shoe polish

Aha! shoe polish!

Fred in NC

>When I started turning many years ago (if 2 can be considered many) I was trying to make a Bic pen out of oak. Nice wood, but grainy to say the least. Brown shoe polish, and a very light sanding accented the grain, or should I say LONGITUDINAL FIGURE ? Anyway, looked much better. I put poly on top of that. I had never heard of this use for shoe polish, so I did not mention it to anybody.

Shoe polish, as far as I know, is a blend of bees' and carnauba. Not bad!

Re: shoe polish - There must

Jim K in Trappe PA

>be a more expensive way to do it!!!!! I'll give it a shot!

Re: shoe polish - There must

Arch

>A few old turners remember using similar products. (edited to avoid being OT) ;)

...and then there was Brylcreme, "a little dab'll do you". A few drops of Brilliantine, "your spindles never looked so good". Alberto VO5, "just a touch gave you a shiny bowl". Bon Ami, "hasn't scratched a hollow form yet". Caddy cloths "made your platters shine like a Shave Tail's brass belt buckle".

...and rubbing KIWI shoe polish on end grain then polishing with spit on a snapping flannel cloth, all the while whistling "Rag Mop". The oxblood wasn't safe for boots or salad bowls; neither was the neutral, but you couldn't see that. This was a short post, so have mercy.

Turn to Safety, Arch

Gilder's paste *LINK*

MikeinCapeMay

>John,

Take a look at Gilder's paste. We've been using it with success. Initially my wife used it in her gourd art, we've since tried it with bowls and other forms. It's available from various sources, here's a link


Gilder's paste

Re: Gilder's paste

tek

>Mike

That looks interesting. Could you post some Pics of work finished with Guilders Paste?

Thanks

Tom

Re: Gilder's paste

Fred in NC

>I have seen it at WalMar, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc.

Re: Kiwi - Tips on using and a bit of trivia

Russ Fairfield

>Arch isn't too far off with his products.

Since Alberto VO-5 was thinned Mineral Oil with perfumes and color added, it could be used inside a salad bowl if you didn't mind the smell. Chain saw bar oil works just as well and is cheaper than Mineral Oil. The only difference is that it hasn't been FDA certified for human consumption.

Bon-Ami has abrasive qualities that are somewhere akin to "Rottenstone" and makes an excellent replacement for White Diamond. You can use "corn starch" for a finer abrasive. I used to use them to polish out the surface scratches on the side curtains of the Healey-100.

Kiwi Shoe Wax and the more expensive "patinating wax" and "liming wax" are one and the same thing. Kiwi is available in more colors and it is cheaper. A bit of trivia is that this is the wax that has been removed during the process of dewaxing shellac for food and medical use.

A couple tips on using the Kiwi:

Buff the wood with the grain with a stiff natural bristle scrub brush to clean out the grain. A brass vegetable brush is also a good one to use on a harder wood like Ash or Oak.

Seal the wood with a quick wipe-on/wipe-off-while-it-is-still-wet coat of Deft before applying the Kiwi or patinating wax. This will seal the wood so the dye doesn't bleed out into the wood.

Clean the excess wax off the surface with an oil finish like Watco or similar. It seals the surface while removing the excess wax. Let it dry for a few days if you want to put something else over the top of it.

You can make a very bland wood like Lauan sparkle with either white or black wax.

Use the Kiwi or gold Rub-n-Buff to accent some of the surface checks, tiny bug holes, and flaws on a finished piece of wood. The gold wax can make a piece of burl really sparkle. Rub-n-Buff is the sams as the "Gold Gilt Cream" that is sold in the woodworking catalogs, and it is available at Michael's, JoAnn's, or almost any art supply store..

Re: Gilder's paste

John Lucas

>Mike

Guilders paste is very similar to rub-n-buff, at least in the way it is used. I had trouble with the guilders paste hardening in the can. I don't use much of it. The rub-n-buff seems to last longer. They all work great however and are really fun to use. I've used them for signatures on dark woods. I use the dremel engraver and then rub the paste into the engraving.

Rejuvenate it

MikeinCapeMay

>John,

My wife "rejuvenates her stuff. Here's a FAQ from that link:

Q: The product is hard, is there anything I can do to rejuvenate the product.

A: Yes, just add a few drops of either; paint thinner, mineral spirits, turpentine or Turpenoid (turpentine substitute) knife in and mix. You're ready to go. The ability to rejuvenate this product allows a long shelve life. There is no need to mix up the whole tin, just mix what you need as you need it. Gilders Paste goes a long way. (see �Coverage�)

Important: Do not use any oil base cleaners/solvents such as Turpenoid Natural. The oil content of these type of cleaners/solvents will not allow the Gilders Paste to dry and will remain wet or tacky for days to weeks. If you have accidentally used this type cleaner/solvent leave the tin open until completely dried out and then follow the suggestion for rejuvenation above.

Re: Gilder's paste

MikeinCapeMay

>I suppose I better break down and buy a digital camera. Besides I'd like to post some other pics.

Re: Gilder's paste

MikeinCapeMay

>Thanks Fred, maybe cheaper at those venues.

Re: Kiwi - Tips on using and a bit of trivia

Eduardo Sarmiento Hall-Lima Peru

>Well I have been using clear shoe polish for 20,some years and is a great finnish and polish look and easy to maintain

Re: Rejuvenate it

John Lucas

>Mike

I did try using mineral spirits to soften the wax last time I used it. It worked great.

Shoe Leather Dye

James Purciful

>I've also used Kiwi Black Shoe Leather Dye to color a couple turnings black before applying liming wax.

You kind of have to fiddle with it to get an even application and be sure it's very dry before applying the liming wax or it can end up hazy.

Re: shoe polish

Fog Tanner

>I use a lot of the analyne water based dyes on various pieces. Some are contrasting multi colored and some single. I use both the liming and patenating waxes on them. For an antique look I use the black patinating wax over the piece that has been dyed with rosewood. It also works well over the walnut colored dye and the yellow dye. I have also used black paste shoe polish or wax when I didn't have the patenating wax with me.

Finishing isn't very difficult, just a long process. After the wood has been dyed, and steel wooled with 0000, you seal it with sanding sealer. If using analyne water based dye, it has to be shellac based. Apply just enough to seal the wood but not fill the grain. After this has dried, 0000 steel wood again lightly. Apply the patenating wax or shoe polish going both with and across the grain. The idea is to fill the grain with the wax and the excess will be removed later. Let it dry for 5-10 minutes depending on the weather. I use the Liberon finishing oil to remove the excess, by applying a small amount to a Viva paper towel and starting in the middle with the lathe running, wipe towards the rim. Stop and change to a clean pad and more finishing oil as necessary. This removes the excess wax and gives a nice finish. I have also used Varathene #66 or the original formula, used in the same manner. Downside to the Varathene is it gives more of a plastic film look. But its great on tool handles and lasts a long time....

But, Is It Food Safe?

Barbara Gill, Remlik VA

>

Sure, or shoes would kill dogs!

Barry Irby

>