# Friction Polish



## CountryPens (Apr 17, 2006)

OK, so I'm new and have made quite a few pens now and I have used Arizona-BB's friction polish method on all of them.  As I read more and more it is obvious that I can expect the friction polish finish to not last.  

What is the best I can do at this point with 50-plus pens I have made using Mylands?  I'm trying not to get discouraged with all my effort so far.  Thanks for any help with this.

Lester


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## DCBluesman (Apr 17, 2006)

This will sound self-serving, but it's really not.  Put a couple of coats of TSW on them...metal and all.  It will add a protective layer significantly lengthen the life of the friction finish.  Feel free to email me if you have questions about it.


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## tipusnr (Apr 17, 2006)

This is a never ending discussion but here I go again. There are several of us who really LIKE the friction finishes.  Yes they won't last forever and yes they don't "shine like the diamonds" but they look and feel like wood.  And that's what we want.

Just make sure the people who get your pens understand that they are now the owners of a writing instrument that is made from a natural product and will take some reasonable care to maintain.  Polishes, like TSW, will add to the life and luster if used regularly as you would any other fine wood (notably furniture).  No one expects those finishes to last forever without care and shouldn't in a pen either.

If you want to switch to CA coatings or laquers or any other technique that encases the wood - great.  But don't be ashamed of your earlier efforts if their only flaw is that a more "natural" finish was used.   Stress the attributes not the drawbacks of your work and be proud of what you've done.  I assure you - it's worthy of praise.

P.S. This would also be my reply for the thread of the gentlemen who want to "recall" pens he's already made and distrubuted but I don't want to be redundant.


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## alamocdc (Apr 17, 2006)

Lester, Lou gave you good advice. Also, don't be too quick to give up on Mylands. I use it on pens from time to time and have had very good luck with it. I've had a Mylands finished Padauk pen in the field for nearly a year now that it used daily and it still looks like it did when I delivered it.


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## txbob (Apr 17, 2006)

Lester,
Like Bill and many others, I prefer friction finishes. I want my wood to look and feel like wood. Yes, the gloss goes away, but it's replaced by a natural patina, from wear and the absorption of oils, that looks even better than the gloss. 

Here's a pic of a bocote slimline that I made 6 or 8 years ago, with friction finish. I carried it at work every day for several years, and it shows the wear. The gold is gone is some places. And the friction finish has been replaced with oils from my fingers, giving a nice soft warm look. It's a comfortable pen, an old friend. That it's made from wood is obvious, and I like that. If I want a plastic look I use a plastic blank. For wood I like friction finishes.

txbob





<br />


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## CountryPens (Apr 17, 2006)

WOW !
I woke up this morning and checked my post and I am very encouraged!  Thanks for the comments.  Yes, the thing is I am very proud of my work and the pens look great, I have over come some learning curves with dimension, fit, ETC.  People I have given them to just love them.  Its just that I started to get the impression on here that if you do not use "CA" as a finish you will just have "Junk" after a while and people will want to return the pens.  I feel better reading your replys.  I'm just going to tell people and customers that they will have to care for their pen just like any other natural wood product, maybe some furniture wax or something like that once a month or so.  What do you think I should tell them ?

Thanks so much,

Lester


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## txbob (Apr 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by CountryPens_
> <br />I'm just going to tell people and customers that they will have to care for their pen just like any other natural wood product, maybe some furniture wax or something like that once a month or so.  What do you think I should tell them?



For important customers, I'd suggest something like "Here's a small jar of very special wax. Use it once a month to clean the pen and keep the wood in good condition." Give them a 1/2 ounce jar of Renaissance wax (less than $5) or TSW (less than $10). From what I read here the TSW is worth the extra cost. It's an easy way to tell your customer that you're proud of the pen, you expect it to last a long time, you think it's worth taking care of the wood, and you care enough to include the best wax available.

txbob


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## JohnDrayton (Apr 17, 2006)

for us  new to the forum,, what  TSW  ???


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## txbob (Apr 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by JohnDrayton_
> <br />for us  new to the forum,, what  TSW  ???



It's an acronym for Trade Secrets for Wood. Invented by DCBluesman, see posting above. Buy it at 
http://www.heritagepens.com/products.asp?cat=21

txbob


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## woodbutcher (Apr 20, 2006)

One reason friction polish may fail is handling the pen too soon. I wait at least a week for the FP to cure. Longer if I can get more time. I like to remount the pieces on a mandrel at the end of the week and apply a coat of TWS wait 45 seconds and buff at around 1500 rpm being careful to just touch the spinning piece. I allow the wax to cure overnight and assemble the pen. Over the last 3 yrs I have made hundreds of pens and to my knowledge none have failed. It is just recently I started using the TWS so most of my work had no wax at all. I use Lou's wax on everything now. It really stepped up the final finish. 
Jim


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## jscola (Apr 20, 2006)

Jim, DO you still use friction polish & then TWS, or do you just use the TWS? Joe


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## alparent (Apr 27, 2006)

To Bill "Tip" Tippery!    Thank you!

I'm new to pen turning and I'm having problems finding myself (regarding finishing).

I did a nice pen using Wenge, sanded it down to MM 12000 and then used the 2 PPP wax.
I thought it was nice and wanted it to be my first sell.

But after posting some questions on this site and saying that the finish of this pen was PPP and talking about what I read on Russ site about patina. 

I was basicly told that selling this pen would be a mistake, that my clients would be coming back to me complaining about the finish not lasting.....and I was also told that patina was nothing but dirt and that if I didn't redo the pen in CA or at least laquer I was asking for trouble.

