Melamine laquer troubles

[tekno.mage]

Hi,

I'm having trouble getting a stripe-free finish using melamine laqueron the outside of some small boxes I'm making. I'm diluting the melamine 50:50 with cellulose thinner, applying it thinly with a paper towel with the lathe stopped, and then at fairly high speed polishing with a clean paper towel. On the lids and box interiors (ie small areas) I have no problem, but on the outside of the box (a larger area) I'm getting stripes left in the laquer. I can remove the stripes easily by wiping gently with a small amount of celluose thinner, but this also removes the sheen (and possibly most of the melamine?).

Any tips please on how to improve my technique? What finish do other people here use on boxes?

I've moved on from using sanding sealer to the melamine laquer as a base for Rennaissance wax, as I'm looking for a more durable finish on items that get handled a lot. I don't want a high-gloss look, just a durable satin lustre that doesn't dull too much with handling.

Thanks in advance

tekno.mage

 

[Dave Atkinson]

Hi
I've had a lot of trouble like this in the past and it seems to caused by using too much finish. I use melamine without diluting it and rub it well into the grain. Then I wipe off any excess before it dries.

Then I have to be patient (not by best strength!!) and wait while it cures then I buff with a clean piece of kitchen towel.

Same applies with Friction polish - I always got rings. Again the trick is not to use too much.

hope that helps.

Cheers dave

 

[Jenx]

Hi T/M ... Don't know if this may help you ...

I've used Melamine Laquer on a few goblets etc...
I used it from an Aerosol spray can,
and put the piece on an old 'lazy-susan' to make it easy to free-hand rotate it while spraying.

Maybe spraying could gove you a more uniform and even finish ?
Worth a try maybe ?

HTH



Alun 8)

 

[user 5053]

You could remove any excess cellulose with a fine grade wire wool. I do this on lots of things if there is any thickness of the varnish. I tend to do it by hand with the item off the lathe to remove any excess. You can use wire wool whilst the lathe is spinning but you need to be careful it doesn't snag and maybe just use a small amount in a ball. You may want to finish with a bit of beeswax if the boxes are still looking a bit flat.

 

[tekno.mage]

Hi again & thanks for your ideas.

Dave - thanks for the tip about wiping off the excess before it dries & them waiting before polishing with the kitchen towel with th elathe turning. I tried this on the bottom and lower half of the problem box and got much more satisfactory results. I think I may have overdone the amount of melamine before as I was keen to get it into the v-groove details around the lid join.

Soulfly - thanks for that tip too - the wood in question was sweet chestnut which I'd been warned reacts like oak to steel, so I went for grey scotchbrite instead of wirewool and rubbed along the grain - there was significant improvement in the stripey bits.

Jenx - I'm not a fan of spray finishes - although I know they can provide an excellent result, but because I'd have to find somewhere I could set up a spray booth of some kind - at at the moment space in the workshop is a bit tight.

tekno.mage

 

[Jenx]

Just a little further, in case it may help, TM ....

Recently, I've been using a lot of LIBERON FINISHING OIL, .. and it seems to provide an extremely durable strong finish...

I've personally used multiple coats ( cut back with either steel wool or sometimes just Abranet if its a 'Tannin Wood' ) of it, which does tend to get to a fairly glossy finish.. but the lad that put me on to it, uses only ONE or 2 at the most coats, and he achieves a more 'subtle sheen', with the added benefit of the durability. Its a substance that I find very good to use. Maybe its worth a try, ( I only apply it off the machine, by hand, with paper towel or foam-brush ), and it doesn't ever seem to leave any of the 'rings'.
( I find Friction polish a bit guilty of that too .. probably my heavy-handedness :wink: ).

I'm no expert .. especially when it comes to the finishes ! ... still 'feeling my way' very much ... be interesting to see if anyone else likes ( or possibly even loathes ) the Liberon Finishing Oil..

I know Cornucopia George is a big fan of LEMON OIL, and no-one could argue with the quality of his finishes ! ... I think George is a 'professional' in the world of surface coatings, and will know his onions, for sure !
Could be worth looking back through his posts to see if thats similar to where you'd like your pieces to end up, finish wise.

One thing I did hear.. don't use Danish oil on Ash, because as it 'ages' it 'yellows' very badly and looks awful ( Can't confirm if thats true or not.. I was just told not to do it ! )

Finishing is as big a minefield as the actual turning is ! ...
as I say. I'm no expert on it in any shape or form.. but I do like the Finishing Oil, and have seen how it was possible to get a nice satin sheen with it, albeit not on work of mine.. but of someone else's .. and it did look good :wink:

Again, Hope that may help ...
Other fellas here will have much more experience and knowledge than I..
and can perhaps suggest other solutions or things to try.

:wink: 8)

 

[CHJ]

I struggled with melamine wipe on for some time before I managed to get over the build-up stripes on larger surfaces, I came to the conclusion that it was my impatience not waiting for it to harden before touching it that was the main problem.
For a while I resorted to the spray can version, and still use it for some pieces, even that needs experience to get satisfactory finish because like all spray lacquers there is a fine line between having a frosted surface and one so loaded that it runs.

As has been said, multiple minimal coats of the wipe-on seem to be the way to go, but you must wait for it to harden somewhat longer than with plain cellulose sealer.
If you leave it 24hrs to start the cure process then burnishing with burnishing cream blends in most imperfections without the risk of lifting uncured lacquer.

 

[TEP]

Ditto using minimal application, and thinned to approx. 50% with thinners.

What I do is apply sanding sealer, 1 - 2 coats taken back with wire wool/Webrax. Then apply the Melamine with the lathe running using a soft brush. Just stand out the way if you wear spectacles :lol: . You soon learn how to clear the brush of most of the Melamine before application. I find I can apply about three coats with a few minutes between. Then use a heat gun while the lathe is still running, heat gun on low setting.

Final thing is a de-nib using wool/webrax. The way I figure is to get a reasonable coat applied, then it gives you some leeway to remove a little, similar to working with CA on pens. Then either wax, or buff on a wheel depending on the finish required.

 

[Dave Atkinson]

Hi Jenx - I use Liberon finishing oil and find it gives an excellent finish. I usually apply 4 or 5 coats denibbing between each one, witheither webrax or 1200 grit - sometimes I sand with the finer grits using the oil as a lubricant and then wipe off the excess.

To finish it off I usually give it a coat of woodwax 22 from Chestnut products.


Cheers Dave

 

[Jenx]

Its nice stuff, Dave ... I really like it ! 8)