Shopsmith Forums

I have been a lurker on this forum (mostly) with just a few postings. I did post regarding the excellent video involving the French Polish Technique. I have to say I finally have tried this age old technique, but not on a guitar part (yet), but on a lathe-turned wooden bowl (2 actually). I am not at home to photograph the bowls, but I will post pics later.

The technique I used is as follows:
1) After fine sanding and burnishing the bowls with the fine sawdust, I wiped clean and applied a mixture of denatured alcohol & super blonde flake shellac (about a 1.5 lb mix) liberally to the surface of the interior and I spread it with a paper towel.
2) I did the same to the exterior.
3) After degassing (volatiles evaporate off) I burnished with a clean brown paper sandwich bag. The burnishing brought the lacquer to a slight shine, but also exposed the areas that need much more shellac.
4) After a day of hardening, I then made a rubber (you know the dauber - cotton balls inside and old worn out tee shirt cotton outside). I poured the blonde shellac mixture into the cotton balls, and wrapped it up. Added a few drops of virgin Olive Oil via eyedropper to the flattened outed bottom surface of the dauber, and started swirling actions to the inside and then outside of the bowl.
5) Anytime the pad starts to stick add a few drops of olive oil, when no more shellac can be squeezed out of the pad, open and add more shellac mix.


I have to say after about 4 coats of the stuff I have a pretty durable and shiny surface, and it does not require any air compressor or spray guns, and with the bowls - SHELLAC is a food safe surface and is repairable easily.

I promise I will post pics later.

Look for the Spalted Silver Maple Bowl & Spalted Hackberry Small Bowl coming to a theater near you.

I use a similar technique doing old finish duplication/repair. I use the "tampon" or cotton balled up in a piece of cotton cloth, you speak of. Really lays out a shine! I have also overcoated the shellac with Varnish,for a more durable non-foodsafe finish. The olive oil is a great idea, as I use mineral oil. I will try the olive oil sometime! I saw a master woodturner from Holland use some kind of stick to finish his beautiful bowls and tiny little Christmas ornaments. Man he was an incredible artisan. Absolutely, the best teacher of any kind I have ever had. Paul Terlow (SP?) was his name. He lived in Leucadia Calif.. He was always entered in the Del Mar Calif. state fair, and I think won several times. He helped find me my first SS. An old 10ER. I still have it, and use it regularly. I think old Paul is gone now, but I'll never forget him! What a character he was. jimsjinx

Photos: Spalted Silver Maple Bowl - measures about 11.5" diameter x 5.5" high. It's my first big bowl turning (not a guitar, I know, but woodworking and finishing). I still have a lot more shellac to apply to it.

And here's the smaller Spalted Hackberry Bowl. It measures about 5.5" diameter and about 3.25" high.

I hope you can appreciate the finish of this technique. It is a bit more hands-on than just spraying, but the high luster and the durability are fairly good. As long as water does not sit on the finish it is pretty resistant. And it is easily repaired; just add more denatured shellac mixture and buff, I was also told you can apply anything over it, and it can go over anything. And it's BUG SPIT!!

Nice finish, but even nicer turning. That maple bowl has got it right!!!! Nice detail(bottom, lip)!

Thanks - the finish is still in the beginning stages of development & learning. The turnings were mentored by the fine gentlemen of the TN Association of Woodturners here in Brentwood & Nashville area. They have been very gracious to help me and show me how to do on rock steady equipment. I hope I can duplicate the results on my own 1955 Shopsmith Greenie. I have acquired the G3 Nova 4-jaw chuck and the right adapter, but the weather hasn't cooperated yet. (I pull the Shopsmith out to the driveway to work.)

As far as longevity of shellac goes, I have a bowl made back in the a late '50s shop class that is still holding up. Back then learned to simply apply a small amount of boiled linseed oil to a soft rag and then some shellac, and then apply to the turning bowl or other object. With some pressure the mixture dries quickly.

I have tried to use the BF Shellac mix on pens, rubbed on with a finger as a sanding sealer, and then on a paper towel while the pen turned, and a got a pretty fair shine. Then some Johnson's Wax for a final polish. Pretty good shine, but definitely not glassy.

I am wanting to try the CA sealer treatment for pens next time.

The bowls, though, I like the touchy feely application of the shellac. Old world craftsmanship - sort of.

Just so we all know... spalt in wood is rot or fungus. The finish has to be 100% perfect if you are going to use these for food items. Personally, I would not use any spalted wood for any items that would be used for food. I'm, just sayin'

Derek

Nice job! I like how you have signed, dated and identified the wood species on the bottom of your bowls.