I’ve been making a new light for the kitchen in my “hobby time”. I’ve made three shades out of fresh eucalyptus that will house fluorescent mini-spirals hanging over the kitchen table. It took five tries to get three intact shades. I was inspired by the gentleman that makes the incredibly expensive alder lamp shades and lamps, but I can’t turn such big pieces on my little Jet lathe.
My question: I’d like to use a finish that will impregnate the shade and stiffen it while passing light through. I’m going to try soaking in Watco and wipe on poly on parts of the cracked failed attempts. Does anyone else have suggestions?
Thanks in advance. I’ll be up in the national park so I won’t be able to thank responders for a week or so.
Replies
If you can get ahold of it you could try using Sherwin Williams HOMOCLAD sealer. It's a specialty sealer that's designed to soak in rather than film build.
Reading from the product data sheet in my SW Finishing Systems Guide...
"Sher-Wood HOMOCLAD Sealer is a tough, moisture resistant, synthetic sealer..."
"Advantages:
Deep penetration into wood pores.
Imparts dimensional stability by filling the air voids in wood.
Better moisture resistance, toughness and adhesion than lacquer sealers.
Resists rot by restoring synthetic resin replacing sap to open pores.
Reduces tendency to warp.
Low viscosity, deep penetration.
Versatile application by dip, brush, spray, or flowcoat."
Sounds like it'd work.
My sole experience with this particular sealer was many years ago working at a place that made, among many other things, butcher blocks for kitchens. They'd dip the butcher blocks in a huge vat of HOMOCLAD and let it dry and that was all they did by way of finishing.
The product data sheet says that this sealer is full gloss, but that it appears flat because it soaks in rather than building a film on the surface. I imagine that with enough repeat applications one could eventually get it to build up a film that would then be glossy.
It doesn't say what the resin is other than that it's synthetic. Clean up is with toluene or xylene. So, I would assume that it's likely an alkyd resin. That would leave a considerably tougher and more stable finished product than the Watco would.
Edited 8/17/2005 12:21 pm ET by Kevin
incredibly expensive alder lamp shades ..
Got a Pic?? Not sure exactly what you are doing but I have made some lamp shades out of sheets of Veneer over a wire frame...
Turned out pretty well.. Well, I liked them!
Geee EDIT:: My spellins'
Edited 8/17/2005 1:08 pm ET by WillGeorge
Here's the URL: http://www.woodshades.com/ He turns huge wet aspen rounds. 200 pounds! After 3 back surguries, I'd need the tractor and the bucket to even lift that sucker! Look at the page with the lamps for sale and the prices.The shades that I turned are 10 - 12 inch cones of eucalyptus with one end at about 6" and the other about 3"; about 1/16 th thick. I can't even imagine making such delicate things on the lathe even close to the size he does. Not my lathe anyway!
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