>At the Appalachian Center for Crafts they have high school students come in every friday and some of them get to turn. They make candlesticks. The instructor is looking for a simple finish that goes on really quick and makes the project look as good as it can considering that this is the first time they've ever been on a lathe.
I recommended Hut stick abrasive but thought I would ask the experts. Did I mention it needs to be cheap and safe enough for inexperienced turners.
>Whenever I want a quick and easy finish, both turned and non-turned items, I use that Quick Dry Velvit Oil. It gives a nice, satiny finish. You can get some skinny on it from Barbara Gill
How 'bout good 'ole wax. I like bees wax straight up. Or you can make paste wax by disolving it in a bit of turpentine (and add a bit of carnuba for wear resistance). Just a thought.
~Jay in Ohio...who realises it been over a year since John performed at the OVWG meeting where I met him.
I was thinking about that last week and low and behold Scott Phillips visited the Ohio Valley symposium for his TV show that was on this weekend. I've noticed lately that Scott and Norm Abrams are both doing more projects with turning. Glad to see it.
John, I would ascertain from the instructor, whether he thinks finishing on the lathe is safe enough for beginners (fingers clutching rags on spinning objects) If so I would go with the foolproof Wax. Kiwi boot polish in an amber colour would be my choice. If finishing on the lathe is considered too dangerous, and I personally think it is, for beginners. then I would recommend a spray finish such as a waterborne poly. I think Minwax has one in an aerosol.
They are still looking into shellac. They tried it last week but was too messy and they didn't have any gloves for the students to wear while finishing.
They tried wax which was OK but she was wanting to get the best finish with the least possible time and money. They don't have the students long enough to accomplish anything so they are trying to make it as positive an experience as possible.
>I like the suggestion of shellac. If the students decide to add any further finish, then it will accept it without problems.
If the drying shellac is to "grabby" for students, then try a blonde shellac and tung oil (or BLO) mixture applied and buffed with a paper towel. (Please don't use gloves on a spinning spindle!! The thought scares me to death.) It is cheap, the oil highlighs any figure in the wood and provides lubrication for the shellac, ethanol is the only organic exposure, it can be applied with the stick turning slowly, and the shellac drys quickly.
I think a home made friction polish made from equal parts boiled linseed oil, shellac and alcohol would be a good choice. It can be applied with a paper towel which is safer than rags on spinning pieces. It drys fast and two coats gives a nice finish. Since you use a small amount gloves aren't necessary. The ingredients are fairly benign anyway.
>They coat pills with shellac to make them easier to shallow. But I guess DNA is not the best stuff to handle. Maybe Steven D. Russell can give us the scoop on that.
>If you can exhaust the fumes, a cellulose sanding sealer, thinned 50/50 with the nasty thinner, goes on in a jiffy, dries in seconds, and looks real nice with a light top coat of paste wax. If fumes and nasty solvents are a problem, I'd use the home-grown friction polish suggested.
One of the things the kids will learn is that quick finishes aren't always durable. "... Finishes can be quick, easy, or durable -- pick any two"
I suggested Johnsons Paste wax since it's cheap, works well and is high in Carnauba wax. The high quality waxes designed for furniture are pretty high and this comes directly out of her pocket.
>Thanks for all the good respones. I'll pass all of this on to the instructor. The kids go directly from this class to another one so rapid application and rapid drying are essential.
>Your suggestion is fine but my experience with paste waxes [I use Mylands which is also high quality] is that it would be messy in a classroom situation and leaves a matt finish whereas kids like a shinier finish. The carnauba is certainly longer lasting. A carnauba wax bar is about $10 and can be broken up to a few pieces to distribute. I make my own so it's even cheaper.
You can't get put a finish on a piece of turned wood that is safer, faster, or cheaper than a piece of plain old paraffin wax from the grocery store. It takes a reasonable shine, covers a lot of mistakes, and is as durable as most paste waxes. It would be a good "finish" for a first time at the lathe. If the school has a kitchen, they probably already have the paraffin, so there is no cost at all.
Wipe it off and buff it with a paper towel, and one of those hard brown ones that schools like to use is better than something softer and more expensive. They would also be free.
I wouldn't be concerned with the safety of applying a wax stick to a piece of spinning wood. After all, these kids have just held a sharp lathe tool against a spinning piece of wood. I would think that holding a piece of soft wax against the wood is safer than that.
>...Behlen's Woodturner's Finish...I use it on my pens. Looks good with good durability. Not good for vessels that are salable, but for a piece a student can take home with pride, it will work.
