Friction finish - final touch?

[PMisiaszek]

I typically use Mylands friction finish on my wood pens. I get a nice build-up of the finish, but, particularly on darker wood pens, I can see some very fine swirls in the finish. Obviously, I'm either missing a final touch, or there is something in my basic technique that I can improve on. I've tried changing applicators, and changing application pressure, but I'm still getting very fine swirls. What am I missing?

 

[Rifleman1776]

Two problems. Your sanding is leaving those swirls or 'rings'. In between grits, stop the lathe and hand sand with the grain. Clean the blank with an air blast or denatured alcohol, or just wiping with a soft paper towel. Most friction finishes will give a good looking appearance. But they are not durable for something that is handled like a pen, they wear off very quickly. Check this forum for suggestions. Finishing is a common topic here.

 

[redfishsc]

Double-agree with Rifleman. On second thought, for oily woods like cocobolo, lignum/verawood, or other rosewood types, friction polish is fine. The oily woods don't need a finish and feel silky in the hand if you sand them up to 12,000 Micro Mesh. Then friction polish them.

 

[schellfarms]

I have been using friction polish, and also noticed how fast it wears off. I have found something else I really like. After about 5 or 6 coats of FP, I apply one thin coat of Arm-r-seal with a lint free cloth. I allow the pen to dry overnight on the lathe and assemble. This stuff is a wax and polyurethane mix. It dries to a nice shine. Comparing just FP and this stuff on the same woods side by side shows much more gloss with the arm-r-seal. I think with the poly, it should be pretty durable....You can also sand very lightly and apply additional coats of the arm-r-seal if desired.

 

[Dario]

I stopped using FP long time ago due to the short life of the finish.

Rather than mastering FP...you might want to learn other finishes like; CA, Laquer, Shellac, Enduro or Unaxol (fairly new but seems like similar to Enduro).

Read Russ Fairfield's Finishing Secret for a lot more []