In Search of the Perfect Wooden Pen Finish
Written: Jan 18 '09 (Updated Jan 23 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to apply
Cons: Not resistant to some solvents
The Bottom Line: If you take the time and effort to make a piece of wood beautiful you want something to protect it. Mylands does that pretty well and easily.
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| gamblin_man's Full Review: Mylands Friction Polish |
I have a new hobby. I am using my mid-size lathe to turn 3/4" square X 5" pieces of exotic wood into pens, ball point, fountain, and roller ball, as well as mechanical pencils. Part of this hobby is to find something to enhance and protect the natural beauty of the wood after it becomes a wooden pen. Shellac has a few shortcomings, especially its lack of resistance to alcohol, but for shellac I believe Mylands Friction Polish, a product of an English company, is the best.
Mylands Friction Polish
First let's define what a friction polish is. Essentially it is shellac held in suspension in a carrier. It usually also contains some finishing oil. The carrier is usually alcohol based since alcohol melts shellac. When the shellac is rubbed into a wooden turning and the wood spun on the lathe, you use a rag or a piece of paper towel to apply pressure as the wood turns. This pressure provides friction and heat which tends to smooth and dry the shellac as the carrier evaporates.
Mylands is considered a high build polish. This means it contains more solids than some of its competitors. You can see this when picking up the container. You have to shake it well to get the solids thoroughly distributed before applying. Some turners like lacquer or even instant glue, CA glue as its known in the trade.
For me CA glue mixed with a little boiled linseed oil and applied as a friction polish is nice and the coating nearly impervious to dirt and solvents. The downside is harsh fumes and the result gives a plastic look and feel. It is a little slower, but the closest to the finish time of friction polish as any other.
Lacquer is much harder and slower to apply. The durability is excellent but the look is still plastic and the feel less that of the warmth of touching wood. I have used wipe-on poly and like the result but the time to get a smooth finish is pretty long.
I believe shellac is a good compromise for most projects. Here is how I do it. After sanding to around 600 or 800 grit I apply Mylands Sanding Sealer and friction polish it until it is quite warm and dry. For open grain woods I use two coats. I sand on out to 6000 grit and apply the first coat of Mylands Friction Polish. I work it until the wood is quite warm and then sand from 6000 grit to 12000 grit. I put on the final coat of Mylands Friction Polish and heat it, then rub on a thin coat of Renaissance Wax and let it sit for a few seconds before polishing it in with XXXX steel wool. A final coat of Renaissance wax polished with a paper towel finishes the process and the pen is ready to assemble.I keep the towel I use last handy to rub off anything I get on the pen body during assembly.
The result of this pretty quick effort is a glowing pen with the wood's beauty clearly shown and fingermarks easily wiped away. I haven't been turning long enough to assess how long this finish will stay beautiful, but others with lots more experience use it regularly and have good results.
Recommended:
Yes
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gamblin_man
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Member: Larry
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