jwm57
Member
I'm a new member, but have looked at previous threads before joining you.
I am not a pen turner as a vocation, but I do turn pens in batches now and then.
The topic is finishing, and it applies to more than pens. I have been a wood turner for many years - mainly green wood bowls and hollow forms from branches set to turn as face grain. A bit of spindle work on pens and other "projects" like the ice cream scoops my granddaughters love to give away.
I try to make my own finishes, but haven't done so for pens as I haven't specialized there. I do love making spinning tops as a relaxation, and that brings me to the finishes. For my tops I use light colored wood (el cheapo Loews poplar 2" square lengths - just make sure you don't see the color difference in the two halves they are made from -bad balance if you can see the difference). I paint them with spirals, then overlay with a home made beeswax paste.
Don't know why I went through that, probably just to say I can make my own finishes. I've a jar of 4 lb cut, and one of 2lb cut, beeswax. For my bowls and other forms I used Waterlox, and still do for some - but for most I use my own concoctions of oils and spirits and shellacs and varnishes. I ask no advice from the Penturners on that.
I want a finish that will stand up to fingers, and that is the nature of the pen (and also the nice egg or ball for meditators <g>)
OK, that was the setup from an old fart about to attend his 60th college reunion (we will all be over 80). Now to the products.
I have been sanding my pens to a reasonable level then using the EEE-Ultra Shine from Ubeat in Australia (as sold by PSI, and others, in the US). I got onto this track when I saw a post (Google) by a bowl turner in England touting Yorkshire grit. That post raised a bunch of posting on my "home site" for wood turning, the AAW forums (American Assoc. of Woodturners).
I'm no asking you pen people about the EEE - I know what it is and I've enough left for the time being - and I know how to make an equivalent using the Tripoli (Rottenstone to you Aussies - and no disrespect there, the eldest of my mother's sisters married an Aussie in about 1890 and moved there, my mother never met her eldest English sister, but during WWII I carried on a pen pal conversation with Aunt Meg's grandson, Keith. Keith had a couple of years on me, and a generation removed. I think we lost him some time ago, but I never knew Aunt Meg's married name so I can't try to track him down
Wow, it is the Irish in me, perhaps - but the Irish in me came from Canada. How do we finish a piece over a finish like the EEE-Ultra Shine - which is basically a fine abrasive with a bit of oils and waxes and, perhaps, a bit of a varnish or shellac?
I've been using Shellawax, but my little bucket went hard when I went back to it. The pen I made, expecting to use the Shellawax, is now overlayed with a lathe turned in beeswax paste. Shellawax is too damned expensive, in my opinion, for what it is. I'm willing to stick with my EEE-Ultra, I''ve got enough left.
Earlier threads here suggest the Woodturner's Finish from Quality Finishes, and also some others. I seen a finish sold on Amazon (as a microchystal and wax) called Rennaisence Finish.
I'm confused. I understand my finishes for my larger pieces that aren't generally handled - I am at a total loss as to what economical finish I can use as the final finish for something that will be handled. As pens are always handled I ask the pen turners what I should buy, or make, for my final finish - on the assumption that I'll use an equivalent of the EEE grit fiinsh first.
I am not a pen turner as a vocation, but I do turn pens in batches now and then.
The topic is finishing, and it applies to more than pens. I have been a wood turner for many years - mainly green wood bowls and hollow forms from branches set to turn as face grain. A bit of spindle work on pens and other "projects" like the ice cream scoops my granddaughters love to give away.
I try to make my own finishes, but haven't done so for pens as I haven't specialized there. I do love making spinning tops as a relaxation, and that brings me to the finishes. For my tops I use light colored wood (el cheapo Loews poplar 2" square lengths - just make sure you don't see the color difference in the two halves they are made from -bad balance if you can see the difference). I paint them with spirals, then overlay with a home made beeswax paste.
Don't know why I went through that, probably just to say I can make my own finishes. I've a jar of 4 lb cut, and one of 2lb cut, beeswax. For my bowls and other forms I used Waterlox, and still do for some - but for most I use my own concoctions of oils and spirits and shellacs and varnishes. I ask no advice from the Penturners on that.
I want a finish that will stand up to fingers, and that is the nature of the pen (and also the nice egg or ball for meditators <g>)
OK, that was the setup from an old fart about to attend his 60th college reunion (we will all be over 80). Now to the products.
I have been sanding my pens to a reasonable level then using the EEE-Ultra Shine from Ubeat in Australia (as sold by PSI, and others, in the US). I got onto this track when I saw a post (Google) by a bowl turner in England touting Yorkshire grit. That post raised a bunch of posting on my "home site" for wood turning, the AAW forums (American Assoc. of Woodturners).
I'm no asking you pen people about the EEE - I know what it is and I've enough left for the time being - and I know how to make an equivalent using the Tripoli (Rottenstone to you Aussies - and no disrespect there, the eldest of my mother's sisters married an Aussie in about 1890 and moved there, my mother never met her eldest English sister, but during WWII I carried on a pen pal conversation with Aunt Meg's grandson, Keith. Keith had a couple of years on me, and a generation removed. I think we lost him some time ago, but I never knew Aunt Meg's married name so I can't try to track him down
Wow, it is the Irish in me, perhaps - but the Irish in me came from Canada. How do we finish a piece over a finish like the EEE-Ultra Shine - which is basically a fine abrasive with a bit of oils and waxes and, perhaps, a bit of a varnish or shellac?
I've been using Shellawax, but my little bucket went hard when I went back to it. The pen I made, expecting to use the Shellawax, is now overlayed with a lathe turned in beeswax paste. Shellawax is too damned expensive, in my opinion, for what it is. I'm willing to stick with my EEE-Ultra, I''ve got enough left.
Earlier threads here suggest the Woodturner's Finish from Quality Finishes, and also some others. I seen a finish sold on Amazon (as a microchystal and wax) called Rennaisence Finish.
I'm confused. I understand my finishes for my larger pieces that aren't generally handled - I am at a total loss as to what economical finish I can use as the final finish for something that will be handled. As pens are always handled I ask the pen turners what I should buy, or make, for my final finish - on the assumption that I'll use an equivalent of the EEE grit fiinsh first.
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