Couple More Bowls for the New Year

[Steve Schlumpf]

Hi Top Maple Bowl 8 ½” x 4”

78443 78444

White Line Maple Bowl 9 1/8” x 3 3/8”

78445 78446 78447

Both bowls were sanded to 400 grit, Watco ‘Natural’ Danish Oil, Minwax Gloss Wipe-on Poly and then buffed.

As always – your comments and/or suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks for looking! Ill try not to post anything else for a couple of days just to give someone else a chance - but you should see the bowls I am putting the finishing touches on! You'll love them! :D

[Jim Becker]

I really like these forms you've been doing...one of my favorites.

If I may, I suggest you just stick with the Watco and start applying it while the piece is still mounted so you can spin it after the finish sits for a bit and rub it with a soft cloth to "push" the finish with a little heat. Do several applications like this before finishing off the bottom, let the piece set for a week or so and then buff. You'll end up with a very nice soft and satin finish. Buffing anything with polyurethane is kinda working extra hard...poly is designed to resist abrasion which is what you are doing when you buff! BTW, you can do this method with any wiping finish. My favorite for this is actually Minwax Antique Oil Finish...the only Minwax product I actually like. Take a look at Mike Fusions Black Gum HF he just posted...it has the Antique Oil Finish on it.

[Ben Gastfriend]

Once again, I like 'em, Steve! Especially the top one- interesting figure!

[mike fuson]

Nice work Steve, I've never tried the wipe on poly. I like the antique oil because it builds fast and its easy to buff. I still like the bowl on the other post the best, gotta love that thin look.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks for the suggestion Jim!

So far I have been totally finishing the piece, remove it from lathe, coat with watco, let dry and then apply poly. Very time consuming and not sure there is any real benefit. Wanted to add the poly as additional means of protecting the finish as I had a couple of real nice bowls that I wiped out with 'warm' water after using. It totally removed the buffed wax finish and raised the grain even though it had watco on them. Just trying to think ahead and prevent any unhappy customers when the time comes that I try to sell turnings.

I do have Antique Oil on hand but haven't been real happy with the amount of time it takes to dry - compared to Watco. I will 'push' it while on the lathe and see how that works out. Thanks for the suggestion - as well as the compliment!

[Bill Embrey]

Steve, all those maple bowls are fantastic.... love the forms and the wild grains... I gotta know where you scored all the maple?? :)

[BILL DONAHUE]

I really like these forms you've been doing...one of my favorites.

If I may, I suggest you just stick with the Watco


I'm new to woodturning and haven't settled on a finishing method so I have a question about Watco. Does it darken the wood with each successive coat? I'm finishing a piece that I think is ambrosia maple and the 1st coat of Watco darkened it more than I wanted and the 2nd coat even moreso. I've tried Minwax poly but feel it's too glossy.

Still another problem I've run into is with my Beall bowl buffs. When I use the small two inch buffs to do the inside of a bowl they don't work. They seem way too hard. Any suggestions on how to soften them up?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bill - got it all three miles from my house - does that help?

Got a call from a friend of mine last summer to see if I was interested in some old maple trees they had bulldozed to clear an area for a house. (5 or 6 maple, dozen or so white pine and 4 or 5 birch) Went over there and cut what I could with my little 14" chainsaw (about ten 4' sections) before it quit and refused to start again. Next day my wife and I went out to St. Paul to visit with son and family. When I got back a week later I found that the remaining wood had been burnt! Makes you sick - so try not to think about it!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bill - what flavor of Watco are you using? I use the 'Natural' and find that it adds the least amount of color (a slight yellow tint) to the wood. As far as actually darkening the wood - to my knowledge every oil base finish will have the same effect but only on the first coat. I haven't had it get progressively darker with each coat - so I wonder if you are using a tinted oil.

I also have the 2" beall bowl buffs. What a pain they are to use! I have a sanding sponge with coarse grit that I use on the buffs. Held against the buff while it is turning it removes excess buildup and will soften the buff itself. You will have to experiment with speed, pressure and the amount of red, white or wax you use to prevent streaks or burning through the finish - DAMHIKT!!

Hope that helps - if you have any more questions just ask - someone here should be able to assist!

[Jon Lanier]

Like always, those look real nice! You just seem to be pumping out them bowls lately.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Steve the bowls are beautiful and I really like the simple form. I agree with Jim on putting the antique Oil on and letting the heat sink it in. I did this on a suggestion like Jim said from a friend of mine. So the Walnut HF I posted tonight is done like that and then buffed.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bernie - I love the finish on your Walnut HF - so I will - for sure - be using the Antique Oil as per Jim's instructions.

[BILL DONAHUE]

Steve,
I've been using Watco natural. The first can was cearly bad and darkened the wood nearly black. I just finished a bowl and used two coats of Watco followed by the Beall buffing system and it is a little darker than I expected. Thanks for the suggestion re the bowl buffs. I'll try softening them up. (I should have started a new threat about this)