# Finishing Desert Iron Wood



## BSea (Apr 6, 2011)

I've just finished turning a DIW blank for a long clicker.  I think the wood is just gorgeous the way it is, and I don't want to give it the high gloss look of CA.  I'm considering not putting a finish on it at all, but to just use it & see what happens.  

I spent longer on the sanding of this blank than any other that I've done so far.  (That's really not saying much though.)  Is there any reason not to just let nature take it's course?  Or is there something  like Tung Oil that will protect it but still leave it with the polished but not plastic look?

Suggestions?


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## avbill (Apr 6, 2011)

The more tung oil you put on the glossier the pen blank becomes. 


You can also put CA on the pen blank  take it to a high gloss and then take  0000 steel wool  reducing the gloss finish. 

or  you can lacquer and several coats and the last coat a semi-gloss. 

There's many different ways

Hope this helps you


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## BSea (Apr 6, 2011)

Thanks Bill,

I think I'm going to spend some time reading about different finishes.  I might try to turn a small piece & see what I think of the CA & 0000 finish.  If I had to decide right now, I think I'd just leave it natural & see what happens with it just absorbing the natural oils in my hand when I use it.

Frankly, I don't know why I'm spending so much time thinking about this pen.  It's not expensive, and the blank, while nice looking, isn't anything special either.  I guess I am still at the stage where every pen I make looks so cool that I don't want to make a mistake.  Although now I look back just a few pens, and see all kinds of mistakes.


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## jskeen (Apr 7, 2011)

As hard and seemingly impenetrable as DIW is, It will still pick up dirt and hand oil and get dull and dirty looking.  CA is the best true sealant and will prevent this even after years of daily use.  If you don't like the gloss, then there are several ways to knock the shine back, but if you don't seal it, it won't stay pretty for long.  DAMHIKT


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## GoodTurns (Apr 7, 2011)

jskeen said:


> As hard and seemingly impenetrable as DIW is, It will still pick up dirt and hand oil and get dull and dirty looking.  CA is the best true sealant and will prevent this even after years of daily use.  If you don't like the gloss, then there are several ways to knock the shine back, but if you don't seal it, it won't stay pretty for long.  DAMHIKT



+1  I love the look of DI freshly buffed with nothing else, but it will dull fairly quickly.  needs a topcoat....


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## KenV (Apr 7, 2011)

Russ Fairfields web pages have some of the best general discussions of finishes around for pen turners --  Worth reading as you think about the choices.

Do note that there are "tung oil" finishes on the market that have no tung oil in the mix.   The real thing (and yup I have some) is a very slow drying oil that will develop a really good sheen over a long finish process time.   Anything else is a blend -- often including some tung oil in the mix.   

I suggest you do use a top coat -- Lacquer, Enduro pre cat, CA etc 

A good buff and some microcrystaline wax (either renwax or conservators wax from lee valley) and you will have a piece of wood art.


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## BSea (Apr 7, 2011)

GoodTurns said:


> I love the look of DI freshly buffed with nothing else, but it will dull fairly quickly.  needs a topcoat....


 That's where I am.  It just looks so good as is.  But after hearing what you guys are saying, plus everything else I've read, I'm going to put something on it.  I'm leaning toward a tung oil finish (not 100% tung oil).  But only a couple of  coats so it doesn't get too glossy.

Don't get me wrong, I love the look of the glossy CA finish, but I just want something different for this pen.


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## jttheclockman (Apr 7, 2011)

Seal it with dewaxed shellac. Buff back to dull finish.


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