Best finish for shop jigs

[Brad Ridgway]

I'm about to make some jigs and wondering what to finish in. I live in florida and humudity flutuation and higher temps in the shop are issues. Tolpin recommends shellac and i read a few external links from google all offerings pros for BLO, shellac and plain waxed. Justification for the latter two centered around the finishes strengths in repelling moisture...

Anyway i'm not interested in showing these off for their perfect gloss, but i want them to be durable, have as little friction as possible so they slide, and avoid dimentions changes/distortion over the long hall...

thx in advance...



ps. I've been searching this forum and having some trouble finding info on this topic. seems like BLO / Jigs are too common and my other searches (finishing jigs / etc) are not giving me good results - i know with thosands of post i am asking something discussed before, but i have tried... If this is answered elsewhere (i.e. i found a post that mentioned another where Jim had recommended BLO for jigs over shellac but i could not for the life of me find that original).

[Brad Ridgway]

Sure enough AFTER i post the second "related link" is what i wanted all along:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=33473


sorry for the dup...

[glenn bradley]

I'll add that I use dewaxed shellac and paste wax if I want it slippery.

[Joe Chritz]

All those answers are good.

I generally use whatever I have left in the gun after spraying if I have jigs that need finish. Some have shellac, both seal coat and/or bullseye, some have USL, some have valspar pre cat and one or two have polycrylic.

Knock down the nibs and wax and I am hard pressed to tell the difference.

Joe

[Steven Wilson]

Shellac. Easy to apply, dries fast, very easy to repair.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
IMHO - and based on the cross between a "leaf spring" and a "lazagna noodle" that used to be my circ. saw guide :rolleyes: - anything is better than nothing.
That and do all six sides.

I use a combination of all different things that are leftover. Mostly MinWax Poly. I also scrounged through the "bone pile" in Lowes paint dept and picked up the makings of some latex enamel to make a utility shop gray.

[pat warner]

Lacquer (http://patwarner.com/images/1704a.jpg), easy & repairable.
However, all new jigs & fixtures now made of plastic and aluminum.
No finish necessary there, maybe a little wax for slip, nothing more.

[Steven Bolton]

But for wood jigs, lacquer is repairable? I have been thinking the opposite.

I am building a small "Po Boy" router table out of Baltic birch. Top is 12 x 16. It will be dedicated. Should I use laquer on that?

I don't have a spray device. Can you buy it in cans?

Thanks

Steve Bolton

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

For me it is a oil based polyurethane or any left over out-door oil paint - - or noting at all.

My goal is to seal moisture out. All of the water based paints are full of water that transpires into the wood. I have never been convinced that shellac stops moisture transmission.