I'm trying to decide on bowl finishes. I'm very new to side grain/end grain turning after focusing on spindle stuff for the whole time since I started turning in... oh, 2007? For spindle work I tend to prefer high gloss finishes - CA, pens plus, friction polish.
I might use some of my bowls to hold dry foods, but no plans right now to use them for anything "wet" like salad or cereal or soup. So food safe is important, but not necessarily super high water resistance. I would like the finish to be reasonably durable, in the sense that I don't want to have to re-apply it or touch it up every month because I used the bowl to hold M&Ms.
I've done a couple of bowls with Mahoney oil. It works fine, but I'd like to achieve a higher gloss. I've tried pure carnuba wax, applied at high speed directly from the stick while the wood is spinning on the lathe, and then melted/flowed/buffed with a cotton rag at the same high speed. I applied it over Mahoney oil that was dry but probably not fully cured. I think it came out looking okay, but I'm really not convinced I've applied it correctly here. I'm not set up to use buffing wheels, and the carnuba wax I have is so doggone hard that I can't picture how I'd be able to load up a buffing wheel with it anyway. It's almost like plastic, not mixed with any other kind of wax at all.
Lately I've been looking at trying something like Tried & True (the varnish version with pine resin). Also considering Waterlox. And of course I'd love to learn how to get a decent gloss from carnuba wax if I've been applying it wrong.
Happy to apply on the lathe or off, happy to wait reasonably dry times (days, sure; weeks, maybe; probably not months or years) even in between multiple coats if necessary. But I have to be able to apply by hand; I'm not set up to spray anything on.
Anyone have favorites to share?
I might use some of my bowls to hold dry foods, but no plans right now to use them for anything "wet" like salad or cereal or soup. So food safe is important, but not necessarily super high water resistance. I would like the finish to be reasonably durable, in the sense that I don't want to have to re-apply it or touch it up every month because I used the bowl to hold M&Ms.
I've done a couple of bowls with Mahoney oil. It works fine, but I'd like to achieve a higher gloss. I've tried pure carnuba wax, applied at high speed directly from the stick while the wood is spinning on the lathe, and then melted/flowed/buffed with a cotton rag at the same high speed. I applied it over Mahoney oil that was dry but probably not fully cured. I think it came out looking okay, but I'm really not convinced I've applied it correctly here. I'm not set up to use buffing wheels, and the carnuba wax I have is so doggone hard that I can't picture how I'd be able to load up a buffing wheel with it anyway. It's almost like plastic, not mixed with any other kind of wax at all.
Lately I've been looking at trying something like Tried & True (the varnish version with pine resin). Also considering Waterlox. And of course I'd love to learn how to get a decent gloss from carnuba wax if I've been applying it wrong.
Happy to apply on the lathe or off, happy to wait reasonably dry times (days, sure; weeks, maybe; probably not months or years) even in between multiple coats if necessary. But I have to be able to apply by hand; I'm not set up to spray anything on.
Anyone have favorites to share?
