I bought a piece of bubinga that I intend to mount a photo to (a metal print using a sublimation process). But before I get to that point, I am really unsure of the best way to finish the wood (and what few finishing skills I have are very rusty). Once the piece is completed, it is going to live on the wall, so durability is not a major concern (though not having to tear it apart later to do touch-ups would be preferable). I have nut allergies and so am leery of tung oil.
I have searched this forum, but it appears a lot of the guidance is for furniture/functional pieces which require more care, or for a high gloss (I think a semi-gloss finish would better compliment the photo). Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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I just finished a box with a quarter sawn bubinga top. Sanded to 220 and finished with three coats of wiping varnish (equal parts semi gloss helmsman spar urethane, BLO, and mineral spirits). This was my first time with bubinga and was very pleased with the results.
Most exotic woods contain a lot of oil. Before you apply finish or do any gluing, wipe the wood down with acetone. An oil based finish will pop the grain. So will a coat of shellac followed by two coats of any good water based top coat. That’s what I use for building guitars.
It's just my opinion but you couldn't have chosen a prettier wood. I use it whenever I can afford the piece I need. Since you mentioned oils, I prefer Danish oil. It's a mixture of shellac and linseed oil. My favorite is Watco, but I've had scrumptious success with Tried & True brand.
In the library section of Highland Woodworking's site is an article by Alan Noel titled "wet sanding with penetrating oils." It takes some scrolling to find it but it's worth the effort. The results are mind-blowing. And it's a hell of a lot of fun if you like getting messy.
Farther down on the same page is an article on "wet sanding." It's messy, too, but gives great results.
Thank you for all the suggestions! I'm a bit leary of Danish Oil as it can be either a linseed or tung base, and I don't really know which has what.What about this for a process:
Alternate sanding and wiping with acetone until a high polish
Apply 3-5 coats of BLO over the course of a week
Wait for BLO to cure
Apply wipe on poly?
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