# Behlen's Finish



## jttheclockman (Feb 28, 2009)

I just was at a woodworking show this weekend and was talking with Barry Gross of the pen turning and scrolling fame. He was showing his style of pen turning and happens to use Behlen's turners polish  http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11330. I was wondering do any of you use it also. I tell you this it does come up to a fantastic shine. I asked him how it holds up and he says it does very well. Very easy to apply and the blank is done in no time with one application. Can top coat with a polish if you want.


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## mrcook4570 (Feb 28, 2009)

It doesn't hold a candle to CA.


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## NewLondon88 (Feb 28, 2009)

jttheclockman said:


> I was wondering do any of you use it also. I tell you this it does come up to a fantastic shine.



It does give a good shine, but it isn't nearly as rugged as CA, nor is it as
easy to apply. The directions say to apply, let it dry and then polish with
the dried rag. (dried polish in the rag) and it buffs up nicely.. provided the
rag is completely dry. If it isn't, you'll need to go buy the thinner to remove
it and start again.

I like the smell better than CA though.. :biggrin:


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## jttheclockman (Feb 28, 2009)

Not sure about the easy to apply thing. It sure was easy for him. Like I said it was done in a matter of seconds. The holding up thing is what I would be worried about. It is a shellac. I think this would wear off. But the thing is he sells pens in the hundreds of dollars and has a large clientelle and does alot of shows so I am not sure who to believe.


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## NewLondon88 (Feb 28, 2009)

Oh, you can apply it in seconds, but that's just applying it. Most woods
seem to suck it up, so more than one coat is probably necessary, and
it needs an overnight cure. Multiple coats are at least an hour apart.

It is shellac and resin based, but it isn't a friction polish.
It works more like a padding lacquer than like a polish
http://www.rockler.com/tech/RTD10000048AA.pdf

Don't get me wrong .. I use it and I like it.


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## chriselle (Mar 1, 2009)

mrcook4570 said:


> It doesn't hold a candle to CA.



Or Urushi.


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## NewLondon88 (Mar 1, 2009)

chriselle said:


> Or Urushi.



gesundheit


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## JerryS (Mar 1, 2009)

Barry did a demo for our turning club a few months back . He also did this finish in his demo . He did apply a coat of thin CA  and finished it with the Behlens.  

I haven't tried this brand of finish but some people complain it gums up , I remember Barry saying to keep the cloth with behlens moving . After looking at the sample I thought it looked just as good as a CA finish , whether it holds up as well I don't know .


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## marcruby (Mar 3, 2009)

I think the wood used in the pen has a lot to do with how well the Behlen's finish holds up.  I have maple and cherry pens that still look good, and a couple of coco pens that lost the finish in a few months.  I'm not convinced that CA is the best finish in the world, but correctly applied it's probably the most durable.

Marc


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## wickford (Mar 5, 2009)

Behlan's is definitely a good finish, and I've found it easy to apply and I get a very glossy finish, however, like the others have said, I don't think it will hold up like CA.  The method I use is one that I got from one of Barry Gross' books.  Apply EEE cream after sanding, then apply the behlan's.  great finish.  I normally apply the behlan's and then crank up the lathe speed and buff.  comes out very nice, but again, not sure about the longevity.  I have some done like this a couple years ago and the shine is gone.  

Can't beat behlan's for bowls and wine bottle stoppers though...


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## dirtrider (Apr 27, 2009)

Is Behlen's similar to the Mylands Friction Polish?  If not, can Mylands be used over a thin CA finish/seal coat?  Btw...what the heck is EEE cream?  I've seen it in numerous posts, but for the life of me, I can't figure it out.  I even did searches, but came up with nothing.  HELP!  

I am working on a couple of graduation pens, and I'm looking for a better finish than just plain Mylands.  I tried it on some snakewood (personal pen), but is dull in some areas and still shiny in others.


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## nava1uni (Apr 28, 2009)

Here is a link to EEE by Shellawax  http://www.ubeaut.com.au/eee.htm
It comes from Australia.  It is used to remove fine scratches from wood and other surfaces.


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## Robert Taylor (Apr 28, 2009)

EEE is tripoli a buffing compound


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## GouletPens (Apr 28, 2009)

when I first started out I read Barry Gross' book and came up with a variation on his polish using the Behlens that was incredibly shiny. It looked like glass, but I found that some woods went to looking like I never even put a finish on them after just a couple of weeks (they look okay if never touched, but if used at all, the stuff just rubs off). This was particularly bad with olivewood, BEB, cocobolo, and many others I can't even remember. Basically everything. So yeah, Barry Gross sells his pens and good for him for doing that, but I know since I've done his method and others that his doesn't hold up to CA or Urushi, as Chris points out. Think about it, it's friggin' shellac. Almost anything is more durable when being handled as much as a pen is.


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## RussFairfield (Apr 28, 2009)

The Behlen's finish is a shellac friction polish that is no different from any of the other friction polishes that are on the market. The final finish is shellac, and it has all of the properties and all of the problems of shellac.  Like all friction polishes, it is easy to apply and polishes up to a fantastic gloss without having to finish the finish after it has been applied. Like all shellac friction polishes, it is the softest and least durable finish you can put on a pen.

How durable the finish has to be is a subjective thing. Beware of statements like "very well" or "a long time" when they are used to describe the durability of a finish. These phrases mean different things to different people.

ALL friction polishes and shellac will wear better if they are applied over a wood surface that has been filled, sealed, and hardened with a thin CA glue; and then sanded to a smooth 600-grit surface. I describe this finish in my tutorial on  finishing the Slim-Line pen.  http://www.woodturnerruss.com/Pen32.html and the following page.


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## dirtrider (Apr 28, 2009)

Thanks for the clarification on EEE and on friction polishes in general.  I think I'll try just the CA finish for these pens.  I have used it on some antler topped 30-06 cartridge pens and it looked great.  Thanks again, and I'll try to post some pictures later this week after I complete the pens.
Travis


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## wb7whi (Apr 30, 2009)

I was wondering about this polish and friction polish. The applied finish is only going to be as good as the surface that it is placed on.  Would there be an advantage to use the Belhans then put a couple coats of CA on top of it? Would it not be a win-win?


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## RussFairfield (Apr 30, 2009)

Shellac is the original grain filler and wood sealer. There is nothing wrong with using it under a CA finish. The compromise is that it doesn't harden the wood as much as a CA glue, and the bond between CA and CA is stronger than that between CA and shellac. For that reason, make sure the shellac is sanded to remove the surface gloss before applying the CA glue.


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