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Keeping OB Shine Juice Shiny like Glass?

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Hello woodturners! This is my first post here, although I've been reading posts for over a year. I signed up as I've been having a heck of a time with O.B.'s Shine Juice. I "think" I really love the stuff, at least initially, as when I first coat my turned items, especially Walnut, the shiny look is AMAZING. Looks exactly as "advertised" by those who advocate it, that glass-like reflection, although it still shows the wood and the wood grain just fine, which I like.

The challenge I seem to have is that that beautiful shine fades within an hour or two, and I end up with a diffuse, dull, and rather boring finish. I have tried a few things to resolve this. I've tried putting on a bunch of coats, letting it fully dry, then tried polishing it up with Acks. I also picked up a micro fine polishing grit off Etsy. Those do their thing, but in the end, despite all my efforts, I just don't get a glass-like shine that lasts forever. Its shinier, but not glass. I have also started buffing the pieces, on the advice of others in various threads, including on these forums. That works better...and with a classic trip/white diamond/carnauba buff sequence, I can get side grain or spindle items to shine up pretty well...but, its still not that glass-like reflection that the finish initially has when I first put it on. Shiny, but not detailed reflections.

I also have had significant troubles with finishing bowls, along the end grain parts, where the grain seems to perpetually soak up any amount of finish I put on it, and I can never get a shine along the end grains. I suspect this may be a technique problem...perhaps I am not sanding to a high enough grit. I have also not used sanding sealer on bowls yet, although I have on some other pieces. The sanding sealer on spindles seems to prevent this issue in end-grain parts of spindles, however it also affects the finish...that deep penetration of the oil into the grain of the wood, which gives shine juice some of its most appealing properties, doesn't occur, and something is just missing in the end. Maybe there is a trick to dealing with end grain when using shine juice?

I finally came across someone's recommendation to put on a couple of coats of shine juice, then use just shellac flakes dissolved in DNA, at a 1:4 to as much as a 1:8 ratio. I haven't gotten up to a 1:8 ratio yet, but I have had a lot of problems with shellac finish this way, gumming up on me. When I thinned the solution more, it helped a bit, but it seems inevitable that within two-three coats, the pure shellac gums up and ruins the finish. Now, this does seem to help preserve more of that glass-like shine...but, still not entirely, it still seems to fade a bit, and there is something about just the pure shine juice shine that is just...brilliant, incredible, deeply penetrates the wood and gives you that incredible sparkle in the grains.

So, I'm wondering, hoping, that some of you have some tips...or maybe at the very least, just an explanation, as to why the shine juice fades? I'm not sure if I am doing everything right with it, for one. I've tried polishing it hard with lots of friction, to the point where the heat almost burns my fingers. I've tried polishing it medium with just a slight bit of heat, and I've tried polishing it lighter, with just enough to pull out the shine initially, eliminate streaks, then I leave it. So far, something between medium and light seems to preserve the shine the longest...but in the end, ALL approaches have faded. I do use just the normal 1:1:1 ratio of BLO, DNA and Zinsser Shellac. Is there perhaps a different blend that works better? I have also been working with it during the summer here, and the temps in my garage where my workshop is, are usually over 80F, sometimes over 90F, and I've wondered if the heat may be causing problems with the finish drying/polymerizing/curing properly? I also live in Colorado, and we don't have much humidity most of the time...some times it can drop as low as 10%, a lot of the time it is around 20%. Rarely, it will get up to 50% or so, and when it is actually raining, I can measure 80% or more outside (and if I open up my garage to let all that moist air flow through.) Is a low humidity preventing the finish from drying properly?

In my experience, with a lightish-medium pressure when polishing the finish in, I can get that brilliant glass-like finish, which will remain glassy for about an hour, and then over the next hour will slowly fade and dull, until there is just a diffuse, soft specular highlight left. I use a simple LED lamp that hangs over my lathe when I'm turning and finishing, and its glass reflection shows a bunch of points where the LEDs are, around a circular diffuser in the center of the light, and a bit of a ring of light around the edges. I can see this clearly when I first put the finish on. After 2 hours, I just see a very soft, dull, fainter distributed specular highlight spread along the curve of the piece (currently, turning a very simple walnut and mulliput box, spindle, so its mostly side grain). I can probably get a couple of photos to clearly demonstrate the issue visually here in a little while.

Anyway, I greatly appreciate anyone's insights into preserving that glass-like shine that shine juice is famous for! Thank you.
 
Joined
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My question would be, how much sanding are you doing, to what grit? I find that I can get an almost natural shine on unfinished wood if I sand through the grits step by step all the way to 600 grit which is almost a mirror polish on some woods, Others I do get some torn end grain which I will treat first with some lacquer (spray on) or miniwax wood hardener, before my final cut, which helps a lot... then just about any finish I apply (I generally go with Tried & True finishes for the most part, anymore, sometimes I'll spray on some lacquer (Deft brand) , and after a full cure of my final coat of finish, I can often buff it out to a very nice sheen. Only time I got a glass-like finish was when I used plain old everyday CA glue (I use thin starbond for that) and then polish up with my own buffing compound made of Johnson's paste wax with a couple handfuls of Diatomaceous earth blended in (have to heat the paste was a bit to get it to blend with the D.E.) which got me a very nice almost glass-like finish - but the effort to get that level of finish, I didn't feel was worth it.. I'm generally happy with a semi-gloss finish on the things I want to be "shiny"... I have zero experience with OB Shine Juice , whatever that is (never heard of it til today) but I would want to start an analysis with what the very base of the system (the actual level of sanding on the wood) is at before wondering about the finish itself - a poor sanding job (even if it feels nice and smooth) very quickly shows up on the first coat of finish, after the finish has cured.
 
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It tends to fade as the
BLO cuts the shine of the shellac. Try using a bit less BLO, or try replacing it with something like walnut oil. I have had better results with resithane cut 60 40 with denatured alcohol.
 
