Anyone have experience with friction pollish?

[Bill Wyko]

I picked up a bottle of friction pollish the other day just to try some new types of finishes. Anyone have any advice on the use of this type of finish?

[Pete Jordan]

http://www.recordpower-usa.com/turning_tips_for_friction_polish.htm

[Ben Gastfriend]

I have used a friction polish for almost all my pens.

First, I would highly recommend sanding to 800 grit and then using Abralon sanding pads. The friction polish only works and gets really shiny on very smooth surfaces.

Also something that works well for me is that after you finish sanding, use a product called EEE Ultra-Shine. It's like a cream based fine abrasive, that helps the polish get really shiny.

Hope that helps.

P.S.- If you are going to use a cloth (I use paper towels), definitley use a lint free cloth!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bill,

Friction polish in most cases is a combination of shellac and waxes. I have used several bottle of it and like it for some applications. It's not that durable but is an easy finish to apply to projects that won't get handled often.

I apply with a folded paper towel and buff with a clean unused paper towel that has been folded.

[Bill Wyko]

That's a fantastic article. Thanks very much. i think I'll try on a few small pieces and work my way up from there. The finish he's using is the same as mine as well.

[keith zimmerman]

I use Hut Crystal Coat on my bottlestoppers. I first sand through 400, then apply the Crystal Coat. I apply it with a folded paper towel, buffing until the finish heats up which will allow the finish to harden and hold a great shine. After the finish hardens, I then buff it on my Beall wheels with tripoli and carnuba wax. I seldom use white diamond because it gets into the grain too much for my taste and is very difficult to remove.

keithz

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks Keith. I've found you to be right about the white diamond on a few occasions. That 3 wheel does make for a nice finish though.

[Stan Cook]

Friction polish works great for items that will rarely be handled. However, that nice gloss will quickly dull with minimal handling as friction polishes are not durable.

Quick'n'easy and durability are generally inversely proportional.

[dave barnhart]

I have used the HUT wax sticks for a few of my turnings. Hard bar rubbed directly on the object and then I use a felt or leather pad to heat it up and melt it in. Complex turnings (with small coves and beads) can be hard to polish up, but the Hut wax does give it a shiny finish.

[Dean Thomas]

Stan's mostly spot on in what he's sharing about handling characteristics. Something to be considered. If you've purchased a finish that doesn't handle well, you might not want to use it on pens or other frequently handled pieces.

One other bit of info about these finishes. They can be fussy about humidity. And any shellac finish has a shelf life, probably less than a year for best use.

When you put it on, one technique is to put your finish on in very thin coats. Shine 'em up and let 'em sit for a couple of days before you put another coat on. Do that again for a third coat. You might like the control better than trying to put three or four thin coats on in one sitting.

You also might want to try using one of the laqcquer finishes. Cut it by 50% with thinner to create a sealer and then put on several coats. Because it's NOT a true sealer, you still end up with a true lacquer finish and after 30 days (curing time on most lacquers) it's a very hard, renewable finish. They used it pianos for years for that very reason. Mylands, Deft, and Watco all make lacquer products that are available in small quantities (quarts, I think). There are others, too, but these I know about and have used. You can usually get Deft at the box stores.