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Homebrew Friction Polish Recipes?

mrGeeze

mrGeeze

Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
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Location
Hatteras Island NC
I've been making some boxes lately from wood found on the beach. Most of the techniques I learned from Richard Raffan's box video. The finish so far is mostly beeswax, friction and a soft cloth.

I was wondering if there is a finish I might use that would provide a little more protection without a lot of added labor time.

Quick to apply (wipe on, single coat, piece spinning on the lathe)
Relatively safe (solvents not requiring gloves)

I've thought about 1lb cut shellac or something. There's some grain raising and drying issues I haven't quite worked through yet. I've also seen some homebrew varnishes.

I'm not interested in creating a lot more work.
 
Friction Finish

With your desire to not add a lot of work, why not consider Hut Crystal Coat? It is a mixture of shellac and carnauba wax that applies easily, and results in a nice shine with a friction/heat combo from a shop towel. Quick, easy, and you don't have to make your own.:)
 
I agree with Kurt

I use the HUT friction polish on almost all of my small turnings including boxes because it is so easy. I also use UBeaut EEE first. It is a Tripolis in wax compound that helps polish the piece, typically before applying a friction finish like HUT Crystal Coat or Mylands friction finish which I have not used but is supposed to be similar to HUT.
 
mrGeeze,
While I agree with KurtB & Mike Peace on not reinventing the wheel, there is something about learning that drives me to do what some would consider silly.
I have a recipe for a friction polish that I'm am going to have to dig for. Keep an eye on this posting and I will post the recipe as soon as I find what I did with it.
From what I remember, it worked very well. Did it add more protection without a lot of added labor time? I can't say for sure. At the time it was the only one that had results that I liked.


Greg
 
The only "home brew" that I ever used was no more effective than Crystal Coat.
It was as follows, 1/3 3#cut shellac, 1/3 BLO, and 1/3 alcohol. Like the Hut product it must be shaken before and during use because it is an emulsion.
 
I must be watching too many Christmas movies. I glanced at the main post and thought it Said Hebrew instead of Homebrew. Man I need new glasses.
 
I like to keep things simple. I often apply a coat of MinWax wipe on poly (on the lathe), wait four hours, the apply TreeWax. I admit that I don't always wait the full four hours. You could do the same thing using whatever Beeswax/Carnuba blend you prefer.
 
FWIW, the UBeaut EEE Ultrashine has dropped "EEE" from its title, to accommodate those who didn't appreciate the play on words. Still available in both titles, AFAIK. No affiliation, etc.

Joe (the real Joe the Turner;))
 
mrGeeze,
I have looked and looked everywhere I could have put the recipe for the homebrew friction polish i mentioned in my above post. It's gone. As i try to remember, it was very close to what Jake Debski mentioned in his post. I remember shellac and blo but thats about it. Good luck with any attempt you make at making your own friction polish

Greg
 
GA Darling said:
mrGeeze,
I have looked and looked everywhere I could have put the recipe for the homebrew friction polish i mentioned in my above post. It's gone. As i try to remember, it was very close to what Jake Debski mentioned in his post. I remember shellac and blo but thats about it. Good luck with any attempt you make at making your own friction polish

Greg
Click to expand...

Greg, I think my recipe, or a version of it, originated with Bonnie Klein.
 
Shellac is the friction part, and diluting it is what the alcohol does. I prefer a 2# cut, no more. Oil is the lubrication part. Since it doesn't mix with the shellac, it has one of two functions: oiling the wood, which requires lots of heat, and could be done in advance, if you cared to, or oiling the rag so it doesn't stick to the tacky surface of the shellac. Of course adding lube decreases friction, so it might be best to keep oil to the minimum required to slide the rag.

I decided it was too easy to simply use solvent polish, which involves the same ingredients, and move my arm versus the piece. French polish. I don't use curing oils, though. Non-curing types like olive, or better yet grape are my favorites. Grape has a bit of a green cast to it, so any that makes it below the shellac doesn't add to the amber. Might be my imagination, as most all of the rag lube spirits off the surface anyway. A 10" bowl may involve fifty drops of oil to full surface shine, so the expensive stuff is no real financial burden.
 
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