Joined
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My question would be, how much sanding are you doing, to what grit? I find that I can get an almost natural shine on unfinished wood if I sand through the grits step by step all the way to 600 grit which is almost a mirror polish on some woods, Others I do get some torn end grain which I will treat first with some lacquer (spray on) or miniwax wood hardener, before my final cut, which helps a lot... then just about any finish I apply (I generally go with Tried & True finishes for the most part, anymore, sometimes I'll spray on some lacquer (Deft brand) , and after a full cure of my final coat of finish, I can often buff it out to a very nice sheen. Only time I got a glass-like finish was when I used plain old everyday CA glue (I use thin starbond for that) and then polish up with my own buffing compound made of Johnson's paste wax with a couple handfuls of Diatomaceous earth blended in (have to heat the paste was a bit to get it to blend with the D.E.) which got me a very nice almost glass-like finish - but the effort to get that level of finish, I didn't feel was worth it.. I'm generally happy with a semi-gloss finish on the things I want to be "shiny"... I have zero experience with OB Shine Juice , whatever that is (never heard of it til today) but I would want to start an analysis with what the very base of the system (the actual level of sanding on the wood) is at before wondering about the finish itself - a poor sanding job (even if it feels nice and smooth) very quickly shows up on the first coat of finish, after the finish has cured.
So, O.B.'s Shine Juice is a 1:1:1 mix of BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil), DNA, and Zinsser's Clear Shellac. I was skeptical at first, but it really does seem to put on the most incredible sparkly shining finish that I have yet to replicate with anything else (and, sadly, have yet to preserve over the long term, although apparently some do.)

Regarding sanding, that's a good point. I sanded through 400 on my current piece...I usually sand to 400 or 600 on things like this...but, I may need to spend more time actually getting the sanded wood itself to be shiny. I didn't really do that with the recent pieces I've been using shine juice on. It was very smooth, but not quite shiny (and I've achieved that shiny kind of finish before.) This is the first time I've worked with walnut in a while, though...and the last time, I was a total novice so I really didn't know what I was doing. Its beautiful wood, interesting to work with, and not the easiest (tearout can be a bear to deal with in walnut, and it doesn't quite seem to sand like some other woods...I'm still learning.) Walnut gives off THE MOST amazing appearance with shine juice, though, at least as long as it is still shiny...its like the two were made for each other.) I'll see if I can get the next piece to be shiny on its own with sanding, before I finish with the shine juice. That may help a bit.

I do believe there is more going on than just how good the sanded finish is, though. I think there is something going on with the finish itself. It seems to be related to heat, as if I really do FRICTION polish it in, which can generate a lot of heat, the finish can even dull within minutes. When I finish with just enough pressure to shine things up, then it can take a while to dull. Before it dulls, everything is glassy, despite only sanding to 400 grit...

I've used CA glue to finish pens, and have never quite liked the plasticky look of it. I have also used lacquers and some pre-made friction polishes on pens, which I think preserve the natural wood look better, but none of these options deliver the same kind of result as shine juice in the end. Can't really use the shine juice on a pen...the oil seems to cause problems...somehow the finish interacts with oils or something in skin, and it just doesn't last. At least with my experience so far...I'm still only about a year and change into wood turning.
 
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It tends to fade as the
BLO cuts the shine of the shellac. Try using a bit less BLO, or try replacing it with something like walnut oil. I have had better results with resithane cut 60 40 with denatured alcohol.
Hmm, I'd never heard of resithane till now. So, you are mixing a water-based pre-cat laquer, with denatured alcohol? And it gives a glassy shine?

Regarding the BLO cutting the shine of the shellac...that kind of makes sense, as the most success I have had so far is following the advice of others from other threads to only do a couple coats of shine juice, then only use shellac flakes and DNA from that point on. I actually just had a thought occur to me...I've been dissolving shellac flakes in DNA, and its been a rather sticky mixture so far. I have not, however, tried to just thin out some of the same Zinsser's Clear Shellac mix with DNA, and just use that for the subsequent coats... I am going to have to give that a try. There is something about Zinsser's shellac that makes shine juice work (it doesn't seem to work with flakes dissolved in DNA), and maybe that's the trick. Perhaps after a few coats of that, the BLO will be sealed in the wood, and I can preserve the shine.
 
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So, O.B.'s Shine Juice is a 1:1:1 mix of BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil), DNA, and Zinsser's Clear Shellac. I was skeptical at first, but it really does seem to put on the most incredible sparkly shining finish that I have yet to replicate with anything else (and, sadly, have yet to preserve over the long term, although apparently some do.)


I do believe there is more going on than just how good the sanded finish is, though. I think there is something going on with the finish itself. It seems to be related to heat, as if I really do FRICTION polish it in, which can generate a lot of heat, the finish can even dull within minutes. When I finish with just enough pressure to shine things up, then it can take a while to dull. Before it dulls, everything is glassy, despite only sanding to 400 grit...
Hmm.. have you tried applying the finish, and then just let it cure, and THEN polish? If it is anything like the Tried & True that I use (which is polymerized, not boiled, linseed oil mainly - it has no added driers or thinners) I get my best shine, by allowing it to cure first (burnish a bit with 4 ought steel wool between coats) and then polish to a pretty nice gloss with 4-0 (0000) steel wool which brings out the shine of it... - If I just apply and polish right away I do get a good shine, but that fades as the oil cures... then the shine comes back as it is polished after curing. T&T can take a few days to fully cure - and since your shine juice is composed of linseed oil, I wonder if perhaps results may not be similar?

Oh BTW - with the Tried & True finish - less is more.. it takes very thin coats, which are wiped off after allowing an hour or so to soak in - if a thick coat is allowed to cure, it is a bear to get any sort of shine to it.. (it gets gummy)
 
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Back in the 1990's a company by the name of "Hut" started selling hard wax that would work like friction polish and produce a high gloss but just like the shine juice it lost its shine. The company then came out with what they called "crystal coat" which was a liquid that produce the same result as the hard wax.
The new products on the market now with the cute names I have never tried and it doesn't sound like I am missing anything.
The go to finish for me to get a gloss shine is lacquer for larger items or CA for smaller pieces. The lacquer I apply with a spray gun that will work with thick material. The mirror finish is the result of sanding off any specks or runs between coats then sanding the final coat, polishing with rotten stone, a coat of carnauba wax and buffing with a soft cloth. The CA is wiped on, sanding between coats then sanding the final coat, polishing with rotten stone and waxing.
 
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With regards to your comments on end grain, yes end grain absorbs finish much more than side grain. You may need several more coats, waiting a day between coats, before the end grain stops absorbing finish. My best success with high gloss finishes have been with lacquer or oil base poly. Both require multiple coats, sometimes as many as ten, with wet sanding after 4 or so coats. Followed by Beall buffing. Lately I have fallen in love with Osmo Polyx for a high gloss finish. I posted my experiments with Osmo earlier this year.
 
