# Woodturners Finish



## kenmic (Mar 7, 2012)

For anyone interested in applying a water based finish, I ran across an informative and recent article titled "Lessons Learned With Woodturner's Finish" authored by Eric Geist at The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource - lessons learned with Woodturner's Finish.  I would appreciate hearing about other IAP member experiences with water based finishes, particularly General Finishes Woodturner Finish. Thanks, kenmic


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## Wildman (Mar 10, 2012)

Folks here like and use  WTF couple of interesting threads already. Web site has lots of information too. If looking for low VOC finish WTF from General not bad. Still recommended you wear gloves, eye protection respirator and work in ventilated area. See MSDS for details.  

Guess dries to touch pretty fast but have to wait until solvent smell gone before finish cured. Please correct me if wrong. 

Wood turners finish is a water & oil hybrid finish for wood turnings. | General Finishes

Website has nice video for those that want to air brush too!


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## raar25 (Mar 11, 2012)

I  tried it and it is ok, but not at durable as CA.


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## kenmic (Mar 14, 2012)

*Thank you for feedback*

Thank you for your feedback regarding wood turners finish. I am still experimenting. So, I am dealing with a learning curve here.

 I am trying different air brush mix ratios. The best seems to be around 20% to 50% water to WTF delivered at 20 PSI. I try for a wet coat. But,it takes a while to build much of a finish up. I cut it back with 2000 grit followed by 3200 mm and 3600 mm before recoating 5 more times. Anything coarser than that cuts it back to the wood. I tried 0000 steel wool. But did not like the leveling or smoothing characteristics. The finish is allowed to dry overnight. Then McGuires Plastic X polish is applied followed by Rennasonce wax. The finish at that point has a higher,deeper gloss than "Shellawax". I can not say how it compares to CA.  These are just my observations. Doesn't really mean  much while I am still learning. Thanks, kenmic 

P.S. Good advice on the safety equipment. I use all of them.


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## leehljp (Mar 14, 2012)

Ken,

WTF will and does work in lots of situations. What must be understood is not the "finish" that is provided but the climate of the pen in use, and then tailor the finish and finishing process to the need. 

Most people think of wood pens as the same as furniture. Furniture is not handled like pens are. They are not subjected to going from a temperature and humidity controlled environment (home or office) to the outside with wide temp ranges and humidity swings and to the humidity of a pocket, or heat in a car, or caustic oils of a hot or cold sweaty palm a dozen times a day. Furniture and furniture finish is not made for that. If a person cleans the pen after use, then it will do well. If not, then the finish will break down over time. And even then it is dependent upon individual use and chemistry, plus the finishing process that is used.

I am going to try it sometime in the future. I will probably dip it - do a search for "dipping" - which goes back to 2004 on this forum. To me, what really needs to be watched for is the "curing". Proper "curing" is what gives most finishes it durability. While instructions will say that you can add a second coat in an hour or two, the curing takes longer - 12 to 24 hours or even 48. It has been my experience that adding a second and third coat of finish in the instructional time allowed between coats - that doubles and triples the curing time beyond what one coat would take. 

Curing, or "proper" curing, before buffing or waxing is what will give a long term durable and protective finish. While I never did the lacquer work of Japanese artists, the patience with working with lacquer impacted me into realizing how necessary the proper curing of different kinds of finishes are to durability.


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## KenV (Mar 14, 2012)

Ken -

General Finishes bought out a firm called Convergent Technologies.  CT developed the Enduro line and you will see on a search, there have been several who have like the Enduro clear finishes.   

General Finishes still sells the clear (not tinted amber version)  and you may want to give it a try.   

It produces a hard durable finish, both with dip and hand/spray application (airbrush spray) without some of the issues some have with CA glues.


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