Thread: Choice of finish for Saw Handles.

Originally Posted by planemaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3olCH1mbsGg

http://www.lmii.com/cardinal-lacquer...ument-coatings

http://www.lmii.com/products/finishi...-spray-lacquer

Not too bad price-wise.

Originally Posted by rob streeper

I think I may give it a shot. I've got some pretty good SATA airbrushing equipment that should be just the right size for saw handle finishing.

Let us know how it turns out. Just like everything else, there's a gaggle of lacquers out there. There are instrument lacquers that are a bit more flexible and soft, and furniture lacquers (though maybe they are harder to get than instrument lacquers) that are harder and more scratch resistant, but less ding resistant.

Hopefully whatever you try will come with instructions. I know when I've gotten nitro guitars, the makers have waited a bit before rubbing out the lacquer and a few days before they'll put them in a case and mail them. (maybe it was more than a few days, I can't remember exactly). Presume it finishes to dry fairly quickly but continues to harden after that. Don't know, though. You can test it for us. I think it looks great, looks like shellac but much more durable.

Originally Posted by D.W.

Let us know how it turns out. Just like everything else, there's a gaggle of lacquers out there. There are instrument lacquers that are a bit more flexible and soft, and furniture lacquers (though maybe they are harder to get than instrument lacquers) that are harder and more scratch resistant, but less ding resistant.

Hopefully whatever you try will come with instructions. I know when I've gotten nitro guitars, the makers have waited a bit before rubbing out the lacquer and a few days before they'll put them in a case and mail them. (maybe it was more than a few days, I can't remember exactly). Presume it finishes to dry fairly quickly but continues to harden after that. Don't know, though. You can test it for us. I think it looks great, looks like shellac but much more durable.

I've read online that the hardening times are a week to ten days depending on ambient conditions.

When using shellac on my saw handles I normally apply a total of 6 coats. The 1st coat is sanded back to 150g. The 2nd coat is sanded back to 220g. The 3rd coat is sanded back to 400g. By that stage I expect most of the grain to be filled within the wood surface. The flat faces on the handle I flat sanded over glass, while the the rest of the handle is done by hand using strips of sand paper. (flat sand the flat faces of the handle before the edge profiles)). I give these 1st 3 shellac coats about an hour between each coat. The remaining 3 coats of shellac are designated to add some depth of coverage over the handle wood surface. These are given 24 hrs time delay between each coat. Each coat is then lightly abrading using a fine grade sanding pad. http://www.thesandpaperman.com.au/gr...r-tex-pad.html The light abrading insures the next coat of shellac will adhere effectively to the previous coat. After the final coat has been lightly abraded, the shellac surface is given 5 days to further harden. The shellac surface is then lightly rubbed back using a cut and polish paste wax then hand buffed with a clean rag to a shine. http://www.ubeaut.com.au/eee.htm. The final step is to buff the surface to an even higher shine using a power mop that's fitted to a pedestal drill. http://www.ubeaut.com.au/sdmops.htm

Stewie;

Originally Posted by planemaker

When using shellac on my saw handles I normally apply a total of 6 coats. The 1st coat is sanded back to 150g. The 2nd coat is sanded back to 220g. The 3rd coat is sanded back to 400g. By that stage I expect most of the grain to be filled within the wood surface. The flat faces on the handle I flat sanded over glass, while the the rest of the handle is done by hand using strips of sand paper. (flat sand the flat faces of the handle before the edge profiles)). I give these 1st 3 shellac coats about an hour between each coat. The remaining 3 coats of shellac are designated to add some depth of coverage over the handle wood surface. These are given 24 hrs time delay between each coat. Each coat is then lightly abrading using a fine grade sanding pad. http://www.thesandpaperman.com.au/gr...r-tex-pad.html The light abrading insures the next coat of shellac will adhere effectively to the previous coat. After the final coat has been lightly abraded, the shellac surface is given 5 days to further harden. The shellac surface is then lightly rubbed back using a cut and polish paste wax then hand buffed with a clean rag to a shine. http://www.ubeaut.com.au/eee.htm. The final step is to buff the surface to an even higher shine using a power mop that's fitted to a pedestal drill. http://www.ubeaut.com.au/sdmops.htm

Stewie;

I've tried the 3M Perfect It series polishing compounds. They work pretty well and are less abrasive than is the old-style canned automotive finish buffing compound.

To show more clearly the benefit of sanding the flat faces of the handle before moving on to sanding the side profiles, I found this old photo.

Stewie;

Originally Posted by planemaker

To show more clearly the benefit of sanding the flat faces of the handle before moving on to sanding the side profiles, I found this old photo.

Stewie;

Definitely the proper order. Unless the curves are faired *perfectly* from edge to sanding depth, sanding the flat facet on last will leave some slightly wonky transition lines.

Originally Posted by rob streeper

http://www.lmii.com/cardinal-lacquer...ument-coatings

http://www.lmii.com/products/finishi...-spray-lacquer

Not too bad price-wise.

that's about where I'd expect it to be. 10 years ago, behlen nitro was about $15 a quart.

Since that's instrument lacquer, it should be a little softer when dried than furniture lacquer (which probably won't make a difference, but I'd think it'd be a good difference if anything).