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Here is a video from the man who popularized it Eddie Castelin
OB Shine

As to using shellac flake, yes it is called a French Polish and is a learned skill. It takes practice to get it right. Start with a 1# or maybe a 2# cut and the build will take several applications. If you use a higher cut the alcohol dries so fast it does gum up (that is just shellac). If you try this stick with many coats of the 1# cut. By the way the cut is pounds of shellac/gallon shellac. I do not like this on turnings but is great on flatwork. As to OB Shine I have used it on a couple pieces and found it to work well but requires many applications to reach my satisfaction. Watch the video and then come back for more questions.
 
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I'd recommend you start by getting a hold of the book "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner. Doesn't deal with turning specifically, but doesn't need to, it deals with finishing wood!

When you understand the materials and processes used to properly finish wood, you will be able to decipher all the magical claims made by the dozens of different "turning finishes".
 
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When I started turning I tried many “turning finishes”. I had ~25 years experience at wood finishing, but thought turning must have special needs. I learned my thought was wrong - its just wood. I had a lot more success when I realized that, and adapted my knowledge to turning. For a truly glossy finish, sprayed solvent lacquer, rubbed out just like a car finish, I use those products to get the final finish.
 
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When I started turning I tried many “turning finishes”. I had ~25 years experience at wood finishing, but thought turning must have special needs. I learned my thought was wrong - its just wood. I had a lot more success when I realized that, and adapted my knowledge to turning. For a truly glossy finish, sprayed solvent lacquer, rubbed out just like a car finish, I use those products to get the final finish.
Or in other words quick and easy does not replace "ELBOW GREASE".
 
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I too fell in love with Captain Eddie's shine juice recipe for a few months there when I 1st started bowl turning, and had the same issues you describe. That magical perfect finish does fade quickly. I know there are many methods for a glossy finish, but I have had the best results with Birchwood Casey Tru Oil, the kind used by gunstock makers. I just wet my applicator (generally cut old up t-shirts) with mineral spirits, apply a few drops, and apply super-light coats on the lathe. I find that if I keep the coats whisper thin and even them out gently with the wet rag on the lathe, I can build up even coats quickly without bothering with steel wool. 5-7 coats makes a beautiful, durable shine, and it just gets more glossy the more you do.

Of course, you can take it to the next level with the 3-step buffing on a Beall or similar progression.
 
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With regards to your comments on end grain, yes end grain absorbs finish much more than side grain. You may need several more coats, waiting a day between coats, before the end grain stops absorbing finish. My best success with high gloss finishes have been with lacquer or oil base poly. Both require multiple coats, sometimes as many as ten, with wet sanding after 4 or so coats. Followed by Beall buffing. Lately I have fallen in love with Osmo Polyx for a high gloss finish. I posted my experiments with Osmo earlier this year.
Michael: I followed your Osmo experiment with interest. As I recall you mentioned that you have had some success applying Osmo after wet sanding. Is this the case? Also...what is the swag time to finish a bowl now using your application technique for Osmo?
 
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My experience with O.B. Shine (a.ka. friction polish) is that you have to apply enough coats to fill the grain and pores. Only then, with a few extra coats beyond that will you get a shine that lasts. I have several pieces I did 2 years ago that still shine like justice. However, it took many coats, applied a little at a time at very high speed. Once you get sufficient build up you'll see it start to shine significantly. First it'll be a bit spotty, but as you apply more the spots will fill in and it'll hold that shine. The problem for me is that it just takes too much time. It's a great choice for small items like pens and bottle stoppers though because the coats go fast. Now If it's not for food use I use wipe-on poly - 2 to 3 coats and done with a beautiful shine. I also like Minwax Tung Oil Finish but this takes about 6 to 10 coats. However, it can be reapplied at any time to freshen up the piece and claims to be food safe. The Tung Oil Finish give good results even if applied off the lathe. I seldom can use lacquer because it's either too humid or too cold. I'm not a real fan of the gloss look left by lacquer either. The satin is better..... when satin is the desired look. I haven't tried the epoxies yet but suspect they will look quite a bit plasticy.
 
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Michael: I followed your Osmo experiment with interest. As I recall you mentioned that you have had some success applying Osmo after wet sanding. Is this the case? Also...what is the swag time to finish a bowl now using your application technique for Osmo?
After wet sanding with walnut oil, I let the piece sit for at least 2 weeks, since I find WO to cure rather slowly. Then, I apply Osmo: one thin coat, sit overnight, and a second coat. Then I let it sit for a week, and finish with Beall buffing. I only use the white diamond wheel (or even better, substitute Vonax for white diamond) since the Osmo contains wax. If the Osmo coat was too thick, I might briefly rub it down with steel wool before buffing. I suppose it is possible to speed this whole thing up but I never felt the need.
 
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After wet sanding with walnut oil, I let the piece sit for at least 2 weeks, since I find WO to cure rather slowly. Then, I apply Osmo: one thin coat, sit overnight, and a second coat. Then I let it sit for a week, and finish with Beall buffing. I only use the white diamond wheel (or even better, substitute Vonax for white diamond) since the Osmo contains wax. If the Osmo coat was too thick, I might briefly rub it down with steel wool before buffing. I suppose it is possible to speed this whole thing up but I never felt the need.
Great. I truly appreciate your response. I guess I have what one might call a finish fetish and I can't wait to try your Osmo formula.
 
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I'd recommend you start by getting a hold of the book "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner. Doesn't deal with turning specifically, but doesn't need to, it deals with finishing wood!

When you understand the materials and processes used to properly finish wood, you will be able to decipher all the magical claims made by the dozens of different "turning finishes".
Hi Tim,

Thanks for the recommendation. Interestingly, I bought and read this book a few months ago. It is an excellent book, kind of like the bible of finish. The author did an incredible amount of research!! I highly recommend this book to every woodworker.

Regarding OB Shine Juice.... I got into wood turning after I started watching turners on YouTube a few years ago. I started myself in March 2020 (yeah, beginning of the pandemic...), but I'd been watching videos for over a year. There are some people who seem to be able to use OB Shine Juice and keep that shine, as they will often demo their pieces after they are completely finished and have sat for a week or two. I am not really sure what it is, but, something I have noticed is most of these people live in areas of much higher humidity. Colorado, where I live, is bone dry this time of year. I really wonder if there is a factor there...

Anyway. Due to the "Understanding Wood Finishing" book, which in turn lead me to start looking for videos of people who actually use poly, both oil based as well as water, on their turned pieces, I did end up buying several kinds of urethane based finish. I have both oil and water based poly, polyacrylic, as well as MinWax's Helmsman Spar Urethane (YES, SPAR!) The spar urethane came out of a video I just watched a couple days ago, from a guy who demonstrated his specific technique, and showed off several pieces as old as 20 years that have held their shine PERFECTLY. I am surprised that he used a spar urethane, given its not really intended as a "pretty decorative object" finish, but...when applied right, the finish is absolutely amazing.

