Bowl Finish

[JWD]

Hello all!

Just finished my first ever bowl out of maple, and i really love the colour. Can anyone recommend a wax/oil to use which won't affect the colour too much?

Cheers
Joe

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

If this is a bowl that is not going to be used for foodstuff, I would firstly seal with white shellac sanding sealer, when dry de-nib and wax with a Microcrystalline wax such as Renaissance Wax Polish or Chestnut Microcrystalline Wax.

 

[ED65]

All oils will change the colour more than you'd like. Cellulose sanding sealer is a good first step if you want to wax and it'll colour the wood very slightly less than most paler shellacs.

If you want to then apply a wax finish microcrystaline wax polishes are the ideal as they have no colour at all.

You could make your own paste waxes easily if you're into that sort of thing and want to save a few bob. You can buy the wax on ebay and then it just involves melting the wax and adding a certain amount of white spirit to get the final consistency you like (more spirits = softer). You can use turpentine instead if you prefer the smell but there's no other benefit despite what some sources claim.

Pour the mixture into a jar or tin with a tight-fitting lid and it'll be ready to use as soon as it has solidified. It will last indefinitely.