Enamel finish on inside of turned bowl - Is this kind of thing possible for mere mortals?

[kgill]

My daughter bought this salad bowl from John Lewis as a wedding present for a friend.

https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewi...certified-mango-wood-green-natural/p111732050

She asked if it was the kind of thing I could do, and if so would I do one for her. To which I said I could probably turn the bowl but had no idea how to finish the inside with that painted enamel effect.

So the question for the great and the good on here is... is this kind of thing do'able for a mere mortal (hobbyist) such as myself? And if so how?

I couldn't find much on Y'tube and while there are enamel paints for wood available online I'm not sure they would work.

Thought it'd be interesting to hear everyone thoughts...

Thanks

K

 

[Blister]

It is only £25 from John Lewis , Why not buy one from them?

 

[kgill]

It was more of a technical or practical question asking how its done. We've already bought one.
Was just curious to perhaps give it a go with a more personalised print/paint.

 

[Cobbs]

I wonder why anyone would want to - surely the attraction of a wood bowl is the wood? If you want something that looks like plastic, buy plastic...

 

[Sachakins]

That looks like a printed finish inside?

 

[Duncan A]

It is described as printed. Wonder how long the finish will last.
It would be perfectly possible to paint or stain the inside of the bowl and decorate using stencils but I don't know how you'd make it both tough enough and food safe

 

[niall Y]

You probably need something like Rustin's Plastic coating which I believe is made from Urea Formaldehyde. Might be worth experimenting by adding pigment to it. I seem to remember there might well have been a white version of it at some time in the past,

 

[Sachakins]

Give this a watch through, or skip to 17 minutes 40 sec.

 

[kgill]

Hey, thanks everyone.
As I said it was just a curiosity to perhaps try and learn a new technique.
I agree that the image is probably printed or a transfer of some kind as per YouTube video above. I'm also going to assume the so called enamel is some kind of industrial or machine spray type of material.
I've never really thought about trying to enhance the natural grain of the timber (which I do love!) with anything other than the usual oils and waxes I use.
But I find it an intriguing idea to make a bowl with that kind of finish. Plus it would be great to personalise a bowl with an image that means something to the user.
Thanks again for take the time to respond, and have a great evening.

K

 

[kinverkid]

Hey, thanks everyone.
As I said it was just a curiosity to perhaps try and learn a new technique.
I agree that the image is probably printed or a transfer of some kind as per YouTube video above. I'm also going to assume the so called enamel is some kind of industrial or machine spray type of material.
I've never really thought about trying to enhance the natural grain of the timber (which I do love!) with anything other than the usual oils and waxes I use.
But I find it an intriguing idea to make a bowl with that kind of finish. Plus it would be great to personalise a bowl with an image that means something to the user.
Thanks again for take the time to respond, and have a great evening.

K

I would be interested to know how it's done too. I wonder if it's some type of resin.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

There are printed films which can be applied by floating them on water and dipping the object into the film. Perhaps it's something like that.

 

[JOG]

I doubt it is “enamel” in the traditional sense of a fired coating. It is certainly a preprinted transfer and probably finished with a two-part resin.

 

[Orraloon]

It's wooturning Jim, but not as we know it.

 

[MikeJhn]

What about Bath renovation paint?

 

[Jameshow]

What about using acrylic paint for the design and then a polyurethane varnish for protection?

 

[Rodpr]

In Japan, wooden bowls are often laquered, giving a perfectly smooth and quite tough surface. Many coats and much smoothing between coats.

 

[Richard_C]

I agree that wood should be wood, but occasionally I decorate things that don't have attractive grain or colours. It's unlikely that you will get the same durability as the manufactured ones but you can certainly get it good enough for serving your nuts and crisps.

2 techniques I have used. In both cases you can finish with a coat or two of a gloss acrylic spray (I find the basic stuff from toolstation or similar works well enough), a few light coats best or any other finish apart from oil as long as you let it dry/harden for a day or few first.

One is to use metal leaf. Art shops sell Fimo brand, there are others. Gold (which isn't), silver (which isn't) and copper (which is). You can have fun with copper (before you seal it) by fuming it over ammonia with either vinegar or salt water on it and you get all kinds of patina. Anyway, the leaf is very thin indeed, its an indoor evening job for me. Sand the bowl and apply sanding sealer first. I apply it by painting on dilute clear acrylic varnish - you can buy proper "size" but I like to use what I already own - let it go a bit tacky then apply the leaf using tweezers and a soft arrtists paintbrush to push it down. Not just bowls, I use it on parts of "windowsill sculptures".

Second is to use iridescent paints - chestnut and josonja brands are easy to find. Ideally you need 2 or 3. They need a dark background, so spray with ebonising lacquer or paint with a black acrylic artists paint. Once dry apply the iridescent in dabs or blobs, I often use a bit of old textured cardboard packaging. A little goes a long way. Letting one colour dry before you apply the second gives you contrasts, doing it quickly lets them bland and mix so you get intermediate colours.

Neither is to everyone's taste but some of the people I give things to rather like it.

Here's a picture of patinated copper leaf on a mini sculpture and of an iridescent stripe on a square platter (there was a nasty flaw in the wood under where it is). Both can be used inside bowls.