I haven't tried any of these yet. I just picked up these finishes over the last couple of weeks, and have not started any new pieces I could try them on yet. But using them on my next few decorative items at least, is the plan. And that book has been a tremendous source of knowledge (just...not quite enough to help me understand why the shine juice doesn't work...and, the shine juice does seem to give a better, more brilliant look to Walnut than any other finish I've tried so far. I guess I'll see how the oil based poly looks next here...I'm going to be starting a walnut vase soon, and I'll give the poly a try.) Anyway, truly excellent book!
 
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Hmm.. have you tried applying the finish, and then just let it cure, and THEN polish? If it is anything like the Tried & True that I use (which is polymerized, not boiled, linseed oil mainly - it has no added driers or thinners) I get my best shine, by allowing it to cure first (burnish a bit with 4 ought steel wool between coats) and then polish to a pretty nice gloss with 4-0 (0000) steel wool which brings out the shine of it... - If I just apply and polish right away I do get a good shine, but that fades as the oil cures... then the shine comes back as it is polished after curing. T&T can take a few days to fully cure - and since your shine juice is composed of linseed oil, I wonder if perhaps results may not be similar?

Oh BTW - with the Tried & True finish - less is more.. it takes very thin coats, which are wiped off after allowing an hour or so to soak in - if a thick coat is allowed to cure, it is a bear to get any sort of shine to it.. (it gets gummy)

I may not be letting it cure enough. I'm going to try waiting 3-4 weeks after the final coat, then polish, to see how it goes. I've heard of the Tried & True. My brother and I both started wood turning last year, and he picked up some Tried and True. Its expensive stuff, so I haven't used his can, but he has said he really loves it. Although, the finish he gets seems to be more of a satin, than a gloss...regardless, his bowls that were finished with it are incredible.
 
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Here is a video from the man who popularized it Eddie Castelin
OB Shine

As to using shellac flake, yes it is called a French Polish and is a learned skill. It takes practice to get it right. Start with a 1# or maybe a 2# cut and the build will take several applications. If you use a higher cut the alcohol dries so fast it does gum up (that is just shellac). If you try this stick with many coats of the 1# cut. By the way the cut is pounds of shellac/gallon shellac. I do not like this on turnings but is great on flatwork. As to OB Shine I have used it on a couple pieces and found it to work well but requires many applications to reach my satisfaction. Watch the video and then come back for more questions.
Thanks for the tips, Gerald!

I don't think I paid attention to the cut when buying shellac flakes. That may be why its gumming up. It does seem that if I try to apply just shellac over a dried OB Shine finish, that it gums up regardless. I tried this again with the walnut box, after letting the shine juice dry for a week. Gummed up almost immediately. I wonder if there is some kind of interaction there...since as I understand it, shellac blends with prior coats, maybe the fact that there is oil in the shine juice is affecting things here.

This poor box...I'm having to sand it back a lot again to get rid of this gunky finish I just put on...at some point I'm gonna sand right through the remaining wood and have a tray! :p

I think you are right about OB Shine Juice, though...it just requires many, many, many coats. I'll give the video a look here soon. Thanks!
 
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When I started turning I tried many “turning finishes”. I had ~25 years experience at wood finishing, but thought turning must have special needs. I learned my thought was wrong - its just wood. I had a lot more success when I realized that, and adapted my knowledge to turning. For a truly glossy finish, sprayed solvent lacquer, rubbed out just like a car finish, I use those products to get the final finish.

Or in other words quick and easy does not replace "ELBOW GREASE".

Exactly! But the lathe along with a drill does make it easier on the elbows.
Thanks for the tip!

Any recommendation on a particular lacquer to try? I have tried Watco spray lacquer. I have both satin and gloss. It took me some time to learn that there is a middle ground to "light coats"...I started out far too light, and ended up with a sparkly appearance that was very hard to polish out. Then I overdid it, and ended up with spots and runs. On a magnolia platter a little while back, I finally managed to get the right amount of lacquer in each coat, and ended up with a glossy finish...but also ended up with some dust flecks in it that I didn't notice until too late. It took a lot of effort to finally get the finish right with the lacquer...which is what lead me to try the OB Shine Juice again in the first place. :p

Perhaps my inter-coat sanding (I was sanding back the lacquer every two coats) technique is not good. I've never rubbed out a car finish, so I'm not exactly sure what the technique would be there. Could you give me some more details?
 
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I too fell in love with Captain Eddie's shine juice recipe for a few months there when I 1st started bowl turning, and had the same issues you describe. That magical perfect finish does fade quickly. I know there are many methods for a glossy finish, but I have had the best results with Birchwood Casey Tru Oil, the kind used by gunstock makers. I just wet my applicator (generally cut old up t-shirts) with mineral spirits, apply a few drops, and apply super-light coats on the lathe. I find that if I keep the coats whisper thin and even them out gently with the wet rag on the lathe, I can build up even coats quickly without bothering with steel wool. 5-7 coats makes a beautiful, durable shine, and it just gets more glossy the more you do.

Of course, you can take it to the next level with the 3-step buffing on a Beall or similar progression.
Thanks for the tip, Aaron! I'm curious, what kind of durability does the finish have? I was trying the OB Shine Juice for the shellac, which I assume would provide a more durable finish once it was fully cured. Given my experiences now, I'm wondering if that is really the case, and whether it is any more durable than just an oil finish. Seems like the promises of OB Shine may be either very narrowly achievable (possibly even requiring a particular climate/humidity), or may just not really be long-term.

Birchwood Casey Tru Oil is on my list now, though. I'm definitely on the hunt for the right finish for my work now. I'm going to have a pile of cans and bottles by this weekend, I think.
 
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My experience with O.B. Shine (a.ka. friction polish) is that you have to apply enough coats to fill the grain and pores. Only then, with a few extra coats beyond that will you get a shine that lasts. I have several pieces I did 2 years ago that still shine like justice. However, it took many coats, applied a little at a time at very high speed. Once you get sufficient build up you'll see it start to shine significantly. First it'll be a bit spotty, but as you apply more the spots will fill in and it'll hold that shine. The problem for me is that it just takes too much time. It's a great choice for small items like pens and bottle stoppers though because the coats go fast. Now If it's not for food use I use wipe-on poly - 2 to 3 coats and done with a beautiful shine. I also like Minwax Tung Oil Finish but this takes about 6 to 10 coats. However, it can be reapplied at any time to freshen up the piece and claims to be food safe. The Tung Oil Finish give good results even if applied off the lathe. I seldom can use lacquer because it's either too humid or too cold. I'm not a real fan of the gloss look left by lacquer either. The satin is better..... when satin is the desired look. I haven't tried the epoxies yet but suspect they will look quite a bit plasticy.
Hi Tom. Thanks for the reply. It is good to hear you were able to preserve the shine... I am curious, any idea what kind of humidity you have?

