What Finish?

[Pip]

Hi!, have just finished turning my first pen, (first anything really), it's made from Rhododendron (spelling ?), what do you reckon is the best stuff to show up the grain?, any ideas on finish welcome
T.I.A.
pip

 

[CHJ]

For starters: what finishes do you have?

Sealers
Waxes, soft
Waxes, hard
Shellac
melamine lacquer
Thin CA Glue, Boiled linseed oil

Have you assembled the pen? you should have applied the finish before assembling.

If you have assembled it then you have more limited choices, I suggest just a sealer, cellulose is easiest , acrylic might raise the grain too much, followed by wax, buffed carnauba would be hardest wearing but car will be needed to avoid stripping plating.

 

[John. B]

This is a pencil in Rhododendron I've made, it's finished with BLO & medium CA glue then waxed with Ren. wax.

John. B

 

[Pip]

CHJ ,
Pen is still on mandrel, nothing applied.
What finishes do I have? spray wax, liquid car-wax, may have some solid car-wax somewhere, spray on clear laquer, no sealers, no melamine, no blo,
no ca.
Will be getting some hard wax, some ca and maybe blo this a.m. (I hope)
if Wilko's don't stock it will send off to Axmin

John B,
Thanks for the pencil pic. if I can get a finish like that I'll be a happy bunny

Nothing spectacular about the grain in Rhododendron, but was easy to turn,
must remember to make blanks smaller in future

By the way, where is the best place to get click-pen kits?
T.F.R.
pip

 

[CHJ]

Pip, although you will see all sorts of recipes for finish combinations to get a high gloss long lasting finish, one of the easiest is to use wipe on melamine lacquer.

 

[Pip]

Thanks CHJ, went shopping today, got sealer, ca, blo, BUT no melamine laquer, never mind, have enough to practice with,
pip

 

[loftyhermes]

Friction polish works well for me.

 

[Blister]

This is a pencil in Rhododendron I've made, it's finished with BLO & medium CA glue then waxed with Ren. wax.

John. B

John , I noticed with all your pens ,

they have a huge growth attached to them ,

how do you get them in your pocket like this :lol:

 

[Pip]

Was doing pretty well today, with blo & ca until the paper got stuck, managed to get it all cleaned up, then it happened again, what a mess, sanded it down, chucked some hard wax at it and made it up for the wife,
definitely no piccies of this one, am keeping it for reference later when I get more accomplished (if ever).
Just going to practice on a cylinder for a few days then if I make a mess I'll be able to turn some more meat off it, should be able to play for hours.
Roll on tomorrow.

pip

 

[John. B]

Pip, I think this is a particularly good youtube video of how to apply a Blo/Ca finish.
May help with the problem :wink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc

John. B

 

[Pip]

Thanks John, must have been moving too slow, practising-practising-pract etc.
pip

 

[Pip]

Hope this works.
This is it after sanding off the kitchen paper, Wife thinks it's o'k, Grandson also likes it,
pip

ps. will have to find macro mode on this camera