Finishing Help Needed!

[Pete Jordan]

I turned these two bowls and now would like suggestions on finishing them. I would like to finish them off the lathe and get a shinny finish. The big one was 24" before an inclusion jettisoned through my insulation and is now 15". The smaller one is 11". I have tried Antique Oil finish on another piece but I think I put it on too thick because it is gummy. It could be the humidity also but I am unsure. Thank you for any suggestions!

[Pete Jordan]

Sorry about the pictures. The bottom of the smaller bowl is the only picture of it.

[Bill Bolen]

For a high shine a half dozen coats of min wax wipe on gloss poly will do it...Bill..

[Mike Minto]

I'm a big fan of shellac - easy to apply, and looks great on figured wood. Oil finishes also bring out grain patterns - if yours is gummy, it may be old. Toss it and get something new. Mike

[Steve Schlumpf]

Pete - I also suggest Minwax Wipe On Gloss Poly. I usually saturate the piece with the first coating and then let it dry for at least 24 hours. Then I wipe on a coat and wipe off any excess. Repeat until you are sick of it - and then do one more coat. Should be real pretty by then.

As for the other piece with the Antique Oil that is gummy - wipe it down with mineral spirits to remove the gummy mess - let it dry and reapply the oil being careful to wipe off any excess.

Hope this helps!

[Frank Kobilsek]

Pete,

The antique oil is my favorite. Wipe it on and wipe it off the instant you see one tiny spot start to dry. Then with clean towel wipe in on and wipe it off. In the winter dry cool garage after about an hour of repeating this rotation it will start to get sticky. Maybe 20 minutes worth in the summer. Now with a clean towel lightly wetted with rub the thing dry. If you get too sticky wet the towel with mineral spirits and rub the oil dry.

After a week or so damped your towle with some mineral spirits then use it to apply a final coater of oil, wiping on and wiping off.

If your oil is old as has been mentioned either buy new or thin it with mineral spirits and shake well.

Let it set for at least a week and Beall buff. It ain't a glass finish but a nice warm shine. I just don't like the poly look, its too plasticy and cold for me.

Frank

[David Walser]

Pete,

My favorite high gloss finish is lacquer. (I like Deft, but there are other good brands.) On or off the lathe, I brush it on liberally and then wipe it off. I put on several thin coats in this manner, allowing the lacquer to dry between coats. Before putting a new coat of lacquer on, I'll knock down any high spots with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper or 0000 steel wool. This method avoids any runs, the bane of lacquer users everywhere. Since lacquer dries so quickly, I can generally build up a decently thick film of lacquer in a short time. (Here in Arizona, it generally takes less than an hour between coats.)

It looks like your bowls have some cracks and, maybe, some pin holes, that'll give the bowls more visual interest. They're also apt to give you air bubbles in your film finish (no matter whether you use lacquer or something else). If you haven't already, fill the cracks and consider using a good sanding sealer before putting your final finish on.

Another option is to avoid a film finish and use a hard paste wax and buff to a high gloss. I try to avoid a wax finish for objects that will be handled a lot -- it just doesn't stand up well to handling.

Hope this helps.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Pete on these two bowls since you already have gummy oil I would wipe them down good with mineral spirits and then let them dry for a week or so. Once they have dried I would either spray with gloss poly or wipe on gloss poly. I would not use lacquer because you will have a gummy mess again. Just ask me.