With the last couple of pieces I've turned, I put on a LOT of coats. Dozens, in the end. The one bowl...I don't even know exactly how many. I started aiming for 10, but in the long run, I probably had well more than 20. The end grain never stopped soaking it up, and remains dull even after buffing.

I agree though...I worked on the bowl for a couple of weeks, coating and coating. The frustrating thing is, once the end grain did fill up enough, after first applying a coat, everything was super shiny, over the entire surface of the piece. And would remain shiny for about an hour, then start to dull. It did not seem to matter how many coats I had, it always dulled.

I am curious, when you say very high speed...is that ~1000 rpm? Or higher? Much higher? I've been friction polishing the shine juice in around 1000-1200 rpm. I've tried higher pressure and lower, and I seem to get better results with a lower-moderate pressure when friction polishing. At higher pressure, the finish will shine up then rapidly dull.

Most of these pieces are just decorative, and not intended to be eaten out of or anything like that. Poly has been mentioned several times here now, so I think I'll be giving that a try on my next piece. Sounds like it is a simpler, easier option for decorative pieces.
 
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With regards to your comments on end grain, yes end grain absorbs finish much more than side grain. You may need several more coats, waiting a day between coats, before the end grain stops absorbing finish. My best success with high gloss finishes have been with lacquer or oil base poly. Both require multiple coats, sometimes as many as ten, with wet sanding after 4 or so coats. Followed by Beall buffing. Lately I have fallen in love with Osmo Polyx for a high gloss finish. I posted my experiments with Osmo earlier this year.

Michael: I followed your Osmo experiment with interest. As I recall you mentioned that you have had some success applying Osmo after wet sanding. Is this the case? Also...what is the swag time to finish a bowl now using your application technique for Osmo?

After wet sanding with walnut oil, I let the piece sit for at least 2 weeks, since I find WO to cure rather slowly. Then, I apply Osmo: one thin coat, sit overnight, and a second coat. Then I let it sit for a week, and finish with Beall buffing. I only use the white diamond wheel (or even better, substitute Vonax for white diamond) since the Osmo contains wax. If the Osmo coat was too thick, I might briefly rub it down with steel wool before buffing. I suppose it is possible to speed this whole thing up but I never felt the need.

Great. I truly appreciate your response. I guess I have what one might call a finish fetish and I can't wait to try your Osmo formula.

Hi Micahel. Thanks for the reply.

I have given Osmo Polyx (the hardwax finish, right?) a try on a couple of pieces. On a couple, it went on really well, and I have to agree, it is an amazing finish. I actually really like the fact that it does not seem to tint the wood in any way...so lighter woods, or gray-colored woods (like Rainbow Cottonwood, which has a very unique color to its wood) don't end up yellow. IMO, one of the best aspects of Polyx. I was surprised that an oil and wax based finish could end up so hard once it cured. But, it did!

I really liked it, however the next couple of pieces I tried to finish with Polyx I ended up with a lot of streaking that was really tough to sand out between coats. At the time, things had just warmed up from spring to summer, and I wasn't sure if the 80+ degree temps, up from 40-50 degree temps, in my workshop might have been playing a role. I ended up re-turning the surface of those pieces, and tried the Watco Lacquers, which I had some success with, but not without a heck of a lot of effort. After the lacquers I moved onto the Shine Juice again which is here I'm at now.

It sounds like you have a thread somewhere where you shared your experiences with Osmo Polyx? Do you by chance have a link to that, or a search term I could use to find it? I actually really did like the finish with Polyx the first couple of times I used it. I put it on in pretty thin coats, rubbed it in thouroughly. It felt different when the weather warmed...somehow, it seemed thicker and was harder to rub into the wood, and any streaks that seemed to just fade on their own the first couple of times I used it, wouldn't fade. I don't know if that was really due to temp, or humidity, or if maybe the can had just gone bad...but, I think we only had it for about 6 months total, if even. I never tried to seal the wood first with any oils, though. I'd love to read your thread!
 
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Hi Tom. Thanks for the reply. It is good to hear you were able to preserve the shine... I am curious, any idea what kind of humidity you have?

With the last couple of pieces I've turned, I put on a LOT of coats. Dozens, in the end. The one bowl...I don't even know exactly how many. I started aiming for 10, but in the long run, I probably had well more than 20. The end grain never stopped soaking it up, and remains dull even after buffing.

I agree though...I worked on the bowl for a couple of weeks, coating and coating. The frustrating thing is, once the end grain did fill up enough, after first applying a coat, everything was super shiny, over the entire surface of the piece. And would remain shiny for about an hour, then start to dull. It did not seem to matter how many coats I had, it always dulled.

I am curious, when you say very high speed...is that ~1000 rpm? Or higher? Much higher? I've been friction polishing the shine juice in around 1000-1200 rpm. I've tried higher pressure and lower, and I seem to get better results with a lower-moderate pressure when friction polishing. At higher pressure, the finish will shine up then rapidly dull.

Most of these pieces are just decorative, and not intended to be eaten out of or anything like that. Poly has been mentioned several times here now, so I think I'll be giving that a try on my next piece. Sounds like it is a simpler, easier option for decorative pieces.
HIgh speed is like 2200 - 2500 rpms, and 3000 for spindles. You hand/fingers should get uncomfortably hot through the paper towel. Then you know you have it hot enough to cure the finish. Paper towel should also have a sheen to it and be dry.
 
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My brother and I both started wood turning last year, and he picked up some Tried and True. Its expensive stuff, so I haven't used his can, but he has said he really loves it. Although, the finish he gets seems to be more of a satin, than a gloss...regardless, his bowls that were finished with it are incredible.
Yes, relatively expensive by volume, until you consider how very little of it is used in one application (example, an eight inch bowl, I can dab 2 fingers in the can of my "original" - polymerized linseed and beeswax - and have enough to finish the whole bowl plus a bit leftover... as pure as the finish is, it takes very thin coats - a quart can covers a thousand square feet, if I remember right) So, for me, 1 pint can of Tried & True Original has out-lasted 2 quarts of wipe-on poly (plus, since it is so pure, food safe, and additive-free, don't need gloves, applicators, respirators, etc to use it, either.) The satin sheen *can* be polished (and extra coats layered on) with 4-0 steel wool and get a fairly decent gloss.. although, granted, it is extra work.
 
