I tried that once Neil and it wore off very quickly, I must have done something incorrect. Any chance of elaborating in more detail of your methods.
keith
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friction polish
- Thread starter yorkshireman
- Start date
I tried that once Neil and it wore off very quickly, I must have done something incorrect. Any chance of elaborating in more detail of your methods.
keith
There is nothing to it Phill, if the wood has some nice grain i use a bit of BLO left to dry then apply about 6 or 8 applications of the friction polish. I apply it while the lathe is stood, then spin it at 3000rpm and lightly run the towel over the wood with the area of the towel used to apply the polish, then with a clean part of the towel i run it between the thumb and forefinger with just enough pressure to keep the towel from wrapping around the blank, you should start to feel the heat coming through the towel before the next application ... Then again i use a number of finishes on top of the friction which includes, EEE - Ultra Shine, Renaissance wax and Chestnut Woodwax to name a few, but all give good results ...
That is the correct way what ever finish you use building up the layers why do you think antique furniture finish last so long like french polish also it is the after care as well the same again as people do with old furniture
No its not Ed it works like the old car polish remember when you put the wax on waited for it to go white then buff well lathe polish works in exactly the same way put it on wait for it to go white and buff you need to do this about 6 to 8 times to get a long lasting finish I tried it a few years ago and wasn't very impressed with it but some love it personal choice in finish again warning dont use it on Oak or any open grained wood it dries in the grain and you cant polish it very well
mattyts
Registered
Pour it into a clear bottle...does it ''settle'' at the bottom? Friction polish is Shellac suspended in alcohol I think...
What an interesting thread. He are my thoughts on the subject.
Woody is right, woodturner's lathe polish is not the same as friction polish. There are also differences between the various brands of friction polish, and shellawax is just another make of friction polish with a fancy name. The one thing they all have in common is shellac, and they will all leave a coating of shellac on the finished pen that is similar to a piece of french polished furniture. (Again see Woody's comments above)
For at least the first ten years of making pens I used nothing but these kind of polishes and I have yet to have had a pen returned through a failed finish. As several people have suggested regular maintenance with any kind of wax polish will maintain the quality of finish and extend the life of the pen. I apply a coat of Renaissance wax (microcrystalline wax) to all my pens whatever they are finished with as helps reduce fingerprints even on the metal parts.
The EEE that Jim and Neil use is an interesting substance in that it is a mixture of a wax polish and a mild abrasive. It could be used either before or after the application of a friction polish or indeed a lacquer or CA finish.
I still finish some of my pens with friction polish, but for the more expensive kits I now use either CA or a lacquer finish. Cellulose or acrylic lacquers both work fine and really only differ in the solvent used to carry the finish. Both can be applied either by hand or spray and once dry can be buffed with a buffing system or polished with micromesh and a fine abrasive such as burnishing cream (or toothpaste George).
Mostly however I now use CA. I tried Mr Young's method and I still have a link to the video on the "How to make pens" page of my website, but I found that the combination of BLO and CA gives off much more offensive vapours than just using CA on its own so I now apply two or three thin coats of CA by hand whilst turning the lathe spindle slowly by hand and then polish as described above for lacquer.
A safety point if you use CA or CA/BLO, don't use a powered respirator as the filters are designed for dust not chemical fumes and the fumes will be drawn in to your lungs rather than giving you any protection. I use a Camvac Extractor and direct the exhaust tube outside the workshop.
It is also possible to get a good finish using a drying oil like Danish Oil or Gunstock Oil. This however relies upon building up coats over time and most people, me included, want a finish that can be applied more quickly than that.
When it comes down to it,there is no absolute right or wrong way to finish pens.
Walter
Woody is right, woodturner's lathe polish is not the same as friction polish. There are also differences between the various brands of friction polish, and shellawax is just another make of friction polish with a fancy name. The one thing they all have in common is shellac, and they will all leave a coating of shellac on the finished pen that is similar to a piece of french polished furniture. (Again see Woody's comments above)
For at least the first ten years of making pens I used nothing but these kind of polishes and I have yet to have had a pen returned through a failed finish. As several people have suggested regular maintenance with any kind of wax polish will maintain the quality of finish and extend the life of the pen. I apply a coat of Renaissance wax (microcrystalline wax) to all my pens whatever they are finished with as helps reduce fingerprints even on the metal parts.
The EEE that Jim and Neil use is an interesting substance in that it is a mixture of a wax polish and a mild abrasive. It could be used either before or after the application of a friction polish or indeed a lacquer or CA finish.
I still finish some of my pens with friction polish, but for the more expensive kits I now use either CA or a lacquer finish. Cellulose or acrylic lacquers both work fine and really only differ in the solvent used to carry the finish. Both can be applied either by hand or spray and once dry can be buffed with a buffing system or polished with micromesh and a fine abrasive such as burnishing cream (or toothpaste George).
Mostly however I now use CA. I tried Mr Young's method and I still have a link to the video on the "How to make pens" page of my website, but I found that the combination of BLO and CA gives off much more offensive vapours than just using CA on its own so I now apply two or three thin coats of CA by hand whilst turning the lathe spindle slowly by hand and then polish as described above for lacquer.
A safety point if you use CA or CA/BLO, don't use a powered respirator as the filters are designed for dust not chemical fumes and the fumes will be drawn in to your lungs rather than giving you any protection. I use a Camvac Extractor and direct the exhaust tube outside the workshop.
It is also possible to get a good finish using a drying oil like Danish Oil or Gunstock Oil. This however relies upon building up coats over time and most people, me included, want a finish that can be applied more quickly than that.
When it comes down to it,there is no absolute right or wrong way to finish pens.
Walter
I don't mind at all Jim. If anything I am a little taken aback that my simple thoughts are given so much credence. Thank you.
Walter
Walter
Might be simple thoughts to you, but for us beginners these are real pearls of wisdom that have taken years to grow !
That kind of knowledge is worth its weight in gold.
Thanks for sharing
You shouldn't be Walter as you are an acknowledged and published expert on the craft, or should I say art, of making pens.
Ray