I turned my first birdhouse/acorn ornament tonight, but haven't decided what to use for a finish. So - two questions - what do you use, and do you finish on the lathe or off? Thanks,
Dan
I turned my first birdhouse/acorn ornament tonight, but haven't decided what to use for a finish. So - two questions - what do you use, and do you finish on the lathe or off? Thanks,
Dan
Eternity is an awfully long time, especially toward the end.
-Woody Allen-
Critiques on works posted are always welcome
Dan:
I have been making a bunch of oraments in preparation for a craft show. I typically sand them on the lathe, although there are times I need to do a little off the lathe if the scratches are across the grain. Next I insert the eye hook, hand it from a wire in my shop and then spray with a rattle can laquer I at W-mart. It takes 3 or 4 light coats to get a nice finish.
Good luck with your ornaments.
Dan - I use a small foam brush and apply a coat of poly - off the lathe. I usually only apply one coat to the birdhouse ornaments - just enough to help seal the wood - and leave it more of a natural/rustic look.
Steve
“You never know what you got til it's gone!”
Please don’t let that happen!
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I have used mostly laquer, spray can, and sometimes buff. All off the lathe. I just like them shinny, personal pref.
+ 1 for the spray lacquer (gloss), off the lathe, hanging from a wire clothes hanger that I hold in my other hand.
Half the time I do not apply anything to my Ornamental Bird Houses. I just buff them through all three stages of the beale systems. Other times, I just apply tung oil and them buff out.
Have used laquer in the past, now using wipe on polyurethane. If you like a shiny finish the lacquer is much easier and quicker. The poly takes more coats, dries slower, and needs to be buffed to get a good shine. If you like a soft shine, the poly just takes a couple coats. Just a rag, no spraying necessary.
Dan I make around 75 mini-birdhouses a year and use strictly Deft spray lacquer on them. I don't buff because I think it is a waste of time especially if you use gloss lacquer.
Bernie
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.
Thanks for the replies. I'll probably try both a wipe/brush on and the lacquer, see which I like best. I thought maybe some might use a friction polish, though I'm wary of the durability factor.
Dan
Eternity is an awfully long time, especially toward the end.
-Woody Allen-
Critiques on works posted are always welcome