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Hi Tom. Thanks for the reply. It is good to hear you were able to preserve the shine... I am curious, any idea what kind of humidity you have?

I live in Maryland, close enough to the bay/ocean that the humidity is commonly above 80% most warm months. The humidity just sucks here; very uncomfortable outside on most days from mid June through mid to late August. I've tried lacquer even in air conditioned spaces and it still clouds up. The only viable months I can use lacquer are September and October, or winter but in the house only (my shop is not heated). A few days now and then if you catch the humidity just right throughout the rest of the year.
 
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Thanks for the tips, Gerald!

I don't think I paid attention to the cut when buying shellac flakes.
Flakes are just dried shellac, there is no cut or strength, just different colors. The color is caused by the purity and has no effect on performance. Cut is only a way of expressing concentration. Flakes do get old but I keep mine in the refrigerator and can last for years. Which brings up a thought if the shellac liquid or flakes is old it will either be gummy or not dissolve . Some shellac finishes can take very many applications to accomplish the shine. Note I said applications and not layers. Shellac forms a finish which is actually one piece and no layers or different coats as each application melts into the previous to form one.
 
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Thanks for the tip, Aaron! I'm curious, what kind of durability does the finish have? I was trying the OB Shine Juice for the shellac, which I assume would provide a more durable finish once it was fully cured. Given my experiences now, I'm wondering if that is really the case, and whether it is any more durable than just an oil finish. Seems like the promises of OB Shine may be either very narrowly achievable (possibly even requiring a particular climate/humidity), or may just not really be long-term.

Birchwood Casey Tru Oil is on my list now, though. I'm definitely on the hunt for the right finish for my work now. I'm going to have a pile of cans and bottles by this weekend, I think.
Jon-I just started using it maybe 5 years ago in the hobby that led me to turning, which is restoring and rescaling old straight razors (which got me wanting to make matching shaving brushes, and down another rabbit hole I went). In that application, it holds up very well on wood scales with a multi-coat application. Anecdotally, the gun-stock makers for whom it was intended report decades of durability on rifle and shotgun stocks (it reportedly clouds with much use after being rained on, though that shouldn't be an issue for an indoor decorative bowl).

I still like shine juice on smaller items like shaving brushes and pens, where it seems to hold its shine at least for awhile, though much handling degrades it in those applications. (Then there's CA with its fumes, but that's another conversation!). One of its cons for me on larger items is that it's a bit more work to apply. After 10-12 coats of steady, upward pressure, my back, shoulders and wrists ache, and I often seem to be chasing out those subtle streaks where I suppose too much has been applied, and it has trouble melting in evenly?

I keep coming back to TO for many reasons: it's dirt simple to apply as long as you keep the coats light and thin with mineral spirits. This helps it dry faster/more evenly for multiple coats, which get shinier with each coat. I like up to 10 coats when I have time to indulge my own "finish fetish." You can certainly even it out with steel wool every few coats, though I am finding that unnecessary if you keep the coats light and apply on a slowly spinning lathe. And another poster's advice to let it cure for a few weeks before buffing is dead-on. I admit that I have smudged some finishes by not waiting long enough.

One caveat: TO does polymerize quite quickly, so experienced users just poke a small nail-hole in the foil seal, and squeeze out whatever they need. This may be one reason it comes in small bottles rather than the classic pint and quart cans.

Ultimately, I just like it because it is so simple and easy to use, and just gives beautiful results. Plus, I like the smell: "I love the smell of TO in the morning" haha. I'd love to hear what you think of it if you try it on some bowls.
 
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It sounds like you have a thread somewhere where you shared your experiences with Osmo Polyx? Do you by chance have a link to that, or a search term I could use to find it? I actually really did like the finish with Polyx the first couple of times I used it. I put it on in pretty thin coats, rubbed it in thouroughly. It felt different when the weather warmed...somehow, it seemed thicker and was harder to rub into the wood, and any streaks that seemed to just fade on their own the first couple of times I used it, wouldn'
I put "Osmo" in the search box and it came up: "My Osmo Experiments". I have not come across any problems associated with too thick a coating, that could not be remedied with steel wool. However I have not tried to use it at very warm temperatures.
 
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@Jon Rista - lacquer. I use a spray gun and use sherwin williams products, though I have use MW brushing lacquer for spraying. Can be done with a rattle can but may require more coats and sand backs to get right, and it cant be adjusted for temp/humidity. I use a retarder (which would be needed in CO) to slow it down for leveling when warm/dry. It is a time consuming process. Usually spray 2 to 4 coats, level, respray. Total coats just depends on the piece, ~8 to 15 or so. I wet sand with p400 to level, then wet sand up to ~1200 for final finish. Lacquer needs to set for a week minimum, 30 days is better, to let it fully cure and shrink. I then use Meguiar’s products to bring to a mirror shine.

You mentioned water based finishes. IMO the best are from Target Coatings. I have used on furniture and turnings. Be aware that no wb finish provides chatoyance. Shellac under the wb finish helps but still not as good as solvent.

For spar urethane, see if you can find the video by Steve Sinner, he does amazing work with it, never tried it.

Most of my turnings have solvent MW poly finishes. I thin it 1:1, and apply like danish oil, flood on, keep wet 10-20 min, wipe off, repeat, 2-4 hrs between coats. Let cure a week or so then buff if I want more shine, similar to Beal system method. Not hi gloss like lacquer.

The book you have has been my primary resource the past 20 yrs or so. I spent countless hours years ago testing finishes/application techniques/surface prep/etc. Best advice is to test, test, test, not on projects but just scrap pieces, and take lots of notes - build your experience and knowledge base. Finishing is an art/craft unto its own.
 
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I put "Osmo" in the search box and it came up: "My Osmo Experiments". I have not come across any problems associated with too thick a coating, that could not be remedied with steel wool. However I have not tried to use it at very warm temperatures.
I found it by looking at your profile and finding your threads. ;)
 
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@Jon Rista - lacquer. I use a spray gun and use sherwin williams products, though I have use MW brushing lacquer for spraying. Can be done with a rattle can but may require more coats and sand backs to get right, and it cant be adjusted for temp/humidity. I use a retarder (which would be needed in CO) to slow it down for leveling when warm/dry. It is a time consuming process. Usually spray 2 to 4 coats, level, respray. Total coats just depends on the piece, ~8 to 15 or so. I wet sand with p400 to level, then wet sand up to ~1200 for final finish. Lacquer needs to set for a week minimum, 30 days is better, to let it fully cure and shrink. I then use Meguiar’s products to bring to a mirror shine.

