Finishing Ash?

Flat-side thread  *LINK*

steve antonucci

>


Watch out where the huskies go...

Re: White Ash

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Were it a cut-rim bowl, I'd feel stronger about advising a 2-part bleach-job. I'll still recommend it, but you know it'll get fussier tyhe closer you get to the bark edge. I just assumed that you've saveed the bark intact; if not and are working with the cambrium surface, wail away.

After bleaching, you should neutralize with a wipe or 2 with some dilute white vinegar and rinse. When dry, VERY lightly sand off the frizzies and apply 2 coats of Zinser's Seal Coat diluted to 1-1/2 lb cut. Wait 2 days for the solvent to vent, lightly level sand with 320 dry, then I'd go with several coats of Target PSL or Superclear 9000 WB poly, preferably sprayed. The waterborns will be a good opportunity to use your Walcom Slim.

Mark

-2=mail

Re: Finishing Ash?

Mac

>Hi Bill, I have had reasonably good luck using spray lacquer on my ash live edge pieces. I have found that after a couple years they do tend to yellow a bit.Not nearly as bad as with oil etc. though.I just use the spray can type that is in all lumber yards and hardware stores.I believe that I put one in my file on this site a while ago if you want to take a look. Give it a try,Mac.

Re: Finishing Ash?

Mac

>The pic I mentioned was on the WOW site, not here, sorry....

Re: Finishing Ash?

Dinyar Chavda

>Bill:

I don't know about ash, specifically, but Herm (and John Williams) swear by water-based polyurethane.

You probabaly know this, but here is a copy of a 3-way conversation on this subject (the dumb questions are from me):

To keep the white color on a piece like this intact, use water-based urethane. That's the best I've found for keeping wood it's natural color. See the birch vase I posted just a few days ago. It's got urethane on it and it's as light colored as the original wood.

Alsao, thanks for the tip about the water-based urethane. Do you thin it with anything? What is the process for applying it---is it to put on a thick coat, let it absorb for a few minutes, and wipe off the excess, then sand when dry and repeat as needed?

I use a "Diamond urethane and apply it right out of the can. I apply it freely (but not excessively - don't wipe it off), let it dry a couple of hours or overnight and then sand down the raised grain with 250 grit paper. That's followed with two more coats with a couple of hours or longer between the coats.

I let the piece dry completely, then wet-sand it with 600 grit paper until the brush marks and nits are gone. The piece will be glass smooth, but dull. Bring up the shine to matte with extrafine steel wool dipped in paste wax. If you want high gloss, use mineral oil and rottenstone and work it into a high gloss.

One more question for you, if I may. When I use polyurethane and use it "freely" and leave it on, I invariably get streaks and even little blobs. How do you avoid them, if you don't wipe it off?

Dinyar, I just brush it on, like I would do with a piece of furniture. Brush it on and smooth it out with the brush. If you are getting blobs, you are putting on too much. I have a light right beside the piece so I can check for runs as I put the finish on.

If I do get a run, I have no option but to carefully sand the run out when it dries. If I spot it before the urethane is totally dry, like in an hour or so, I can often pare it off very carefully with a razor knife.

John Williams - Apr 20, 2002

Dinyar/Herm,

With regard to the water based poly, I have had a lot more success with a foam brush than a bristle brush when applying this finish. Seems to control the flow better( for me anyway).

Another thing which seems to work is sanding with 600 wet/dry sandpaper using water with a little pinch of liquid soap which lubricates the surface and wets out the water

Hope it helps. Missed you at the meeting, and sorry I couldn't commute to your picnic from Massachusetts.

Dinyar

Re: Finishing Ash?

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Thanks everyone, for the responses.

Steve, I missed that thread completely, thanks for pointing it out.

Mark, I am pretty sure I am going to spray it with the Walcom and Fuhr's 350. I have some super blonde shellac, but this needs to be finished quickly if it is to be displayed where I want it, so I may just spray it and hope someone else doesn't mind that yellow look if it gets there. Rush rush rush. That seems to be the theme of the entire summer here.

Mac, I am on WOW too. What folder is it in?

Dinyar, I was disappointed at not making the meeting, but I had a plumbing problem that needed attention before the women of the family rose up in armed rebellion!

Things are real busy here, and I have some big news, which will go in another posting later on.

Bill

Re: Finishing Ash?

Mac

>Bill, The ash piece is in an album at : M.Ray.

Avoiding the runs

Russ

>You can avoid the runs in a heavy coat of poly or lacquer by applying it while the piece is on the lathe and then letting it spin overnight at about 25 RPM.

Or you can make a dedicated "bowl spinner" by mounting an adapter that is the same thread as the lathe spindle on the end of a shaft, supporting it with 2 pillowblock bearings, and driving it with a BBQ Roterrisserry(sp?)drive.

Re: Avoiding the "yellowing"

Russ

>You can avoid the yellowing from age by using a CAB-Acrylic lacquer. It is water-white in the can and stays that way. It will not yellow from age like a nitrocellulose lacquer such as Deft. There will be very little initial color change in the wood, no more than you would get from wetting the surface with water.

Re: Avoiding the runs

Dinyar Chavda

>Russ:

After I read Bill's response to everyone, and the plumbing problem that kept him from our meeting, I glanced down and saw the title of your post, and thought you were giving him plumbing advice! :-)

Di

No color change

Russ

>If you want to put something on the wood that will not change the color, use a couple coats of Krylon "Workable Fixitif" (the stuff used to fix charcoal and pastel art) and nothing else. It is a no-gloss finish that doesn't change the color of the wood, and it will not turn yellow with age.

Available at all art supply stores, JoAnn's Fabrics, or Michaels. I find it with the other Krylon spray can paints at the local Ace Hardware store.