Finish suggestions

[Kathy Marshall]

Had a nice surprise at our club meeting on Saturday. A fellow member told me he had turned and bleached a hf from river birch, and asked if I'd like to have it to finish up. He then proceeded to pull a very large piece from his bag! I just thought, wow!

It's about 10 1/2" x 8" and it's a blank slate.
I'm thinking some dye and maybe some pyro. Any suggestions? One color, multi colors, no colors, pyro designs?

2012-01-22_00-35-40.jpg
Thanks for looking!

[John Keeton]

Kathy, that is a beautifully white form! I would find it difficult to change it. IMO, dye should be reserved for figured pieces, or the occasional piece that lacks character and needs a bit of warmth. Sometimes dye can enhance the wood tone of a bland piece. Here, you have an ivory look that I would preserve! Nice work, BTW!

What are you doing up at this hour of the morning??????

[Michelle Rich]

I'm terrible at decorating, so If it were mine, i'd call it "whiteout" and love it as is!

[Gary Max]

Another vote for keeping it white----- that is just to cool.

[Paul Williams]

Another vote for white. Use a water based finish to avoid turning it yellow.

[Bill Hensley]

Ditto - Another vote for keeping it white. I would add the finish should be non-yellowing.

[Tony De Masi]

Yep. Let it be.

[Ken Glass]

Kathy,
I think dying it would make it look too much like pottery. I have done some black forms and vases and have always just used a flat clear lacquer on them. If you are looking to add some color to it, a contrasting Finial might do the trick, but otherwise, it does stand on its own with just a clear sealer or finish coat. A very nice piece, and a great gift.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree to leave it as is. I would use something like General Finishes Woodturners finish or a water based finish to keep it from yellowing.

[David E Keller]

That's too cool! I'd use the Krylon spray acrylic for a few coats then briefly sand with 2000, buff, and ren wax. Somebody like Cynthia Gibson could make this amazing with pyrography, but I'd ruin something like that if I tried. What a cool piece!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Another vote to keep it as is! There is nothing in the wood to enhance with color... so I would preserve this just as it is - including the matte finish!

[Jeff Fagen]

I might try a tie dye so to speak using large rubber bands to mask between colors and finish with lacquer.

[Gary Sichmeller]

I attached a picture of a River Birch vessel I turned. I didn't bleach mine, but died the natural wood purple and sanded back and applied a lacquer finish.
Birch (purple3).jpg

[Marty Eargle]

I do love a nice, white piece and I agree that keeping it as is would be your best bet, I'm sure.

Though if you were feeling creative, think of the vessel as a blank canvas. Stand a few feet back with a few cups of paint and channel your inner Jackson Pollock.

[Peter Blair]

Hey Kathy, just wish I had someone who would give something as nice as this!
I hate to fly in the face of Creeker artists but like Marty, to me this looks like a blank canvas.
Yes is it great as is but with something like a winter scene. I can see some graceful trees without leaves . . .
You must understand of course that I am not much of an artist so this whole idea should probably be discarded but as has been said on another thread, without our feedback a lot of the value of this Forum would be lost.