A lonely Salt Shaker

[John Hart]

I've had a pretty bad few weeks lately and haven't been able to spend any time turning. Well...I finally made it to the shop today and wanted to try making a pair of Salt and Pepper Shakers. Unfortunately, it took me all day to work out all the little things that crop up so I only got this one done. It's Redwood burl and 5" tall...finished with the secret stuff.:)

I'll try to get the other one done tomorrow. (fingers crossed);)

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Very very nice John. I don't know any thing about the secret stuff but it sure looks good!

[Corey Hallagan]

Awesome, that looks great!! I don't know either what the secret finish is, what is it? Where did you get the kits for these?

Corey

[Erin Raasch]

That redwood burl sure is some pretty stuff - bet it won't be lonely too long. Whatever the "secret" finish is, it sure looks nice!

Erin

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nice salt shaker John! I hope you had fun making it! Excellent!

[David Fried]

John,

Pretty wood and great execution, as usual!
I gave up salt and don't even own a shaker
but a pepper mill may be in the future.
Look forward to seeing yours.

[John Hart]

Thanks y'all. The Secret Stuff? Oh...well that's a goofy mixture of Clear Shellac, BLO and DNA. When you put the first coat on, the wood soaks it up and seals it. Then subsequent coats add a fine finish. I apply it non-spinning and generally put 5 coats on...5 minutes in between. Works good on pens too!:)

[John Hart]

Oh..I forgot....this really isn't a kit. I got the top cap and the rubber bung on the bottom from Craft Supplies. I think they cost 69 cents or something like that. You just make a bonker and drill it out.:)

[Bernie Weishapl]

John beautiful piece. I like the finish. Did you quit using the Antique Oil Finish in your secret mix? Nice work John.

[John Hart]

John beautiful piece. I like the finish. Did you quit using the Antique Oil Finish in your secret mix? Nice work John.

Ooops! Sorry....:o No...It's still in there. Clear Shellac/Antique Oil Finish/BLO/DNA Pretty much equal amounts of everything except the BLO. I go pretty light on the BLO....just enough to provide some lubrication.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks John. I like the secret finish also. It works pretty good.

[Dick Parr]

It looks great John, can't wait to see the two together. Nice looking wood.

[John Timberlake]

Great job, John. Love the color and grain. When will the pepper mill be ready?

[Ernie Nyvall]

Looks real good John. I like that wood.

Ernie

[Chris Barton]

Looks good John!

[Glenn Hodges]

John that will dress up anyone's table or kitchen. Everyone that sees it will be asking the owner where they found it.

[Chuck Beland]

Thanks y'all. The Secret Stuff? Oh...well that's a goofy mixture of Clear Shellac, BLO and DNA. When you put the first coat on, the wood soaks it up and seals it. Then subsequent coats add a fine finish. I apply it non-spinning and generally put 5 coats on...5 minutes in between. Works good on pens too!:)

John,
Why with the lathe off?
do you sand between coats?
How long does the shine stay on say for a pen?

:D :confused: :D :confused:

[Jim Davenport]

John;
That's a beautiful job. I love the grain of the burl. Your "non secret" secret finish really brings out the grain.
I look forward to seeing its brother the pepper mill.

[John Hart]

John,
Why with the lathe off?
do you sand between coats?
How long does the shine stay on say for a pen?

:D :confused: :D :confused:

Hi Chuck,
I found out in my early experiements that the lathe spinning is just too problematic. This stuff dries fast and it had a tendency to leave an uneven finish if the piece was spinning. You might have better luck but I just couldn't find the right touch.
Nope...I don't sand between coats. Because it is not fully cured, the next coat breaks down the previous one somewhat and they blend in to each other. Sort of a French Polish technique.
Something about the combination of the ingredients makes this a hard durable finish. I've had good luck with the pens. But, to be honest, I don't have any feedback from people who own them. The pens that I have used, are showing no wear yet.

Thanks again everyone.:)

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Looks good, but don't you know that Salt is bad for you.........?


or was that last weeks health scare.....:confused:

Great job!

