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Buffing tips???

A

AZSalsman

Joined
Dec 27, 2006
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Location
Phoenix, Arizona
I am relatively new to buffing but wondeering if anyone has any thoughts or comments about buffing a piece that has had an application of 100% Tung Oil... yes? no? If yes, any words of wisdom (ie use all three steps, only do one, ....).

Thanks.

:p
 
I use all three buffing steps, but the one suggestion I'd make here is to use some surgeon's gloves for a better grip on your bowl while buffing. I believe I saw this suggestion on this forum from someone else.....and it has been a great suggestion that I now won't do without!

The buffing wheels can grab your bowl and fling it in an instant, and if you're not ready for it (I wasn't, more than once!), your bowl will quickly become a dinged "give-away"!

The more you use the buffing wheels, the more you will develop a "sense" about what you can, and can't do........however, I will not be doing this anymore without the gloves......

otis of cologne
 
Last edited:
AZSalsman said:
Thanks. It does sound like a good idea.

And you don't see a problem buffing over Tung Oil after it has cured for a few days?
Click to expand...

AZSalsman.......

I have no experience with that particular application, so can't comment.

Hang in there.......someone who has gone the tung oil route will surely come along shortly.......

otis of cologne
 
Since temperature and humidity are factors drying times of all finishes, let the piece dry until 1) it's not tacky to the touch, and 2) there is no smell at all from right up close to the surface - then wait a week. ;)

Be gentle with the buffing - all drying-oil finishes are 'semi-' hard as opposed to epoxy, water-base or acrylic finishes which become rock solid. Tung oil is one of the softer oil finishes and can easily 'melt' with high buffer speeds and firm pressure. Tung oil is added to varnish to form 'marine' varnishes - a flexible varnish that expands and contracts with the wood, versus a standard varnish which can crack (they even make a crackling varnish for antiques.)

If you are powering the buffing wheels on your lathe, a slower speed (under 800 rpm) and presenting (not forcing) the piece to the buff should work OK. For harder finished surfaces, using a speed of 1200 - 1500 rpm will work OK as well, provided you don't have lots of details, coves or vee cuts.
In Allan Batty's Hand Thread Chasing video, he uses slow speeds for areas that have high detail and can 'get right in there', while faster speeds for large areas with simple shapes. (He buff's the threaded box project.)
 
That sounds GREAT! I will likely need to wait at least a week and a half as I just finished it. But in Arizona, dr times are often greatly reduced _ so is a human melting in the hot summer sun :D
 
Two schools on buffing. One buffs the wood, the other the finish. You're buffing the wood. One coat of oil, or maybe even four, isn't enough to put finish on the surface, and without resin to give it some backbone, it's going to buff away quickly anyway.

Since you're experimenting with buffing the wood, why not try a good burnish instead? With a good burnish you'll harden the surface, contract the pores and lay down the fuzz without gumming up anything. Burnishing on the lathe is one way to give the wood a glow, but the hardened surface is a bit reluctant to accept high viscosity treatments afterward. Cut your oil with turps or mineral spirits to get it to run in.
 
Another thing that will help save a run a way bowl is, a towel folded into thirds and then layed on the lathe ways. This has saved me hours of resanding bowls when one decides to fly away.
 
I would suggest you reserve a buffing wheel to use only with an oil finish.

Regarding burnishing: I use undyed leathers to burnish oil finishes. A chamois and even pieces cut from old UGGS work well, both sides for the latter. Use care, of course.
 
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