Thread: Generally Too Hot to Work - but Here's One...

toasty, why do you use sanding sealer before EEE and shellawax.

shellawax is designed for use on raw timber. so in time the pen will have no finish on it because the shellawax will wear off because it isnt applied properly.

cheers

Originally Posted by smagrath

does the sanding sealer isolate the BLO from the Shellawax UltraShine? Not sure - but then, experiment to find out I guess....

That I don't know, just that the use of oils and stains before Shellawax is not recommended by Ubeaut. If you read what I writing to Stirlo below you might want to also drop the sanding sealer entirely as he has now planted the seed of doubt for me.

Originally Posted by ss_11000

toasty, why do you use sanding sealer before EEE and shellawax. shellawax is designed for use on raw timber. so in time the pen will have no finish on it because the shellawax will wear off because it isnt applied properly.

G'day Stirlo, I use it because it gives a finer finish and the Ubueat datasheet states For use with water based and turpentine based stains and dyes and Shellawax has turpentine in it, plus I though I read it on one of Ubeaut's datasheets.

But

Now that I have gone to look for the place I thought I read it, I can't find it, so I am not so sure any more. And I am not seeing it mentioned in any of the products, so it is most likely that I misunderstood...

I have been using EEE, then CA, then Shellawax. I find that Shellawax takes a long time to harden and have soemtimes left that stage out and just polished the pen after the CA with some EEE.

Here is a good link on CA/BLO, which I have also used.

It is a video by Russ Fairfield, who knows a thing or two about wood finishing, for wood/pen truning in particular.

Have just done my first acrylic, that is a cinch to finish and get a gloss on!

Originally Posted by Toasty

G'day Stirlo, I use it because it gives a finer finish and the Ubueat datasheet states For use with water based and turpentine based stains and dyes and Shellawax has turpentine in it, plus I though I read it on one of Ubeaut's datasheets.

But

Now that I have gone to look for the place I thought I read it, I can't find it, so I am not so sure any more. And I am not seeing it mentioned in any of the products, so it is most likely that I misunderstood...

toasty, i do the exact same, i think i have read something but i can never find it again.

it may give a better finish initially but like i said it will wear off. thats the reason why some people will put shallawax over CA - it looks great, but most people dont realise that it will wear off more quickly.

Pen looks good.
What are you not happy with about the finish?
Is there scratches in it?
If so, we keep dry rub sandpaper up to 1500 grit, wet and dry to 2500 grit, and also Micro-Mesh which goes up to 12000 grade (which is equivalent to 2 micron - very fine, scratch not visible to the naked eye).

These products will help if you are getting scratches.

Originally Posted by ss_11000

...i think i have read something but i can never find it again...(

Pondering it more now I think I might have also made an incorrect assumption that because the sanding sealer listed is a Ubeaut product therefor makes it compatible for use with all Ubeaut products. Yeah, stupid now in the cold light of day...

Hi Toasty, I beg to differ here. I always use shellawax over BLO/CA finish and it does a great job. once you seal it with the CA you are no longer on oil. THis could be wrong but it works for me
bye
Toni

I guess my thinking was that the sanding sealer acts to fill the grain and to provide an "inert" covering to the timber - that is, it isolates any oils etc underneath the seal, and allows a top coat of finish. It also doesn't shrink over time, so it should act as a kind of gap filler for the grain and pores in the wood - which allows you to sand down to a very high gloss if you wanted to...

As I say, that's my understanding based on reading a book on "finishing" by Desdner. I'm not a very experienced woodworker yet - my reading/theory exceeds my hands on experience, and hands on experience has got to be preferred I would think. The timber certainly feels and looks much smoother than any pen I've done... but I will certainly looking for a higher grades of sanding paper to take me to the next level.

Anyway, I've tried CA/BLO and hate the fumes. The Shellawax worked rather well but I'll be watching the durability of the gloss, and I guess I'll keep experimenting! I've seen some great finished pens on the forum so I'm watching for the Master's Secrets to roll across my screen some time soon...

Shane place a fan on you lathe bed. No Fumes at all. Blown away and helps faster drying time.

Originally Posted by lubbing5cherubs

Hi Toasty, I beg to differ here. I always use shellawax over BLO/CA finish and it does a great job. once you seal it with the CA you are no longer on oil. THis could be wrong but it works for me
bye
Toni

toni.

like i said before - the shellawax will wear off. it isnt applied properly when it is applied over any thing but raw timber.

so yes, your pens will look good but after a while they will dull



cheers

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that lacquer will eventually de-laminate if it is applied over an oil. That's why something like shellac is often used as a sealer (washcoat/ barrier coat) because it will stick to the oil, and the nitrocellulose will stick to the shellac.

CA might accomplish the same thing for all I know. But the idea that lacquer and oil don't mix is sticking in my head..

Ok - well, what I'll do is keep the pen and use it at work. I will post me observations of how (if?) the finish deteriorates over time. Expect a post in three to six months!