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What do you folks like for a glossy shiny finish?

Don C Davis

Don C Davis

Joined
Feb 15, 2018
Messages
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Location
Canton, GA
I have had a request to make some bowls for a lady that like a platter that I had done with coats of wipe on Poly, rubbing with 0000 steel wool in between coats--it looked wet it was so shiny. I need to make 12 bowls, and the customer wants the wet shiny/glossy look--I just wanted to see what you folks use to achieve this on you wood products---I've thought about a skim coat of Alumalite because it is so durable, but would like any advice/input!
 
The fastest method I use is Birchwood-Casey True-Oil. Wipe.on a coat and let it dry overnight. Sand with 600 grit and wipe on another coat. When you sand you will.see small shiny spots. Those are the pores or small.depressions. keep applying coats until after you sand and there aren't any shiny spots. Then apply one more coat. This looks really good and glossy but if you want a superior look rub it out with automotive.polishes.
A.quicker finish but one that has a learning curve is slow rotation epoxy. Look up epoxy finishing with a rotisserie motor. Very glossy and very durable.
I use a finish that is glossy but not as thick looking. Its several layers of wipe on poly followed by buffing with the bealle buffing system. It's a good durable easy to apply finish.
 
If the bowls won’t hold anything wet or handled a ton you could try Shellwax. You can finish the bowl within 15 minutes and it has a nice shine although not a mirror finish.

If an item will be handled a lot I use wipe on poly. Only downside with wipe on poly is the drying time for each coat, I.e., 5 coats equals 5 days.
 
I sand to 600g or 1000g......then 2 coats sanding sealer and denib..... 3 or 4 coats of Danish oil...... buff with EEE and White Diamond.....polish with Carnuba wax. This process is done with the Beall buff & polish system.

The finish process takes me on average about a week to complete for each piece depending on size..... Happy turning!
 
Deft spray gloss lacquer then sand with 400 grit and a medium firm pad to level the surface and remove any orange peel. Then use Micromesh up to 12,000 grit and finish polishing with Novus 2 applied with cotton balls.
 
+++ for the Novus line of plastic cleaners/polishes. I have not used Novus 3 (heavy scratch remover) but I have used the 2 and my favorite is Novus 1 for cleaning face shields. Here is the first line from novuspolish.com about Novus 1
"Gently cleans all plastics without scratching. Leaves a lustrous shine that resists fogging, repels dust, and eliminates static."
What worries me is they will come out with a "new and improved" version that won't work half as well, but cost twice as much...
 
Good input folks, I currently use Shellawax as my standard and really love the finish I get--I will top it off with a nice coat of Renaissance Wax, but this particular customer wants the 'looks wet' finish--really glassy--she said...
Appreciate the input so far
 
Bill Boehme said:
Deft spray gloss lacquer then sand with 400 grit and a medium firm pad to level the surface and remove any orange peel. Then use Micromesh up to 12,000 grit and finish polishing with Novus 2 applied with cotton balls.
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Bill... That finish sounds like my finish during my pen making days..... Novus 2 really makes CA finish shine after Micromesh.
 
The staved Urn that I have instead of a picture of my ugly mug is 4 coats of lacquer unthinned applied with a gravity spray gun. I sand between coats using 320 extra flexible 3M abrasive which will usually fill in the open grain of the walnut. After sanding the 4th coat I use pumice and then rotten stone to bring back the shine and finish off with a quality wax.
I have also used CA instead of the lacquer.
 
I like the wipe on poly, three or more coats with 0000 steel wool after each coat.

Don, that is an amazing pronghorn in your photo. Is he in the record book?
 
Thanks TD, he was so close it was painful, he scored 81 & 7/8, and Boone and Crocket for antelope is 82, he served as inspiration to my best buddy and I to go back to New Mexico to hunt them for the 4 next years in a row--and then the hospital took me out of hunting almost totally....but then I started woodworking more--including turning!
 
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I'm fairly new to woodturning and have mostly just done some pens and a couple "play with wood" turnings. Lol I have found that the Wood Turners Finish gives a real nice coat and shine. Please don't laugh at my honey dipper below. I had a piece of 2x2 home depot cedar board and tried to turn with it. Big mistake as it is soo soft it kept chipping at the head. It started out oval and I finally just had to stop at a point where it was still round because it kept chipping on my beads. BUT, I did coat it with Wood Turners Finish and it looks nice. Lol
 

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Bobby Smith said:
I'm fairly new to woodturning and have mostly just done some pens and a couple "play with wood" turnings. Lol I have found that the Wood Turners Finish gives a real nice coat and shine. Please don't laugh at my honey dipper below. I had a piece of 2x2 home depot cedar board and tried to turn with it. Big mistake as it is soo soft it kept chipping at the head. It started out oval and I finally just had to stop at a point where it was still round because it kept chipping on my beads. BUT, I did coat it with Wood Turners Finish and it looks nice. Lol
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Speaking as another relative noob, it looks pretty nice to me. Probably needs to be very well sealed if you're actually going to use it as a honey-dipper and occasionally wash it.
 
Don C Davis said:
Bobby, that does look nice--when you say Woodturners Finish, what specifically are you referring to??
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Its General Finishes Wood Turners Finish. Its a water based lacquer finish. You can apply many coats and it only takes approx. 2-3 mins between each coat. Really it dries enough for another coat after a minute if its nice and cozy in your shop.
 

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Matthew Ferriter said:
Speaking as another relative noob, it looks pretty nice to me. Probably needs to be very well sealed if you're actually going to use it as a honey-dipper and occasionally wash it.
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I've probably made a grand total of 20 bowls or so in the last several months of figuring our how to do all of this, with varying degrees of success, including one or two that got pretty messed up and became kindling. One of them went so badly that it freed itself from the chuck and came at me in revenge.

Each time I showed one to my wife, she asked me if it could be used for salsa. I don't know why salsa specifically was so important, or that it would become a requirement for my work, but I'm always interested if anyone's got hints for food-safe and fairly water-proof finishing and sealing techniques.
 
Matthew Ferriter said:
Speaking as another relative noob, it looks pretty nice to me. Probably needs to be very well sealed if you're actually going to use it as a honey-dipper and occasionally wash it.
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Their website indicates that the woodturners finish is food safe. Although it dries quickly for coating, it states that if used for salad bowls, etc.. that it needs to cure for 5-7 days before use.
https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/44/5746/General-Finishes-Woodturners-Finish
 
I've used the Wood Turners Finish that Bobby referenced above. Makes a pretty decent hard finish. Seems to be holding up ok so far, but no long term use yet. I apply it then put a hairdryer on it to speed the drying process. 6 or 8 coats starts it getting shiny.
 
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