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Thread: Durable Finish

  1. #1
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    Durable Finish

    What have you found to be the most durable finish for pepper mills? I've been using Minn Wax wipe on poly but wonder if something else might be better. Thanks for your replies.

  2. #2
    Hard to get more durable than poly. You could try some floor finish polyurethane with aluminum oxide in it. That stuff's hard!

    Really it depends on what kind of finish you're going for. A simple wiped on oil finish can be more durable in the sense that you can easily repair it any time you want. But I don't think that's what you had in mind.

  3. #3
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    It depends a lot on what you want the final product to look like, but a CA finish is very hard and very durable. You may not like the look, though.
    Grant
    Ottawa ON

  4. #4
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    Years ago for a test I tried some Minwax Wipe-On Poly on some game calls, it did not last. Best for durability was spar varnish, but for looks and durability I use oil finishes like Danish or Teak oil. Multiple thin coats hand rubbed on. It is not a production finish, it takes too much time, for the field grade calls I use a combination of oil and spar. It will boil down to what look you want.

  5. #5
    Moisture is usually the enemy of any finish. I have used Minwax WOP for years on both furniture and turnings. I would think the problems Marvin experiences are related to moisture getting behind the finish either from the interior or otherwise. Using a combination of oil and spar probably is a good solution in that situation. So, it really depends on the use. For a peppermill, I would think WOP would do fine.

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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Keeton View Post
    Moisture is usually the enemy of any finish. I have used Minwax WOP for years on both furniture and turnings. I would think the problems Marvin experiences are related to moisture getting behind the finish either from the interior or otherwise. Using a combination of oil and spar probably is a good solution in that situation. So, it really depends on the use. For a peppermill, I would think WOP would do fine.
    John, I noticed your post in the wet sanding thread. Do you wet sand with WOP from 200 grit up?

  7. #7
    Yes, if it is an open pore wood, such as Claro Walnut and some American Black Walnut. I rarely turn exotics, so I don't know how that would work with woods such as Padauk. Exotics are often very oily and I don't know how that may affect the process.

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  8. #8
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    That's good to know. I'm working on American Black Walnut. Thank you.

  9. #9
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    It wasn't moisture that killed the Wipe-On poly finish. It was constant use, this guy hunts in west Texas, a dry area, and knowing him not when it is raining. You don't hunt predators in the rain. He is a professional trapper for several large ranches in West Texas, he had called wanting calls and I had just finished some flat work with the Minwax Wipe-On poly, so I made him the calls and used the last of the poly. 2 months later he stopped by and showed me the calls, the finish was worn down to the wood. I traded him out some new ones and refinished the old ones with spar and kept them for my own use.

    This guy hunts 3 to 5 days a week, the calls hang on a lanyard in his pickup. They get used but are not abused, and not subjected to rain or snow etc.. The wipe on poly coats are just too thin, that 3 or 4 coats will wear off a lot quicker than a 3 coats of Spar. That was the only and last time I used the wipe-on poly, my field grade calls get a 2 coat finish of oil finish and 2 coats of spar.

    My fancy calls get quite a few coats of hand rubbed oil finish, which is basically like a teak oil finish, but homemade. First 2 coats are diluted with mineral spirits and hand sanded as it is rubbed in. The rest of the coats, anywhere from 4 to 8 or more, are hand rubbed at full strength. It all depends if I want a matt or a shiny gunstock finish on that particular call.

  10. #10
    Marvin, I was actually referring to moisture from hands and breath when blowing the calls, but I don't do game calls and have no personal experience with them. I certainly wasn't criticizing your methods. In fact, I agreed with your finishing methods, particularly given the added exposure to sunlight.

    My experience has been with furniture and artistic turnings. Furniture I finished with WOP years ago has held up very well. Additionally, over the years folks on SMC have used WOP on peppermills with good success.

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  11. #11
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    Dave I've had excellent results using the finish that I learned from Captain Eddie. It consists of 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 denatured alcohol, and 1/3 clear varnish. apply it on the lathed like a friction polish. I usually put on at least 8 to 10 coats. It seems to hold up very well and has a nice richl uster. Not too shiny, just right.

  12. #12
    Carl, that is interesting. I could see a blend of BLO, DNA and shellac, but not BLO, DNA and varnish. I would think it would mix better with BLO, MS and varnish - a blend that has been around for decades. But....I have never tried it, so I can't say.

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  13. #13
    Did you mean mineral spirits instead of DNA, Carl?

    1/3BLO+1/3MS+1/3oil-based-poly-or-varnish is a great recipe for a no-build finish.

    Since this will be handled, my vote is for an oil/varnish blend like this. Your hands will appreciate the feel. There won't be a glossy sheen (like pure poly) to eventually wear down.

    The downside with oil/varnish finishes is that they will allow oils and dirt from your hands to eventually lodge into pores. So, you may have to clean the calls with mineral spirits or water/soap every so often.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Keeton View Post
    Carl, that is interesting. I could see a blend of BLO, DNA and shellac, but not BLO, DNA and varnish. I would think it would mix better with BLO, MS and varnish - a blend that has been around for decades. But....I have never tried it, so I can't say.

    Sorry to all! I met shellac John. It does work well.

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