finish on olivewood

[smoky10]

I just turned a pen blank of olivewood. I love the way it turns, ribbons going everywhere, and it smells great. I sanded it to 600 grit and mm to 1500 grit. My question to you guys and gals is what should I use to finish it? What about a rub on poly or c.a. glue or would Hut Crystal be good? Thanks for your help.

 

[Scottydont]

Originally posted by smoky10
<br />I just turned a pen blank of olivewood. I love the way it turns, ribbons going everywhere, and it smells great. I sanded it to 600 grit and mm to 1500 grit. My question to you guys and gals is what should I use to finish it? What about a rub on poly or c.a. glue or would Hut Crystal be good? Thanks for your help.

I use CA on Olivewood. When done right it's beautiful! I love maiking wine bottle stoppers out of Olivewood too.

 

[its_virgil]

Hut crystal coat and mylands friction polish and all of the others that are shellac based with beeswax are not good for pen finishing...in my humble opinion. If you must get rid of some cash, just send the $$$ to me. I don't intend to make anyone mad but really now, why spend $$ and time to finish a pen with a finish that will be gone in just a few days. I wonder why my grandmother would not let us set glasses on her furniture finished with shellac...where did all of those ugly rings come from?
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Guest]

HEy Virg,don't hold back.

 

[DCBluesman]

Originally posted by its_virgil
<br />Hut crystal coat and mylands friction polish and all of the others that are shellac based with beeswax are not good for pen finishing...in my humble opinion. If you must get rid of some cash, just send the $$$ to me. I don't intend to make anyone mad but really now, why spend $$ and time to finish a pen with a finish that will be gone in just a few days. I wonder why my grandmother would not let us set glasses on her furniture finished with shellac...where did all of those ugly rings come from?
Do a good turn daily!
Don

"To each his(her) own, said the old lady as she kissed the cow."

 

[C_Ludwigsen]

Unfortunately, some of us can no longer event attempt a CA finish due to severe allergic reactions. I would rather sand the pen from 220 through 4000, put on a lacquer or cellulose sealer/friction polish and top it with a good buffing of carnuaba than spent one more day in a doctor's office or, worse yet, a hospital.

Russ, if you read this, you were right, my self tests pointed to the CA fumes and dust and the doctor's testing confirmed it. I get the last of stitches from the biopsies out next Tuesday.

Chuck

 

[YoYoSpin]

If you have cats, try putting a piece of Olivewood by them...they will go nuts. Its acts just like catnip.

 

[smoky10]

Thanks for the comments guys. I think I might try several different finishes and see what I like best.

 

[its_virgil]

I am trying to learn how to do lacquer as a finish because some day I too may become sensitive to the CA fumes and the odorless is way to expensive. Seems that most of us develop some sensitivity to Ca funes at some point. A good lacquer finish seems to be just as nice as a good CA finish. Carnuba wax....contains beeswax....reacts to moisture and skin oils...Contrary to what a lot of us think and what the carnuba wax people tell us, carnuba is not a satisfactory product on pens. Just my opinion and all that stuff....I don't wish to step on anyone's toes, but we learn form what others have experienced. I was lured in to the carnuba wax and it is now in my candle wax box with the HUT PPP sitcks and the small candle parts waiting to be melted and made into bigger candles.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[jwoodwright]

All good ideas. Why don't you finish some scraps with different finishs... This will show you what you like best. []

 

[wayneis]

Chuck, What kind of symptoms did you have? Sometimes I've noticed that I get a little sick in the gut when I use CA but so far thats it.

Wayne

 

[C_Ludwigsen]

If I inhale any amount of the dust or am too close to it when it fumes up, I will have acute hives well up individually and in clusters as soon as within the hour. They progress over the next 2 weeks to covering 80% of the trunk of my body. The itching is UNBELIEVABLY intense, as is the headache and muscle discomfort. Whether related ot not, we don't know, but the first time it happened, about 2 week into it I started feeling very bad. I was having chest pains and shortness of breath. I went to the chest pain center and was found to be in Atrial Fibrilation. After about 30 hours of IV meds not stopping it, they shocked my heart twice. This was not fun.

Antihistamines are almost useless unless in huge doses (2-3 each per day of 180mg Allegra). It was not going away on its own and took an Aristocort steroid shot to knock it out. After it was gone, I spent three day either turning or being around turning with no signs of an outbreak. On the 4th day I turned 2 pens and finished with CA. Within an hour or two I knew it was the source of the reaction. Within 5 days I had 50% of the trunk of my body and legs covered again. Another Aristocort shot and 2 - 3mm biopsies. The spots are pretty much gone (3-4 per day that fade quickly) and I am STAYING AWAY FROM CA.

Every person is different, this is just the way it hit ME. I've never been allergic to anything in my life. Now, I can't so much as have a bandaid on a cut without the entire glue area welting up.

Hope this helps someone.

Chuck

 

[smoky10]

Chuck: Does this happen when you glue tubes in blanks or just when you sand ca?

 

[NCTurner]

I have very acute problems from CA fumes like Chuck (except mine are all breathing problems). I've found if I use my dust collector hood placed where it'll vacuum the fumes away, I never smell the fumes, and I've not had any more problems with it. I don't think anyone should be inhaling these fumes, whether it is currently giving you problems or not. It's only a matter of time before you have problems with the fumes, if don't already have them. I think if I wasn't doing a CA finish, I'd do more lacquer finishes.

 

[William Young]

Interesting subject:
I agree that some people are allergic to some things more than others. I am allergic to some cedars but not all. Especially the aromatic red cedar yet I am presently building two large fretwork clocks out of ordinary western red cedar and it doesn't bother me as much.I love it because of its beautifull color when oiled and laquered and also because it is dirt cheap where I live.
I get severe headaches when exposed to CA either in liquid or dry sanding form. Therefore I use epoxy for glueing in tubes and it also fills better than thick CA does. I do use CA when in a hurry but I try to avoid it if there is another way.
Some say they use it in front of their 4" DC pipe. I have a home made hood behind my lathe like that also. But what goes around, comes around and although the DC is capeable of capturing less than .1 micron particles of dust, it wont capture fumes from chemicals so expect them to go in one ear and out the other so to speak.
And when it comes to laquer, I love the finish but I have become terribly allergic to solvent based laquer and that is why I use WB laquer. Not only because of the heath problems assosiated with solvent base but because of other features the WB have that make it superior to SB.
For anyone using solvent base laquer, please be carefull. Without a proper spray booth you could have a terrible explosion from the slightest source of ignition. And solvent base laquer is also documented as causing permanent and irreversible neurological damage if not properly used. I'm glad I quit using it years ago while I still have a couple brain cells left.
W.Y.

 

[Doghouse]

JMHO:

Olive wood has enough oil, that it polishes up to a shine that cannot compare to a covering. Many of my customers of the past weekend, loved the aroma of the olives. If you can try micro mesh it can get olive wood to a beautiful shine. (if you want to add to it, wet sand with olive oil)

 

[penhead]

Doghouse,
Can you expand a bit on your last line - wet sand and olive oil - ..?

Thanks,
JohnPayton

 

[penhead]

Doghouse,
Can you expand a bit on your last line - wet sand and olive oil - ..?

Thanks,
JohnPayton

 

[penhead]

I have _got_ to slow down..! Building a shop, remod'ing kitchen, ten hour office days, throw in a teenager to keep track of and I think I need a day off...actually, I think my mind was already headed to the Beach to get the 'wet sand'...and I'm sure I have olive oil around here somewhere...