo hippy

[Bruce Pratt]

General Finishes polyacrylic also contains UV blockers

[charlie knighton]

if you use an oil based finish, the white will turn yellow immeadiately.....that was a water based finish after bleaching.....you can see on the right the piece exposed to sunlight will yellow with age, the piece that has been kept in paper bag has not yellowed

both piece from the same log...both pieces bleached and have water based finish