Thread: Hi Gloss, good or bad?

Comes down to personal preference - I am not a fan of high gloss. The natural look of a good wax finish is, for most things, far more attractive to me. Wood is tactile, wax enhances the feel, varnish takes it away. IMHO.

Each to his own. Like the piece though!

I am not a big fan of it. Satin looks much better.

I always think of some Rolls Royce dashboard fascias where they used so many layers of varnish that the walnut looked like plastic.

I prefer satin.......... and the only dashboards I see ARE plastic.

seldom ride in a Rolla Phil

Depends on a few things.

Do you want to sell it, look at it or is it a gallery piece?

If you want to sell it: High gloss. Women do most of the shopping and high gloss and shiny things appeal to them (hence their love of diamonds, I suppose.) It also stands out better on a stall.

If you want to look at it (dust collector) then a satin or oiled finish so that the grain shows at its best.

The same applies for Gallery stuff, a satin finish. Most gallery patrons are discerning in what they want.

Bear in mind that an oil finish is generally a long term and high maintenance finish.

My preference is 30% gloss nitrocellulose out of a gun.

Originally Posted by pommyphil

I prefer satin.......... and the only dashboards I see ARE plastic.

seldom ride in a Rolla Phil

Long time ago Phil - rich auntie, rolls hearse etc.

Personal taste dictates. Does the person it was made for or who buys it like the look. If you flog them at markets and the like then try some of each and see what the punters want.
Regards
John

This is what I wanted, good reasoning with good input.

Thanks Very much.

As others have said, it depends on where it is going. The craft outlet where I sell, has a high proportion of Asian tourist buyers and they seem to like a high gloss so I mostly use DO but buff it to a high shine but be aware that a high shine will show tool marks more.
Ted

has provided a good OBJECTIVE opinion to which I agree.

I don't agree with those that say it is a personal opinion particularly if you are wanting to sell it. When it comes to selling pieces one's own opinion doesn't matter; its what the customer likes that matters. That's why I spray all my stuff with a semi-gloss lacquer. You can never please everyone so you need to aim to please most.

I personally don't particularly like glossy stuff but think that it can look good on the right piece. So, it often depends on the timber and the form of the object.

With the piece you have shown in the pic I would say a satin or even a matt finish would be best.

And last of all any finish can look awful if the piece hasn't been sanded well.

I think it is a very beautiful piece!

It's always personal preference and the decor of the environment that it is in.