Redwood Lace Burl

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M

MSGMP

Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Messages
118
Location
Springfield, TN
I turned a Redwood Lace Burl blank last night and can't get a finish on it. I tried my normal BLO/CA, but it did not stick. Sanded it off, wiped it down and tried a HUT friction polish. No luck again, didn't even put a low gloss shine. This is the first time I have turned this wood, am I missing something with this species? It is oily, so I am worried about a straight CA finish not binding. Any ideas?
 
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I don't generally think of redwood being particularly oil... Any chance the wood is still wet? Most of the redwood burl that I've turned has been very porous, and it really soaks up the thin CA. I'm interested to see what others say.
 
1+ for soaking up the CA . Unless it was stabilized it is going to take allot of CA to get a good finish on it . Keep soaking it with thin CA until it stops soaking in , then finish as usual
 
Shawn, send ldubia a member her firm CA a PM, I bought some redwood form him and if I not mistaken he makes stuff out of Redwood, he may be able to tell yo u what's the best remedy for it, but like Butch said you have to be patient and keep dribbling that CA until you see that it won't suck the CA and it start building up.
 
Thanks, will work on it some more. It was not wet but really clogged the sandpaper and trashed one side of my micromesh pads while sanding. Hope it turns out because it is a beautiful piece.
 
If it clogged your sandpaper and tore up some MM, then your finish was to rough to start with. +2 on Butch with soaking up thin CA. I made a dozen of these for a client and had no problem with the sanding. Sand to 600, then apply the ca until it quits soaking in.
You should be able to get a good finish from there.
 
Redwood is not an oily wood. The BLO is oily. Butch is 10000000% correct about soaking up the CA. Think about how light the blank was to start of with. It feels more like balsa than real wood. If you normally do six coats of thin CA, then you are in for a real surprise. With woods like this, I will do six or so thin coats, six medium and then to thick until the finish is thick enough to sand.
 
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