I rubbed my shellac to a satin finish - now what?
Jeff Thieme
superblonde. It's my first project with my new Critter and I'm really pleased
with both the Critter and the shellac. I let it cure a few days and today I
rubbed it with synthetic steel wool to a satin sheen. My question is, Do I
just leave it as is? I went to my source, and the Flexner book recommends wax
to protect the finish, but I don't want the gloss to come back. If I wax it
then I'll lose the satin sheen and it will get glossy again. How do I know?
I did that and had to remove the wax already. Do you guys just rub out the
shellac to the desired sheen and then you're finished, or do you do something
else to protect the shellac? Please help as my arms are getting tired.
-Jeff
Kevin Singleton
Glad to hear the Critter is working out. Post pics.
Kevin
--
"Deal me another hand, Lord. This one's very hard."
http://homepages.msn.com/hobbyct/kevindsingleton
Jeff Thieme wrote in message ...
Michael Glennon
Rub out to any sheen you want then try the wax applied with some 0000 steel
wool if you don't like the wax remove it with naphtha and leave the shellac
as is.
A thought
--
Mike G.
Weymouth Ma.
http://home.att.net/~mjag/
mj...@worldnet.att.net
"Jeff Thieme" <rjth...@syr.edu> wrote in message
news:mU6P4.14495$4w1.1...@typhoon.nyroc.rr.com...
David F. Eisan
You are done.
Thanks,
David.
When I grow up, I want to be older.
Newbies, please read this newsgroups FAQ.
rec.ww FAQ http://www.robson.org/woodfaq/
Archives http://x29.deja.com/home_ps.shtml
crowbar FAQ http://www.concentric.net/~Odeen/oldtools/crowbar.shtml
Jeff Thieme
>You can just leave it, or you can get some wax that doesn't get so glossy.
>Glad to hear the Critter is working out. Post pics.
>
>Kevin
>
Thanks. I'm gonna leave it. All the wax I've used (Butcher's and Briwax) add
too much shine.
The Critter worked great. I'm almost done with the entertainment center. As
soon as it's done, I'll borrow a digital camera from work and post some
pictures.
-Jeff
mike
Pride).
Mike
--
------------------------
hardymi_AT_earthlink.net
Windows PC: A computer with training wheels you can't remove.
Paul T. Radovanic
There are an infinite number of degrees of "satin" between gloss and
matte. Rub the shellac to a flatter satin before waxing, and/or use a
wax that has a more satin sheen, like straight beeswax.
It sounds like you used the synthetic wool just enough to dull the
surface. You can use a coarser grit, or rub with 4F pumice. I like
pumice because it gives it a silky feel as well as adjusting the
sheen. Stay away from corners and edges with either one.
You could do without the wax, I suppose, but the wax will offer some
protection from moisture and abrasion.
Thin the wax with turps to about the consistency of mayonnaise, rub it
in with the abrasive pad, and immediately wipe it off -- all of it.
Come back in 5 minutes, and again in an hour, and buff.
If you think your arms are tired now, try rubbing to high gloss
sometime! When you're done, you can see your face in the finish, and
it looks pooped. ;o)
Paul Rad
Jeff Thieme
>Two suggestions:
>
>There are an infinite number of degrees of "satin" between gloss and
>matte. Rub the shellac to a flatter satin before waxing, and/or use a
>wax that has a more satin sheen, like straight beeswax.
>
>It sounds like you used the synthetic wool just enough to dull the
>surface. You can use a coarser grit, or rub with 4F pumice. I like
>pumice because it gives it a silky feel as well as adjusting the
>sheen. Stay away from corners and edges with either one.
>
>You could do without the wax, I suppose, but the wax will offer some
>protection from moisture and abrasion.
>
>Thin the wax with turps to about the consistency of mayonnaise, rub it
>in with the abrasive pad, and immediately wipe it off -- all of it.
>Come back in 5 minutes, and again in an hour, and buff.
>
>If you think your arms are tired now, try rubbing to high gloss
>sometime! When you're done, you can see your face in the finish, and
>it looks pooped. ;o)
>
>Paul Rad
I did two things. First, I went to a coarser grade of synthetic steel wool to
dull the shellac a little more, figuring that any wax I use will increase the
sheen. Then, after letting my fingers do the walking, located some beeswax
(not as easy to find as I thought). Flexner recommends reducing the wax in a
double boiler with the recipe: 1 lb. wax to 1 pint thinner. I cut it to 1/4
lb. wax to 4 oz. turpentine. Result? Worked really nicely. I think it could
use more turpentine, as it was a little difficult to apply, but once I got it
rubbed down it is pretty nice. Much better than the harsh shine I was getting
before. I realize that beeswax offers less protection than the normal waxes
(Butcher's, Briwax, Johnson's, Minwax, etc.), but it sure looks better.
Thanks for the help. I would have never found this solution on my own.
-Jeff
Paul T. Radovanic
>I did two things. First, I went to a coarser grade of synthetic steel wool to
>dull the shellac a little more, figuring that any wax I use will increase the
>sheen. Then, after letting my fingers do the walking, located some beeswax
>(not as easy to find as I thought).
I can buy a pound of beeswax for $10 at the art-supply store. It's in
the candle-making section. You'll find paraffin wax there, too. A
pound lasts me a long time, and I use it for finishes and lubricating
screws.
>Flexner recommends reducing the wax in a
>double boiler with the recipe: 1 lb. wax to 1 pint thinner. I cut it to 1/4
>lb. wax to 4 oz. turpentine. Result? Worked really nicely. I think it could
>use more turpentine, as it was a little difficult to apply, but once I got it
>rubbed down it is pretty nice.
I do it that way when I'm in a hurry, but you can mix the turps with
the wax without the double-boiler; it just takes a day or two to have
its effect. Go ahead and add more turps to it now. If it gets too
runny, just leave the cover off for a while, and some of the turps
will evaporate. FWIW, I don't even think about ratios. When the
consistency looks right, I use it.
BTW, I thin all my waxes that way, including the canned stuff.
Most people apply too much wax and then leave it on too long before
buffing. Then it's impossible to buff properly. After buffing, you
can tell if you did it correctly -- when you slide a rag across the
table, it should fly off the end. If it "sticks", there's too much
wax, and it will never cure. Nothing to do but strip it off with
turps or min.spirits and start over.
>Much better than the harsh shine I was getting
>before. I realize that beeswax offers less protection than the normal waxes
>(Butcher's, Briwax, Johnson's, Minwax, etc.), but it sure looks better.
The only problem I've seen with beeswax is that it will soften in a
warm environment. Then it will fingerprint. But it's not usually a
problem in room temperature.
In any case, that soft, satiny glow is worth the trade off.
Try this on some scrap: Sand or plane it smooth, then pad on a thin,
watery washcoat or two of shellac. Sand off the raised grain, then
apply two or four or six coats of beeswax, an hour apart. It's a
simple finish, but it's beautiful.
>Thanks for the help. I would have never found this solution on my own.
You're welcome. Glad it worked for you.
Paul Rad