Bowl finish

[Mike Tilley]

I’am looking for a finish that will protect the wood but not add much shine.
wood looks good with nothing on it but needs something to keep it looking that way.
any suggestions.
thanks

[Edward Weingarden]

Is it a decorative, or utility bowl? That aspect of the bowl may lead to different paths with respect to finishing.

[Mike Tilley]

Edward it is a decorative bowl

[Brice Rogers]

I'd suggest walnut oil (Mahoney's or Doctors, etc.) for a decorative bowl. But there are probably lots of other choices too, like wax, true tung oil, tung oil finish, BLO, etc.

[Robert D Evans]

I really like Minwax Antique Oil. It really brings out the color of the wood without having a surface finish. Wipe it on and let it sit 24 hours then apply a second coat. I usually buff it after waiting another 24 hours but that's optional. Makes a beautiful finish and you don't have to worry about drips and runs. Just follow the directions on the can. Easy. The hardest part is getting the wife to wait until the project has dried before claiming it.

[Edward Weingarden]

Edward it is a decorative bowl

As you can see, there's many ways to skin a cat. For a decorative bowl that I don't want a shiny film finish on, I often use "danish oil" mix. I mix my own with equal parts of polymerized linseed oil (Tried & True), polyurethane, and low odor mineral spirits. The mix allows for enhancement of the grain character, while also giving some sheen that you usually don't get with an oil by itself. Wipe on finishes are easy to apply, and you really can't make a mistake in it's application.

[Prashun Patel]

I've been using Mohawk Stringed Instrument finish (I think it's formerly Behlens). It's a spray lacquer. The higher you sand, the fewer coats you'll need.

I keep bottles in a few sheens and they last a good while...

I think Billy Joel said, "A bottle of gloss, a bottle of flat, it all depends upon your appetat."

[Richard Coers]

Any oil or solvent based finish will dramatically change the look. If you want nearly invisible, Krylon Fine Art Fixatif is the way to go. Meant to seal artwork done in pastels or charcoal.

[John King]

Any oil or solvent based finish will dramatically change the look. If you want nearly invisible, Krylon Fine Art Fixatif is the way to go. Meant to seal artwork done in pastels or charcoal.

My experience is same. Every oil finish I have tried darkens the wood. Not noticeable if the piece is dark wood (walnut, mesquite or similar). Very noticeable if the piece is a light wood (maple or similar). I now use Minwax Wipe On Poly. Hand buff the finish with 0000 steel wool or Abralon pad (or similar) to achieve the desired final sheen. - John

[Prashun Patel]

I do not find this to be true. This is all only my own opinion and experience.

An oil based finish will darken a piece.

A solvent-based finish like lacquer, less so. Shellac is in this camp too, but the amber and blonde varieties you typically find will darken because of the color. You can get platina which is close to water white.

A waterbased finish least. The risk is that water based can sometimes cause a blue cast to the piece if put on too thick. That blue cast can be noticed most on flat pieces under raking light.

If you want the piece to look like there is no finish on it, you are best to finish with a flat sheen product. That will literally look unfinished. Lacquer and waterbased products are both great here.

On turned work, the reason the darkening is most noticed is because of the drastic transition from side grain to end grain. It's the end grain that darkens the most. Spray lacquer and spray shellac do a great job of sealing that end grain without adding much color. They also dry so fast, they do not penetrate as deeply as the oil based finishes. This also helps minimize darkening on end grain.


If you are after a quick, easy finish that is fool proof and doesn't darken, I have found no quicker (and I'm lazy) way than power sanding on the lathe up to 1000 grit, and then spraying a couple coats of a rattle can lacquer in the appropriate sheen. In fact, if you WANT color, you can oil it on the lathe and then spray with the lacquer anyway.



Sealing with a lacquer or shellac spray first

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I’ve been experimenting with Osmo Top Oil - its a plant based finish with hard waxes incorporated. Doesn’t darken the wood much - similar to a water based finish. Use very little, rub it in and allow to dry. Three coats with a light buff gives a soft sheen. So far, I’m liking the results. It holds up nicely to light washing for utility bowls and feels good on the hands. It seems expensive, but the amount used is very small. I’ve been working on the first 1/2 litre for several months now.

[Randy Heinemann]

Beeswax and mineral mix. Everyone seems to use a different mix of the two but the one I use is like was more than mineral oil. I slather it on, let it sit for a couple of days and wipe off the excess and maybe try to polish it a little. The end result, though, is a dull smooth finish. It does darken the wood some but it also enhances the grain well.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

What kind of wood is it?
IMO ANY finish will darken (enhance) the color of the wood, as most everyone has already mentioned. It will be hard to finish without changing the appearance of the wood. If you have another piece of the same wood, you could give a few of the above suggestions a try. You may like one of the changes. Knowing the wood type will help. Others may have lots of experience with a specific type of wood.

[Thomas Canfield]

A woodworker/turner told me once to always use a gloss varnish/finish. You can dull the gloss toward a satin, but you cannot improve a satin finish to a gloss due to the fillers in the satin. That said, my finish usually starts with a buff using Tripoli, wipe on/off a home brew similar to Danish Oil or Antique oil but with a small amount extra of gloss varnish, and then buff when dry with Tripoli. I usually will use 3 applications of finish with the Tripoli buff between coats and after last until the finish builds. The resulting finish is then given a Renaissance wax buff and ends up with a nice feel piece without the plastic appearance from gloss lacquers but holds up well to finger prints and some moisture but not immersion. The Tripoli buff levels the finish. You can increase the shine by adding a buff with white diamond before the Renaissance, but I do not like the additional gloss.

[Mike Tilley]

Kyle the last bowl is walnut and maple was not wanting to darken the maple if I didn’t have to.

[Randy Heinemann]

If you really don't want the appearance of the wood to change, experiment with water based polyurethane. It will cover the wood with a clear finish that doesn't change much over time unless it will sit in bright sunlight a lot.The problem is that I'm not sure how water based poly will go on a bowl. Experiment with it on another wood piece that is similar to see if it will deliver the desired result.