I tried something new, (new to me anyway) while finishing a walnut bowl I turned on my lathe. I sanded it through the grits up to P400 and was satisfied it was smooth enough for me. After sanding, I brushed on a coat of Deft’s Sanding Sealer, (lacquer based?). I came back to it the next day and sanded it to an even surface again but could still clearly see a layer of the sealer on the wood.
The next thing I did was buff out the bowl using the Beall polishing system. I buffed it through all three waxes and wheels and initially I was very impressed with how it was turning out. When I was finished I moved it into better light and saw several patches that looked like the sealer had gummed up. When I touched the “gummy” areas they actually felt very firm and were not sticky or gummy at all.
I am turning this bowl as a gift and do not want to give it to the family in its current condition. I’m sure it can look better if I figure out how to do it correctly. The Beall process in the area that wasn’t gummy looks very good and I would like to repeat that process.
Any suggestions on how I should proceed? If I use lacquer thinner will it cut through the wax and remove/smooth out the sanding sealer? I already removed the mounting tenon from the bottom so turning on the lathe again is not a good option for me.
Replies
Sanding sealer is not meant to be used as a final finish, it's purpose is to speed the process of applying a lacquer finish, primarily of value to commercial shops who are trying to speed production, and are willing to reduce the quality of the finish in doing so. (There are other sanding sealers specifically made for specialized pro finishes that have a valid purpose.) .
I recommend you do use the lacquer thinner to remove the sanding sealer, it will remove wax even more readily. You really have no need to sanding sealer, it is just lacquer with a stearate (chemical soap) added to make it easier to sand. But, it does weaken the finish.
A replacement finish could be lacquer or shellac, without any sanding sealer, though you will have to work off the lathe. If you have more questions feel free to ask.
As an aside, your lathe should have "better light" anyway. It will improve the turning to see the surfaces sharply and clearly.
Often naptha is used to remove wax. I'm not sure if lacquer thinner will remove the wax.
Lacquer thinner will remove wax In a heart beat. The solvents in lacquer thinner are more agressive than naptha. They aren't recommended when the only issue is removing wax because they might go too far and remove or damage the underlying finish. Finishes which could be damaged include NC lacquer, waterborne finishes, or oil based varnish, especially if the varnish had not been very well cured.
Responses
All comments from all posters make the site better -
Yes some here have way more experience than others but lets allow folks to answer -
Especially when responding to a poster who didn't even ask the original question -
SA
Thanks for the info Steve. Lac thinner is not something I use to clean finishes, as I use primarily WB, Nice to know, though, that if someone asks me how to remove NC I won't suggest first to clean with naptha to remove any wax.
It worked!
Thank you Steve and Don for taking the time to reply to my post.
I gave the lacquer thinner a try and it worked well. The lacquer thinner on a clean cotton rag, along with a little elbow grease, removed the wax and excess sanding sealer nicely.
I buffed it out with the Beall system again and this time I am very happy with the results.
Thanks again gentleman and take care.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled