Using Mylands?

Re: Using Mylands?

John Carr

>The Cellulose Sealer works well for me in filling in the pores of open grain wood. With each successive coat I can actually hear the difference in smoothness as it's applied. I polish between coats with a gray Scothbrite pad, then lightly with a shop rag. Sanding Sealer's not really needed on very close grained woods like Cocobolo, tho'.

I think the key to getting good results with the Friction Polish is to use a SMALL amount at a time. Too much creates a gummy buildup and streaks. Three light coats are vastly superior to one or two heavy coats. Besides, three coats only takes 2-3 minutes. You don't have to wait between coats, as it dries almost instantly. Turn it fast enough to generate a fair amount of heat. (I turn it fast enough that I've probably melted off most of my fingerprints.)

As I said, it dries in just a few seconds, but doesn't really cure hard for a while, so I leave the piece on the lathe to cure while I do something else. It's still not really hard after 20-30 minutes, but by then it's hard enough to handle without leaving fingerprints or smudges.

Re: Using Mylands?

RonZ

>I call this the English finish as that's where I learned it and where the finishes come from.

I sand with 180, 220, 320, 400. For fine detailed work I start at 220 or 320 depending how well I and the tool have done the job. I never go past 400 as any higher will close the pores and will hinder the taking of the finish. I use a paste wax I made of paraffin oil and paraffin wax between grits [paraffin oil and beeswax for better works] except for between 320 and 400 so the sanding sealer will take. This does several things. It nurtures the wood, cleans dust from the previous grade paper, acts as a lubricant when sanding and helps reduce the dust in the air.

Then I use Mylands cellulose sanding sealer and de-nib with 400 sand paper [you can leave this step out if you're in a hurry or use steewl wool instead]. I apply a second coat of s.s. and follow with 0000 steel wool. Now it's time for the friction polish. I re-use my rags and keep them damp so it kind of works like a rubber in french polishing. I apply the 1st coat while the lathe is off to make sure I get an even coat. Then I turn the lath on at fairly fast RPMs and use the application rag to spread the finish. It needs to heat up in order for the finish to set. If you have good light overhead, when you move the cloth from side to side briskly [this is the 'friction' part of the polish] you'll see the rings disappear. I then [thanks to Russ Fairfield] burnish it with postal brown wrapping paper instead of shavings. This is said to be around 1500 grit. The male/soft side of Velcro works the same way. Next, I keep the cloth folded up and put some f.p. on and wipe while the lathe is on fairly fast and repeat. This is the 'high build' part of the friction polish. I then use a sweat shirt cloth on the soft side to give the f.p. a final buffing. I then apply a thin layer of carnauba wax and melt it in using the rough side of the cloth with the lathe going fast. I use the same cloth over and over again so this might add character. Once the wax is melted in and there are no rings present, I give a final buff with the soft side of the cloth.

By the way, while it might seem like a long time, I think this is the best and fastest finish.

Thanks! Great info.

Tony - Memphis

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