I’ll soon be turning a number of pens from Live Oak (the ancient Deer Head Oak, at least 1000 years old; it’s the iconic tree in our Village).
What finish should I use? I’d like to have a medium gloss, something that will display the grain of this interesting wood. But the main conceern is to have a finish that will LAST over time. He pens I’ve turned from various woods in the past look fabulous at first, but with the grit, sweat, and oils of regular use they lose their luster, sometimes very soon.
Thanks in advance!
villagesam
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I've turned 50 or more pens out of various domestic and exotic wood and start with a super smooth surface that has been sanded to 350 - 400 grit, then burnished with sawdust left over from the turning by running the lathe at high speed while holding the sawdust against the turnings. Then I apply Deft lacquer from an aerosol spray can, but I spray the lacquer on a rag and wipe it on the turnings at a slow speed. I do this three or four times and let the last coat dry for a couple of hours. Finally, I apply one of the Hut brand hard waxes and polish it with a rag or paper towel with the lathe turning at high speed. I've never had a call back or complaint and the pens look and feel like "real wood". The hardest finish I know of is CA glue, but it makes the pens look almost like plastic.
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