Monday, October 17, 2005

Russ Fairfield's Finishing Mix

Buddy told us about a good mix for soaking green turnings. Here is information straight from Russ's site. Thanks Russ and Buddy.

Submarine Application
This works very well for small articles - weed-pots, vases, etc. After dry sanding, submerge the piece in a container of the finishing liquid for at least 1-hour or until it is saturated. Allow it to drip dry. Set it aside for several days until the finish is completely dry. If necessary, wipe off any excess that refuses to dry. Then buff it with a soft linen wheel that has been charged with a little Tripoli compound, followed with a wax buffing. The buffing wheels that are specifically made for wood finishing are the best. However, any hardware store cotton wheel can be used when nothing else is available. I always recommend using one of these first, then ordering the expensive wheels from Craft Supplies after determining that you want to continue using this finishing method.
A suitable mixture for this type of finish application can be made from 1-gallon Boiled Linseed Oil, 2-gallons Turpentine or Paint Thinner (Mineral Spirits), and 1- quart varnish. Use equivalent smaller quantities if you don't to make it in a five-gallon bucket. Add �-cup of Japan Drier if you want it to cure faster when the shop temperatures are below 65�F at night. This is not an ideal finish, but it is inexpensive, and just a good as Watco or other Danish Oils. It is also an excellent preservative finish that is better than anything commercially available for wood decks and outdoor furniture.
I use this method for finishing large pieces that are turned from Western Red Cedar and Redwood burls. The wood is turned to its final form and thickness and rough sanded while it is still wet. Then it is placed in a tub filled with enough of the home-brew mixture to cover the wood, and left to soak until all of the water in the wood has been replaced with the mixture. This may take several days or several weeks. Then the piece is removed from the tub and set aside until the "finish" in the wood has cured. Again, this will also take several weeks. When all of this has dried, the wood is put back in the lathe given a final sanding, and the bottom is finished. A higher gloss can be brought out with a buffing wheel.

The above was quoted from "Finishing Secrets" by Russ Fairfield.