Question for the oldest Creeker

[Mike Henderson]

If you don't have to be an expert to answer this, I can try.

To me, the selection of the finish has more to do with the use of the item than with the underlying wood. For example, for a kitchen table top, I'd choose poly or catalyzed lacquer because it needs to stand up to adverse conditions. For a piece that's not going to get hard wear, like a chest of drawers, I'd choose lacquer because it gives good protection, can have a variety of shine levels and last well.

For a small item, like a turning, I'd use an oil-varnish finished with wax.

Mike

[Bill Wyko]

I would have said 5 coats of Minwax tung oil applied, wiped off, wait 24 hrs, steel wool and repeat. Then a couple coats of wax, but what do I know, I'm only 44 so disregaurd the previous statement.

[Brad Schmid]

This is why I love SMC.

Not one indignant whipersnapper.

I attempted to wake my very own old geezer,

see if he could fathom a worthy answer in the depths

of his 84 years. OK 83.

He said, "Tell em I'll get back to him"

Then he said " You answer him"

Told him I couldn't.

So long story short....

As soon as he gets done auctioning all the neighborhood kid's balls

he found this week on the lawn, he will get right back to you.

Frankly I think he is just busting mine.

Per

Haaaaaaaaaahahahahahaha you're crackin' me up
Thanks, I needed a good laugh after the day i had

[John Lucas]

I am second to Bob. At 71, I know almost everything. What was the question? Where did she go? Look in the back, are the tubes all glowing? What was the question? Where's my milk?

[Jim Becker]

Well, I'm only 51, but that curly cherry in my shop would get BLO, shellac and some form of top coat if it really needed it....or I'd just stick with the shellac. Same as the non curly cherry gets! How's that for a serious answer to a fun question? LOL

[Leigh Betsch]

I am second to Bob. At 71, I know almost everything. What was the question? Where did she go? Look in the back, are the tubes all glowing? What was the question? Where's my milk?

Now that's funny!

[Leigh Betsch]

How glossy will that shellac be? I've never used shellac. I was thinking lacquer over Danish oil, but I really don't know much about finishing. Jeez if I take your advise will I have to wait 9 more years to finish the bedroom set for the wife? Who made up this 60 and over rule anyway!?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Leigh...typically lacquer has a hard time sticking to oil base finishes. Most recommend using dewaxed shellac between any oil and lacquer. Dewaxed shellac will stick to anything and anything will stick to dewaxed shellac. That's probably why Jim uses shellac over BLO and then top coats it.

[Leigh Betsch]

Thanks Ken.

[jeremy levine]

I am second to Bob. At 71, I know almost everything. What was the question? Where did she go? Look in the back, are the tubes all glowing? What was the question? Where's my milk?

Good to see you back..

[Bob Swenson]

John Thanks for recognizing my antiquity.


As you know I was a waiter at the last supper.
What you didn’t know is that I apprenticed with
Antnee Stradivarius. Antnee let me rough out the
Fiddle necks but that’s about It. I would get the wood
From the shed on the roof, he never seemed to like
What I brought, It was Up and down, up and down.

Antnee was never happy.

When I finally asked him if I could smear the fiddles
He said, Necker (he called me necker) Yous gotta lotta to capisce, capisce.
He did let me stain them with gamboge, and then he would get his Chianti
And lock him self in his little room filled with dragon’s blood, sandarac and all that other stuff and schmear.
Up and down, “hey necker, necker”,got tired of that, time to move on.


I remember looking back. Seeing them hanging by their necks, swinging in the breeze.

Next I moved on to Rembrandt. That man knew how to schmear. Fat over lean he would yell, fat over lean. You BLO guys take note, if you put fat on first your finish will crack and alligator. A hard finish on a sea of jelly is an invitation to disaster. Maybe not tomorrow but some day down the road.
I ground a lot of pigment in those days, but that’s as close to a piece canvas as I ever got.
Remmy hung around the windmills; he was always trying to get the Milk Maids to come back and see his etchings. He had a stack of them. It never worked out.

I didn’t learn any thing about finishing until I started to hang out with the
Steinway boys. This is what they taught me.


Seal your wood with wax free shellac. You can make wax free shellac by filling a jar and letting it stand until the wax settles to the bottom Then decant it.
Fill the pores with filler. The filler should be the same color or slightly darker. Let dry for at least 24 hours. Take the time to learn about fillers and their proper application.
Sand smooth
Seal again
Sand
Seal
Varnish, your choice, if you are going to polish you must use a hard drying varnish. Six coats, sand between coats. If your piece is going to be exposed to the sun you will need an ultraviolet inhibitor in the varnish. (Marine Spar)
Polish. ---- I started with pumice and rotton stone but now I use Menzerna.
With care you will have a first class finish.

For some fine pieces of furniture or guitars you might consider French polish, but that is an other subject.


The ancient finisher and Necker
Bob

[John Lucas]

Bob,
Somehow I think you are holding a lot back. Come on, give.

[Bob Swenson]

John,
You are right, but I get exasperated reading some of these posts.

I use French Polish on guitars but to explain how to
do it is not easy for me.
Violins are the same using a differant spirit varnish.
Modern pianos use sprayed on Lacquer except the
sound board where they still use shellac
When restoring an old piano or fine furniture one should use rubbing varnish and the method I described above.
Behlen made a Varnish they called Four Hour Rubbing Varnish, It is no longer produced. Now I use their Rock Hard.
No where do they say to put BLO on under it.
Or any thing else in between coats
Read the label.
If you are a BLO freak stick with BLO. Cut the first coat with turpentine
And don't put varnish over it.
You will do a lot more good if you drink it.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/f...oil-000304.htm
Maybe you will live long enough to see your varnished over BLO
craze.
There is an old Chinese saying.
What does the summer bug know about snow.
What does the frog in the well know about the ocean.

Bob

[Leigh Betsch]

Seal your wood with wax free shellac. You can make wax free shellac by filling a jar and letting it stand until the wax settles to the bottom Then decant it.
Fill the pores with filler. The filler should be the same color or slightly darker. Let dry for at least 24 hours. Take the time to learn about fillers and their proper application.
Sand smooth
Seal again
Sand
Seal
Varnish, your choice, if you are going to polish you must use a hard drying varnish. Six coats, sand between coats. If your piece is going to be exposed to the sun you will need an ultraviolet inhibitor in the varnish. (Marine Spar)
Polish. ---- I started with pumice and rotton stone but now I use Menzerna.
With care you will have a first class finish.

For some fine pieces of furniture or guitars you might consider French polish, but that is an other subject.


The ancient finisher and Necker
Bob

Now this is the advice I was looking for. I don't know much about fiddles, flat tops and pianos but this sounds like good advice from someone that has seen a few things. Thanks a bunch.

[Leigh Betsch]

So I decided to follow Bob Swenson's advice but thought I should try a few test pieces first. The wife thinks the clear shellac alone is to light, the Ambur shellac too yellow, clear Danish oil about right, Cherry gel stain pretty good. I'm still in favor of Bob's advice, clear shellac top coated with varnish but I need to convince her that the cherry will get darker. So my question is How much darker can I expect the cherry to turn, and how long does it take to turn? Would Danish oil, top coated with clear shellac get real dark and loose the curly figure? If I put the piece in the sun for a while would it turn noticeably?