So wanting to better myself I disasembled the pen. (I kind of regret it now.[])
I did like the look and fell of that pen. 

Will patina really get as pretty as Russ says?

Is there a market for real wood, wood smelling, wood feeling pens? Or are people only interested in shiny things?

Or is it just that PPP in not a good enought finish?

Or should I just stick to what Russ says and I'll be OK

Lost of questions from a new guy.


Thanks for your time!


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## wdcav1952 (Apr 27, 2006)

If anyone has read my previous posts on this subject in other threads, you already know my opinion.  I again use the dining room table example.  When I made my dining room table, I sanded the wood as smooth as possible, stained and resanded it, then finished it with a polyurethane.  True, it doesn't feel like wood, but neither has it absorbed 20+ years of stain and dirt.  I feel the same way about my pens.  A poorly done friction polish will look dirty in a very short time, in my personal opinion.  When I started, those were the pens I gave to co-workers.  Several of them came back for re-finishing.  My experience has been that shiny pens sell better; your experience may be different.

Part of the problem in my view is the disdain that seems to enter the discussion.  I am guilty when I refer to patina finish as "dirty."  Those on the other side are guilty when they refer to pens "encased in plastic," or "if I want plastic, I'll use a plastic blank."  There is plenty of room for both fields of thought, and for expressing opinions without rancor.

FWIW,


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## huntersilver (Apr 27, 2006)

I agree with DC,  I use CA, Enduro, laquer and FP.  I have found
by using the TSW, it helps keep the finish on the friction polish longer.

I have also found that by using a sanding sealer followed by some
EEE then the Friction Polish and TSW to be long lasting.  Many of 
my customers from last year are still happily enjoying their pens.

Michael


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## Pipes (Apr 28, 2006)

Atleast I see Iam NOT alone ! I prefer friction polish and the feel of real wood and a bit a wax a bring back most good friction finishes IMHO and look very nice and the wood takes on its own special patina over time []




http://affordablepipes.com/


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## OSCAR15 (May 1, 2006)

> _Originally posted by txbob_
> <br />Lester,
> Like Bill and many others, I prefer friction finishes. I want my wood to look and feel like wood. Yes, the gloss goes away, but it's replaced by a natural patina, from wear and the absorption of oils, that looks even better than the gloss.
> 
> ...





> _Originally posted by Pipes_
> <br />Atleast I see Iam NOT alone ! I prefer friction polish and the feel of real wood and a bit a wax a bring back most good friction finishes IMHO and look very nice and the wood takes on its own special patina over time []
> 
> 
> ...





I AGREE!  Wood should feel like wood. Antiques form a patina which is highly valued....Why not pens?  As for CA finishing...
1) It lasts longer
2) If done right..it looks good
3) Of the CA I have seen, some look good, many look like glue was slopped on...Fangar has it down to a science.  Few others look that good.
Still........As a matter of personal preference :

I PREFER WOOD...If I wanted my work to feel like plastic..I'd turn acrylics...


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## jdavis (May 2, 2006)

search finishes here and you will find many choices of finishes


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## Pipes (May 2, 2006)

I use FP on most all my tampers except really lite color wood and no pipe smoker has said a thing in 4 yrs !!! I do seal the wood and use a wax ! I seal it -FP it -wax it ! Now IF somthing was gona really go bad somthing stuck in a dirty pipe a LOT would ! I have a LOT of maple tampers and they all still look good after many yrs a use thou they have taken on a nice patina ... I do tell them to wax the tampers now and then as they feel the need ! []





http://affordablepipes.com/


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## tone (May 3, 2006)

I don't see why it has to be one way or the other.  I do pens in both friction polishes and CA and tell potential customers the benefits of either finish. In most cases the shiny CA finishes are prefered. One exception is BOW. It just looks, feels, and smells so good when I finish it with EEE and olive oil. Also pink ivory, ebony and cocobolo take a beautiful ficton polish for me.  For burls I just do CA.

Tony


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## GBusardo (May 4, 2006)

One thing I have learned over the years with my woodworking.  No one can really appreciate a fine finish like a woodworker.  Heck, most people cannot tell Wood from wood grain plastic!!!  Lester, really look at the pens you made.  Not too shabby, right? Try other finishes and see what you like, if it passes YOUR test, I am sure its fine. []
Have fun
Gary


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## CountryPens (May 5, 2006)

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone.  I have realized that there is no perfect finish.  Each type does have its own characteristic.  I do intend to try the â€œCAâ€ type finish and will just have to see what happens.  This forum is great, I like hearing different opinions on methods and techniques.  Very helpful.


Thanks again,

Lester


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## OSCAR15 (May 5, 2006)

> _Originally posted by tipusnr_
> <br />This is a never ending discussion but here I go again. There are several of us who really LIKE the friction finishes.  Yes they won't last forever and yes they don't "shine like the diamonds" but they look and feel like wood.  And that's what we want.
> 
> Just make sure the people who get your pens understand that they are now the owners of a writing instrument that is made from a natural product and will take some reasonable care to maintain.  Polishes, like TSW, will add to the life and luster if used regularly as you would any other fine wood (notably furniture).  No one expects those finishes to last forever without care and shouldn't in a pen either.
> ...



HERE HERE ! I VOTE FOR FRICTION POLISH FOR ALL THE REASONS QUOTED ABOVE...YOU WANT THE FEEL OF PLASTIC? THEN TURN PLASTICS !


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