Waterlox on Turnings

by Carole Valentine

Waterlox gives you anything from flat to gloss depending on your taste and how much time and effort you want to expend. The most important part is prepping your wood. Any imperfections such as sanding scratches, tearout, toolmarks, etc. will literally leap out and grab you if present, especially if you are going for gloss.

I sand up to 800 and inspect closely (sanding is an art unto itself, and the most difficult part of the turning process for me simply because I have old eyes!).

After sanding I use a 50% thinned lacquer (Deft) and wipe it dry immediately. Let it sit overnight then lightly buff with 6/0 steel wool. Wipe it down, blow out any features such as knots, cracks, etc. to get rid of all dust and wool fragments.

Apply a coat of Waterlox and wipe dry&mdashdry! Let sit overnight.

Next day, buff with 6/0, etc. Keep repeating. Usually on the third or fourth coat I hit it with 4000 micromesh. On the fourth or fifth coat (or whatever I decide is the next to last coat), 8000 micro mesh, then 12000. On the last coat I do not wipe it dry completely but I smooth it with my hand so there is just a slight even film (this can be tricky).

Let it cure completely. I wait a week or so.

Buff. Apply Rennaisance Wax. This is sort of a general thing…it all depends on how I feel, how much gloss I want, what the wood is like, etc. No two pieces are ever done the same, it seems! Oh, by the way, all of this takes place in my kitchen where the temp is about 68°. Both wood and finish are room temperature.

I highly recommend Russ Fairfield's finishing videos. He does it a little differently and uses his home brew with similar results. Plus there is a ton of other excellent info on finishing turnings.