Finish for Birdseye Maple Cane ?

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Dalecamino

Dalecamino

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I have turned my first cane , a 33" BEM which is one solid piece . Would like a glossy finish . CA is out of the question . I've thought about hanging it , and spray with Laquer , but don't want the fumes in the shop . Too cold outside . Maybe wipe-on poly ? I've never used it . I'm looking for something quick and easy , so I can get this bed extension off my lathe and get back to turning the stuff I like to turn . I did a search , and found mostly people looking for cane kits . Any help would be greatly appreciated . Thanks !
 
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I've used birdseye maple in my picture framing business. Oil & wax produces a beautiful finish, just lets the wood show its beauty.
 
Hah, you would have to ask that! I get them already finished from one of my moulding supplier. I guess the idea is, the simpler the better.
 
Thanks anyway , I'm considering a friction polish I have on hand , but not a big fan of that stuff .
 
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dalecamino said:
I have turned my first cane , a 33" BEM which is one solid piece . Would like a glossy finish . CA is out of the question . I've thought about hanging it , and spray with Laquer , but don't want the fumes in the shop . Too cold outside . Maybe wipe-on poly ? I've never used it . I'm looking for something quick and easy , so I can get this bed extension off my lathe and get back to turning the stuff I like to turn . I did a search , and found mostly people looking for cane kits . Any help would be greatly appreciated . Thanks !
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Hi Chuck; My choice would be Flecto Varathane Crystal Clear Waterborne Diamond Wood finish. Dry to the touch in 1 hr. Recoat in 4 hrs. Recommended 3 coats. Can be applied with a cheap sponge brush. Cleanup with water.

It goes on milky and dries very clear.
 
Quick and easy usually won't give a glossy finish. However, shellac (the real stuff, not the friction polish) dries very quickly (10-15min) and is relatively glossy.
 
Multiple coats of danish oil will give it a nice warm look and feel. Keep applying until you get the gloss you desire. Finish it off the lathe - wipe on, wipe off. Just keep it in a dust free area when drying.

Gel poly works nice too - again, finish off the lathe. Wipe on - wipe off. Doesn't give it as much of a yellow tone as the danish oil, but very easy. You can buy in different gloss finishes.
 
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Thanks guys , I went with the friction polish from CSUSA I had on hand . Turned out pretty nicely . Pics will be posted in other things we make forum . Thanks again for the suggestions . I'll try them out in future projects .
 
Finish for Bdseye!

dalecamino said:
Thanks guys , I went with the friction polish from CSUSA I had on hand . Turned out pretty nicely . Pics will be posted in other things we make forum . Thanks again for the suggestions . I'll try them out in future projects .
Click to expand...
On my canes I used wipe on poly. I liked it for ease of appication and durability. On birds eye, and curly maple I also apply "Old masters" cedar stain. I find that it tans the wood nicely, and realy pops the eyes on birdseye, and pops the grain on curly. :smile:
WS (Bob)
 
Chuck...

You can't go wrong with tung oil. Either get some fast dry or mix your own... say a half liter batch... 50-50 tung to mineral spirits with a small amount of Japan Drier (5 ml). Put some Carnauba wax on it followed by some Ren wax and you have a nice Oil/Wax finish that is easy to touch up as needed.
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
I use a water based sealer & sanding sealer (two coats). Then I put on up to four coats of gloss finish. Dries fast and you can speed it up by using some bright lights that will produce some heat. Thin the poly with 10-20% water for a smooth finish. Works very well on the lazy Susan's I make.
 
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