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Tiger
19th March 2007, 01:14 PM
Noticed that some of my turnings have lost their gloss over the years, particularly stuff that tends to be handled a lot. I guess that it's inevitable and will happen but has anyone found any combinations that will hold their shine over time. By the way, I tend to use quick finishes such as Shellawax and Bees wax to finish most of my efforts.

Skew ChiDAMN!!
19th March 2007, 02:59 PM
The most durable seem to be PolyUs and the like... my preference is for Rustin's Plastic Finish.

I don't like the feel of PolyUs and tend to avoid 'em, but if you're after a high gloss you've probably sanded to 20,000,000 grit and used grain-fillers, etc to get a mirror surface anyway... so it's not like there'd be much "feel" to the wood in the first place. Add in the application of 50 coats of finish with wet-sands in-between and it doesn't really matter what finish is being used, the ol' fingertips can't tell any difference. So may as well be a PolyU... :wink:

Just my opinion of course... and I still tend to steer clear of 'em. Gloss isn't my "thing."

soundman
19th March 2007, 03:47 PM
Shellawax can be pretty damn good but you have to sand properly first, and a couple of coats at least is needed. Glow is a bit better I believe.
Bees wax will go off pretty fast as will all the simple waxes.

nitro laquer is pretty good.

cheers

rsser
19th March 2007, 05:39 PM
Check out the Finishing forum.

I'm a fan of Rustin's Danish Oil ... it bonds with the timber and can be varied to change the level of gloss. It's a mix of poly, solvent and oil AFAIK.

Skew ChiDAMN!!
19th March 2007, 06:56 PM
I heartily agree with Ern as far as "personal favourite" but I've found that it isn't the best for frequently handled items. :( Especially items such as pens.

China
20th March 2007, 09:31 PM
I have a goblet finished with Rustin"s plastic Coating it is 6 years old is washed frequently and still has an almost glass like finish