Black and white ebony finish

[MedWoodWorx]

Hello all, i am working on a black and white (pale moon) ebony pen. I cannot decide what finish it would be suitable besides ca. Is a carnauba was and buffing enough? Has anyone worked with that wood before? I understand its an oily wood, is sanding to a high grit and buffing enough for a decent shine? I dont plan to use it as an everyday pen, its gonna be a pen sitting on my desk. Thanks for any advice, cheers.

 

[BoonareeBurl]

Hello all, i am working on a black and white (pale moon) ebony pen. I cannot decide what finish it would be suitable besides ca. Is a carnauba was and buffing enough? Has anyone worked with that wood before? I understand its an oily wood, is sanding to a high grit and buffing enough for a decent shine? I dont plan to use it as an everyday pen, its gonna be a pen sitting on my desk. Thanks for any advice, cheers.

My father-in-law, Sev Pakradouni, turned these for me as gifts several years ago, and I believe he uses CA and BLO. He knew I generally prefer a lower- to medium-gloss finish, so I think he used fewer layers than some turners might to get a really glossy/glassy look.

G

 

[Mike]

My only experience with ebony (Gabon Ebony) was a small jewelry box I made for my wife. I tried tung oil and poly and it would not stay on. She prefers a semi-gloss finish, so I sanded to about 8000 grit and used Johnson's floor wax and buffed it out. It turned out very nice.

Mike

 

[MedWoodWorx]

I decided to use a diy paste wax ( 1 part walnut oil, 1 part carnauba wax and 1 part turpentine). The thinking behind this is that the wax will heat when buffed and fill the wood pores, the oil will also form a surface and the turpentine will act as a solvent and speed up drying a bit. The paste is somehow hard (carnauba is a very hard wax) but soft enough to be usesd with a piece of paper/cloth or dremel buffing wheel. Will it work on the long run? I have no idea. Will the oil of the ebony eventually come out of the wood and mix with the paste? Maybe. I ll keep you guys posted. Here is a picture of the blanks so far. Cheers

 

[BoonareeBurl]

I decided to use a diy paste wax ( 1 part walnut oil, 1 part carnauba wax and 1 part turpentine). The thinking behind this is that the wax will heat when buffed and fill the wood pores, the oil will also form a surface and the turpentine will act as a solvent and speed up drying a bit. The paste is somehow hard (carnauba is a very hard wax) but soft enough to be usesd with a piece of paper/cloth or dremel buffing wheel. Will it work on the long run? I have no idea. Will the oil of the ebony eventually come out of the wood and mix with the paste? Maybe. I ll keep you guys posted. Here is a picture of the blanks so far. Cheers

Love that look!

G

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Doctor's Woodshop Pens Plus (the creator is a retired chemical engineer). This is my unquestioned go to and has been for years. I use the same brand's walnut oil to create a hard base and the use Pens Plus to create an extremely durable finish that doesn't look like or feel like plastic. You maintain the look and feel of the wood.

My EDC pen that I have been carrying for years has a few dents from being dropped and the finish lost some sheen but it doesn't show any noticeable wear or damage to the finish. Amazing product that I recommend to everyone for wood pens and other small turnings not to be used with food.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

Doctor's Woodshop Pens Plus (the creator is a retired chemical engineer). This is my unquestioned go to and has been for years. I use the same brand's walnut oil to create a hard base and the use Pens Plus to create an extremely durable finish that doesn't look like or feel like plastic. You maintain the look and feel of the wood.

My EDC pen that I have been carrying for years has a few dents from being dropped and the finish lost some sheen but it doesn't show any noticeable wear or damage to the finish. Amazing product that I recommend to everyone for wood pens and other small turnings not to be used with food.

I cannot agree more with you, i also use pens plus as a finish and most likely its a better finish than my paste wax. However its the joy of making something of my own that made me do and try it. Cheers