What is the inside finished with?

Will the salt effect the inside of the shaker, or the inside of the shaker effect the salt...?

Cheers!

[John Hart]

Looks good, but don't you know that Salt is bad for you.........?


or was that last weeks health scare.....:confused:

Great job!

What is the inside finished with?

Will the salt effect the inside of the shaker, or the inside of the shaker effect the salt...?

Cheers!

You know what Stu?....I don't know! I'd like some help from everyone else on this question as well. I thought I should finish the inside and then decided against it. My thinking was that a finish might allow the accumulation of moisture and maybe bare wood would act as a dessicant. But I really don't know what's best.

Oh...by the way...I am a Salt addict. I salt everything. 'Cept for ice cream....It doesn't seem to need it.:) ;)

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

..............Oh...by the way...I am a Salt addict. I salt everything. 'Cept for ice cream....It doesn't seem to need it.:) ;)

Where the heck are you buying Salty Icecream.......... :confused: :D

[Terry Quiram]

John

Super grain and I really like the finish. Going to mix up a batch and give it a try. Do you feel there is a limit to the size of the turning and not getting any lap lines?

Terry

[John Hart]

John

Super grain and I really like the finish. Going to mix up a batch and give it a try. Do you feel there is a limit to the size of the turning and not getting any lap lines?

Terry

thanks Terry. Nope....That's the real beauty of this finish. You can take your time and not get lap lines. It blends exceptionally well. I would be comfortable finishing a coffee table with this stuff. On larger surfaces, I use a tight figure-8 pattern and if I have blending difficulties, I'll take a cloth covered in BLO and dip it in DNA and go over the tough spots. Keep moving and it'll gloss up as you work it.

[Terry Quiram]

John

Sorry for the repeat of questions. What cut of Shellac are you using and what is your method of application?

Thanks
Terry

[John Miliunas]

Very, very nice, John! Looks elegant, IMHO. As others have said, I may just have to try out some of that JSF! (John's Secret Finish) :D :cool:

[John Hart]

John

Sorry for the repeat of questions. What cut of Shellac are you using and what is your method of application?

Thanks
Terry

Questions are cool Terry. I don't mind a bit.:) I use 3-lb cut shellac (BullsEye from HD). I found some really great polishing cloths at Walmart in the automotive section. (It's sorta like t-shirt but thicker and tighter weave.) I get the cloth wrapped around my fingers and just dip in the stuff and start swirlin'. There is a tacky point where the finish is starting to dry during application that it helps to have the cloth wrapped tightly. This is where the BLO as a lubricant comes in. Without the BLO, it really liked to grab.

[John Hart]

I guess I should add my disclaimer here (to keep the Plagurist Gurus off my back :) ). I discovered this mixture on my own through experimentation last year, but discovered a few months ago that some folks have been using something similar for years. So...it's one of those things where it feels good that you discover something....but a bit disappointing that it's not original.

[Jim Dunn]

Just a real neat project John. I've not tried your mix as of yet but I've got an idea it's in the works as I'm almost out of the stuff I'm using.

[doug webb]

Almost too pretty to use....

[Dick Strauss]

Doug,
You've got that right. What a beauty (almost too nice to use)!!!!!

John,
What diameter is the shaker? I've got a few choice 1.25" and 1.5" square pieces that would be ideal for something like this.

[George Conklin]

Boy, John. That Redwood burl has to be some of the prettiest wood out there. I'm a little too nervous to turn any myself. :eek:

Glad you had some lathe time again. I was wondering what was going on there. Good luck on #2

[John Hart]

I ended up not being able to get to the lathe again...so it looks like I'll have to wait til next weekend. Sheesh! But....an interesting turn of events has caused me to have to start over. (My daughter claimed that salt shaker to decorate her room!):)

Anyway...I'll do a matching set in a few days. Dick...I started with a 2" square piece, but I turned it down some. The largest diameter is 1.75" and the bore hole is 1". I would think you could pull it off just fine. The chrome top is a 1" ID with a 1.25" OD and that really drives the size.

Thanks again everyone!