You mentioned water based finishes. IMO the best are from Target Coatings. I have used on furniture and turnings. Be aware that no wb finish provides chatoyance. Shellac under the wb finish helps but still not as good as solvent.

For spar urethane, see if you can find the video by Steve Sinner, he does amazing work with it, never tried it.

Most of my turnings have solvent MW poly finishes. I thin it 1:1, and apply like danish oil, flood on, keep wet 10-20 min, wipe off, repeat, 2-4 hrs between coats. Let cure a week or so then buff if I want more shine, similar to Beal system method. Not hi gloss like lacquer.

The book you have has been my primary resource the past 20 yrs or so. I spent countless hours years ago testing finishes/application techniques/surface prep/etc. Best advice is to test, test, test, not on projects but just scrap pieces, and take lots of notes - build your experience and knowledge base. Finishing is an art/craft unto its own.
Hi Doug,

Thank you for all the info. Finishing is definitely half the process of turning, and there is definitely a process of finding the finishes that work best for each kind of wood, it seems. Poly is definitely next on my list to try here. I am trying to finish up this walnut box I started with the shine juice. Its sadly lost the original look, I've had to sand it back and refinish too many times now and its just become an experimental project. The shine juice...some people really seem to have great success with it and the shine lasts...in my case, the shine simply will not keep. I wonder if my shellac has gone bad...I thought the Zinsser stuff was supposed to last a while, but maybe not. Its about a year old, maybe. I think I'm just going to finish it up with a good buffing and call it done.

I'll definitely be testing things out here over the next few weeks. I've got a bunch of small logs I'm planning on turning into some basic twig vases. Not the greatest wood, so probably mostly experimental pieces, should make great test objects to try different finishes on.

I've definitely run into the need to sand back spray can lacquer. It made using lacquer a lot more effort. I don't mind letting pieces sit for a month, that seems to be needed one way or another anyway including if you use poly, so I'm just working a cure time into my overall process for wood turning. I'll have to look into using a spray gun and sherwin williams lacquer.
 
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I still like shine juice on smaller items like shaving brushes and pens, where it seems to hold its shine at least for awhile, though much handling degrades it in those applications. (Then there's CA with its fumes, but that's another conversation!). One of its cons for me on larger items is that it's a bit more work to apply. After 10-12 coats of steady, upward pressure, my back, shoulders and wrists ache, and I often seem to be chasing out those subtle streaks where I suppose too much has been applied, and it has trouble melting in evenly?

Ah, CA. So, little story. I started turning in late March/April last year. Middle of the beginning of the pandemic and the beginning of lockdowns. At the time, it was practically impossible to find any kind of masks. So I turned with just those cheap blue cloth masks that really provide no protection. It was only a couple of months before I had developed SEVERE health issues...was chronically congested, had problems breathing. I thought it was the wood dust, and ended up stopping wood turning entirely from June through the beginning of September. These problems became quite severe, to the point where I ended up going to an urgent care center as I literally could barely breathe my airways had closed off so much. Like an anaphylactic reaction. Strange thing was, the worst reactions occurred after I'd stopped turning and stopped exposing myself to wood dust...

In the beginning of September 2020, I started working on filling in some inlay channels in a bowl I'd rough turned...oh, months earlier, at that point. So, no exposure to wood dust, just some inlay materials...and CA glue. By that point in time, I'd managed to get ahold of a proper 3M respirator with the pink/mustard filters, and the room I was working in had an open window. Most of the channels were the thickness of a thin parting tool, but one was about 3/4 of an inch wide, and almost 1/8th of an inch deep. So, I used quite a lot of CA glue to seal in the inlay materials. After I'd finished sealing the inlay material, I started to leave the room, and took my mask off before I'd fully exited. For a moment I smelled the CA fumes, but the smell vanished quickly.

I didn't think much of it until the next morning...when I could hardly breathe, my entire face was puffed up, and my lungs itched like I cannot even describe. It hit me at that moment that...maybe my problem was not wood dust, but instead the CA fumes and particles. I'd been sealing cracks in almost every piece I turned with CA, as with the ultra dry Colorado weather, and the mostly green pieces of wood I was turning, just the heat of turning the wood seemed to dry everything out enough that checks and strait up open cracks occurred in almost every piece (I was a total noob, remember. :p) So I was exposed to CA fumes and dust pretty much from the time I started turning in March.

I did a small test...exposed myself to just a tiny moment of CA fumes. A couple of hours later...slight troubles breathing, itchy lungs, stuffed sinus. That was enough for me to think CA was indeed the problem. I was accidentally exposed to CA fumes a couple times after that, when my brother, who lives with me at the moment and also started turning when I did, was sealing cracks in some pieces he was turning. I had exactly the same symptoms...some trouble breathing, itchy lungs, stuffed sinus.

I did some research, and it seems ~5% of the population can have severe reactions to CA. I know its touted as a safe substance, but in my case, it seems to be almost deadly. I still use it, on occasion when I really need that wood-penetrating power, but I have to make absolutely certain that I'm EXTREMELY well protected. I picked up one of those Sundstrom powered respirators with some organic vapor/acid type filters (expensive!), and always work in extremely well ventilated conditions. I have switched to using epoxy for most other things...any cracks larger than your hairline check, I'll usually try to fill with epoxy instead of CA, as so far I've not experienced any adverse reactions if I am accidentally exposed to epoxy fumes (they stink, but aren't deadly!!)

Anyway...when you mentioned CA being another conversation! :p The start of my woodturning career, needless to say, was a very rocky one. After I figured out that CA was my problem in early September last year, my first lathe, the (IMO horribly designed) Nova Comet 14DR died on me at the end of the month. It had in fact been experiencing problems throughout the summer, and Teknatool kept sending us replacement control boxes that all had screwed up pot settings (there were four pots on each control board that needed to be adjusted to just the right settings for the control box to run the motor at the right RPM ranges.) It took me two months to get Teknatool to stop sending me screwed up control boxes and take the lathe back for RMA, which the kept for another two months, and then eventually sent back in January with this extremely loud scraping/grinding sound in the headstock... I was left with an extremely soured opinion of Teknatool and Nova lathes. I now primarily turn on a Laguna 1524, which is wonderful, and a vastly superior tool which has allowed me to really get into turning more, with bigger pieces, and its wonderfully silent!!
 
