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Was watching a turning video on YouTube the other day (I know, get a life). Anyhow, after sanding the finishing schedule was:
- Walnut Oil
- Denatured Alcohol
- Sanding Sealer
- Ack’s Sanding Paste and Polish
I am a new turner and would appreciate it if someone could explain to me what the purpose of each product listed above, and why in that order.
Thanks,
Mike
There are thousands of possible combinations of different products. You might consider trying two or three different common finishing products just by themselves on practice turnings or even on sample pieces of lumber, to see what application of each is like, and how the results look, before experimenting with combinations. Some common finishing products would be walnut oil processed to be used as a finish (not from the grocery shelf), danish oil, wiping poly (polyurethane), and spray nitrocellulose lacquer. Follow the application instructions for each.
Mike,
I’m by no means an expert, or even close to one. I struggle with finishes. But that is an odd sequence and combination of materials. What was the piece being turned? Was it utilitarian, like a salad bowl, or was it something solely for display? Either way, the use of walnut oil first seems a waste of a good and somewhat expensive product to me, since, in my mind, the dna would clean off any residual oil and then the sanding sealer would seal it it / cover it over, and give a ‘surface’ for the paste/polish. So what was the walnut oil for in the first place? Looks? And the paste/polish doesn’t, imho, seem like a final finish/surface for anything other than something that’s strictly for display, and certainly not for use (in a utilitarian way).
Stay safe, and be careful. (I washed my hands before sending this reply) 😉. These are trying, uncharted times.
I can't understand the use of alcohol after the oil. If applying oil, be sure is it well dry before applying something else like the sanding sealer. If I decide to use sanding sealer I usually use shellac-based sanding sealer on bare wood but sometimes lacquer-based sanding sealer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Hollis
As mentioned, there are a zillion ways to finish wood. My favorite is multiple coats of "danish" oil, well dried between coats, wet sanding with the oil on some coats as needed. I might use 10 coats over a couple of weeks, then buff if I want a bit of soft shine. I've never heard of Acks but it sounds like an abrasive in a wax paste. If so I can't see how that would be better than using some kind of polishing abrasive on a buffing wheel or rubbed by hand followed by wax.
But much of finishing depends on the look you like. I recommend trying lots of different finishes and discover what strikes your fancy.
JKJ
Here's my guess, but I suggest you comment on the youtube video and ask. Walnut oil will take at least a week to dry. I assume they use the DNA to remove the oil film on the surface but let the oil color in the wood. Bad thing is walnut oil will still be wet in the pores of the wood and DNA is toxic and can absorb through the skin. Then they are using the sanding sealer to build a film, but sanding sealer is soft because it has sterates in it to make the sanding easier. I have no idea what Ack's finish is. Lots of iterations of shellac with mild abrasive in it these days.
My guess is the also along those lines: walnut oil is there to pop the grain. But as others have said, WO cures slowly and would interfere with a film finish. The DNA seems to be an attempt to clean the surface of oil prior to the sanding sealer. Most or all of the sanding pastes (Ack's, Dr Kirks, Yorkshire, ... recommend a layer of sanding sealer prior to their use. The second half of Ack's is a polish, this appears to be a wax(although I haven't double checked on this). So this sequence does not really produce a film finish, depending on the how much sanding sealer remains after the abrasive paste step.
That sequence also confuses me. Seems I'm not alone.
My $0.02 on You Tube is be careful on what you watch and listen to. I saw a YT vid on a "woodworker" demonstrating the proper use of a hand plane. He held the board in a regular metal bench vise. Yikes! And naturally, at the end the board moved down because it was held only by the metal vise. I stopped watching that one......
There are many many ways to finish. I would find another method than that one...... Personally I almost exclusively use Wipe on Poly. 12 coats minimum. Sand between every 2 coats. I hate finishing.