question on finishing

[old folks]

I am new to pen turning... I sand 150 grit-600 grit, EEE, then Shellawax.
Finished pens look pretty good but after a couple of days they begin to look bleached out. I did a maghony pen, nice dark finish and a couple of days later it really lightened up.. WHY

 

[wdcav1952]

John,
Personally, I do not care for Shellawax or any of the friction polishes. For me, they do not last. Consider using a sanding sealer and then use Deft. I use the Enduro System that Wayne S recommends. It takes a long time, but the finish is worth it and it lasts.

Hope this helps,

 

[JimGo]

I think William hit the nail on the head. Shellac doesn't really hold up well to use, but it sure buffs up nicely! Another option, if you can stand the fumes, is BLO/CA, or just plain CA. Takes a few tries to get it right, but once you figure out the technique, it can look pretty darn good! That's not a knock on Enduro; the pens Wayne and Tom (sorry, there are probably others too!) have shown here with Enduro look phenominal, but if you're like I usually am and want "instant gratification", a CA-based finish can give you very quick results.

Good luck John!