Bowl finish suggestion

[Phil St.Germain]

I have been using Generals Salad Bowl finish for many years and am very happy with it for the most part. The one drawback that i have found is that it turns soft maple yellow. I just took down a couple trees, one full of ambrosia and the other with tons of tiger striping. Can anyone suggest a finish that will keep the natural color and not yellow the maple? I prefer a finish that I can buff out to a mild gloss. The flat finish of an oil does not sell very well for me.


Thanks,

Phil

[Dennis Ford]

Lacquer would be my choice, followed by one of the water based finishes (I have yet to find one that is as easy as lacquer). I have a compressor and a touch up spray gun but lately have been using rattle can Rust O Leum lacquer for turnings.

[brian zawatsky]

Lacquer is definitely a good choice, will remain clear and not yellow the wood. I've also had good results with Waterlox gloss (XL 89), very clear for a varnish and really helps to accentuate curly grain. It will yellow some over time though. I thin it 15% or so and wipe it on very thin, using multiple coats. Otherwise it's hard to get it to lay flat and not run.

[Bruce Pratt]

Water-based polyacrylic - milky white in the can - crystal clear when dry. I use it on all my light colored wood, maple, ash, Bradford pear, etc.

I'm still working through a couple of gallons of GF water-based polyA that I got before they dc'ed the product. Minwax also has some. Don't like their rattle can version, the one can I bought did not make a smooth spray - didn't want to buy another, just to see if it was a bad can. Ben Moore has a low VOC acrylic polyU mix which they claim is a clear finish in several sheen levels. Haven't tried it yet either.