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Wow, John-Thanks for the CA warning. I try to limit my use of it because I have always suspected that the fumes are dangerous beyond just being a severe irritant. It's a beautiful pen or duck call finish, but believe it or not, there are bowl turners who finish large pieces with it (hopefully with a fan and open windows, respirator, etc.).
 
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Wow, John-Thanks for the CA warning. I try to limit my use of it because I have always suspected that the fumes are dangerous beyond just being a severe irritant. It's a beautiful pen or duck call finish, but believe it or not, there are bowl turners who finish large pieces with it (hopefully with a fan and open windows, respirator, etc.).

Yeah...I was surprised when I finally figured out it was the CA. I always thought it was a "safe" type of glue, and I remember using it a ton as a kid making models, model railroading and such. I'm 100% absolutely positive today that it is indeed the CA, mostly the fumes, but the dust can irritate too. Last year, I paused my turning entirely because of the health issues, and I thought it was that I was just particularly sensitive to wood dust. But once I had problems on multiple occasions without being exposed to wood dust at all, and then having had accidental CA fume exposures a few times since and having exactly the same reaction each time, within the same timeframe after exposure, there is no doubt now that CA fumes (for me, even just a tiny momentary whiff) cause issues, and enough can cause an anaphylactic-like reaction (its not instantaneous, as it is with allergens...it takes a few hours to start happening, and about 12 to reach its peak...but the symptoms are largely the same. A large enough exposure will close down my airways and puff my face up like a balloon.). I don't think it is an allergy, I think its more like a reaction to a toxin.

From what I've read, CA fumes instantly solidify into particles when they encounter moisture. When you breath them into your sinuses and lungs, the moisture in there causes that to happen. I don't know if there is any additional or subsequent reaction in the lungs, or if it is just the particles that cause the issue, but in my case if I get anything more than just a momentary whiff of the fumes, it gets really bad and the irritation can get extreme. My entire lungs (internally) would itch with a fire that was beyond uncomfortable, which was on top of the trouble breathing. Horrible experience. So horrible that there were points last year that I wondered if I'd permanently damaged myself (before I understood what was going on, I think I'd repeatedly exposed myself to CA dust from turning pieces where I'd sealed cracks with CA, particularly the StarBond brand...which, BTW, may also be a factor, I seem to have a worse reaction to StarBond than others, and the brand may differ from person to person if you have this kind of sensitivity; this was May/June, and I had ongoing problems for a long period of time, even after finally getting the respirator, I think I just had a lot of this crap in my lungs for a prolonged period). With it as miserable as it was, its the kind of thing that makes you wonder if you could continue living that way. I certainly didn't want to live the rest of my life in that state! Was really horrifically bad, utter unending misery, constantly struggling to breathe and this burning internal itch...the worst prolonged experience of my life. Until September, I wondered if I'd just chosen a hobby that was literally toxic to me...I was extremely relived when I finally figured out exactly what was causing the problem, because it had been a mystery up to that point, and I was ready to give up wood turning entirely (well, basically had.)

Needless to say, I don't use CA glue much, and if I do I'm always wearing a tightly sealed or positive air pressure respirator with this class of filter:


At first I wasn't sure if they worked for CA fumes. I sometimes smelled it. Sealing the respirator mask against my skin properly, however, eliminates any CA fume smell. Once I start to smell it again, I replace the filters. I have similar class filters for my Sundstrum PAPR as well.
 
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Spartanburg, SC
Yeah...I was surprised when I finally figured out it was the CA. I always thought it was a "safe" type of glue, and I remember using it a ton as a kid making models, model railroading and such. I'm 100% absolutely positive today that it is indeed the CA, mostly the fumes, but the dust can irritate too. Last year, I paused my turning entirely because of the health issues, and I thought it was that I was just particularly sensitive to wood dust. But once I had problems on multiple occasions without being exposed to wood dust at all, and then having had accidental CA fume exposures a few times since and having exactly the same reaction each time, within the same timeframe after exposure, there is no doubt now that CA fumes (for me, even just a tiny momentary whiff) cause issues, and enough can cause an anaphylactic-like reaction (its not instantaneous, as it is with allergens...it takes a few hours to start happening, and about 12 to reach its peak...but the symptoms are largely the same. A large enough exposure will close down my airways and puff my face up like a balloon.). I don't think it is an allergy, I think its more like a reaction to a toxin.

From what I've read, CA fumes instantly solidify into particles when they encounter moisture. When you breath them into your sinuses and lungs, the moisture in there causes that to happen. I don't know if there is any additional or subsequent reaction in the lungs, or if it is just the particles that cause the issue, but in my case if I get anything more than just a momentary whiff of the fumes, it gets really bad and the irritation can get extreme. My entire lungs (internally) would itch with a fire that was beyond uncomfortable, which was on top of the trouble breathing. Horrible experience. So horrible that there were points last year that I wondered if I'd permanently damaged myself (before I understood what was going on, I think I'd repeatedly exposed myself to CA dust from turning pieces where I'd sealed cracks with CA, particularly the StarBond brand...which, BTW, may also be a factor, I seem to have a worse reaction to StarBond than others, and the brand may differ from person to person if you have this kind of sensitivity; this was May/June, and I had ongoing problems for a long period of time, even after finally getting the respirator, I think I just had a lot of this crap in my lungs for a prolonged period). With it as miserable as it was, its the kind of thing that makes you wonder if you could continue living that way. I certainly didn't want to live the rest of my life in that state! Was really horrifically bad, utter unending misery, constantly struggling to breathe and this burning internal itch...the worst prolonged experience of my life. Until September, I wondered if I'd just chosen a hobby that was literally toxic to me...I was extremely relived when I finally figured out exactly what was causing the problem, because it had been a mystery up to that point, and I was ready to give up wood turning entirely (well, basically had.)

Needless to say, I don't use CA glue much, and if I do I'm always wearing a tightly sealed or positive air pressure respirator with this class of filter:


At first I wasn't sure if they worked for CA fumes. I sometimes smelled it. Sealing the respirator mask against my skin properly, however, eliminates any CA fume smell. Once I start to smell it again, I replace the filters. I have similar class filters for my Sundstrum PAPR as well.
Yeah, I too have been sealing up cracks with StarBond, but never thought much about the sanding dust. I will make sure to wear my respirator with filters when I sand it from here on out, as I have asthma, so don't need any exacerbating factors on top of just wood dust, etc.
 
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