# Shellawax Finish Maintenance



## nodrogs (May 23, 2016)

I'm doing an Irish Bog Oak pen and will be finishing it in Shellawax.  Shellawax is readily available to me here in the UK and I don't like CA on bog oak (looks like black plastic).  Are there any recommendations as to what can be used as a long term maintenance with the shellac finish, "traditional" wax and Renaissance Wax come to mind.  Also, would either of these affect the metal components long term, particularly sterling silver?


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## HamTurns (May 23, 2016)

I used to use Shellawax for pens but find that it dulls way to fast on a pen. 

If I don't want to go with CA I use Behlen Woodturners Finish, and have had much better results.

Happy Turning - Tom


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## MDWine (May 23, 2016)

I used lacquer on IBO, as I never thought Shella was really durable enough.  With the grain open like that, I found sanding moderately between each coat gave me the finish I wanted.  You would have to use a lot of lacquer (or anything else I think) to fill the grain.  I never filled the grain, I wanted to protect the wood, and wasn't worried about those thin "voids".  (I think it give texture, and makes the wood "real")

That is how you know it is IBO, that open grain.

I put 6 or 8 coats of lacquer, sanding between, and waxed with Ren Wax.  I also explained to customers where to buy Ren to keep it long term.

That being said, in terms of the wax alone, most of the "pen waxes" would do the job, methinks.   I like Ren because it was considered the best at the time, "museum grade" if you will.  (I still think it might be!)

HTH


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## MTViper (May 23, 2016)

nodrogs said:


> I'm doing an Irish Bog Oak pen and will be finishing it in Shellawax.  Shellawax is readily available to me here in the UK and I don't like CA on bog oak (looks like black plastic).  Are there any recommendations as to what can be used as a long term maintenance with the shellac finish, "traditional" wax and Renaissance Wax come to mind.  Also, would either of these affect the metal components long term, particularly sterling silver?



I used Shellawax for a long time.  What I found was that the more coats you burned in the longer it lasted.  In Bog Oak, I'd start with 4 coats burned in and see how that looked and felt.  It will absorb a lot of the Shellawax so put it on thick and burn it in fast.  The hotter you get it, the deeper the wax will penetrate before it starts to get hard.  I've put up to 6 coats of Shellawax on some really dry, absorbent woods.  

No it will not last like CA, lacquer, or some other finishes, but over time, it will develop a soft glow when body oils mix with the remaining Shellawax and it will last a long time.


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## nodrogs (May 24, 2016)

Thanks for the replies guys. I give my customers the choice - natural feel of the wood or protection of the CA.  Most actually prefer to go with the wax option. MTViper, I normally apply at least 4 coats anyway as you suggested!  The question I have though is what to put on the pen once the shellawax starts to dull to revive it?


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## MTViper (May 24, 2016)

I don't put anything on them as they age.  If your customers wanted to put anything on them, I'd suggest a light coat of a good furniture polish.


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## farmer (May 24, 2016)

*Out of my mind*

Lots of lighter fluid ................
Soak it in, burnish it in, polish it in.  don't spare the lighter fluid and don't spare burnishing it in.........

I spend the average of 15 minutes burnishing lighter fluid into a pool cue shaft.

Then I apply several micro thin coats of pure polymer car wax .


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## jttheclockman (May 24, 2016)

farmer said:


> Lots of lighter fluid ................
> Soak it in, burnish it in, polish it in.  don't spare the lighter fluid and don't spare burnishing it in.........
> 
> I spend the average of 15 minutes burnishing lighter fluid into a pool cue shaft.
> ...




I have to say, I have been woodworking seriously for over 45 years. I have been a member on numerous sites varring in many different mediums. I have read, heard, seen, used many different finishing methods and I am going to have to say this is the weirdest and strangest finish technique I ever heard. I am not knocking it because it evidently works for you. But to me I can not see any advantage to using lighter fluid anywhere near woodworking. 

But again I am not knocking this but will advise others to get the procedure from Farmer before you try this. Not your prototypical finishing technique for sure.  Good luck.


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## farmer (May 26, 2016)

*Lighter fluid*



jttheclockman said:


> farmer said:
> 
> 
> > Lots of lighter fluid ................
> ...



Yep that's what I thought to when it was suggested to me ...........
I thought it was a bat $hit crazy Idea, totally in sane  and a good way to destroy a cue shaft ..........
But I had to try it ,,, the first time I failed , not enough lighter fluid and I had zero faith in using lighter fluid on wood .  
I figured what the hell least the wood I practice on will burn good ..

Second go around it was like I was a mad man squirting lighter fluid on the wood then burnishing it out and doing it all over again.
Either it was going to work  or not but I had to try it.

John you are just going to have to try it ...   
Now every cue shaft I make is done with lighter fluid and synthetic car wax ..
Only issue is on a cue shaft the oils from your hands with break down the wax  and the open the grain of the wood .
Depending on how much the persons hands sweat, depends on how long the lighter fluid wax finish lasts .
Straight up, you have to be willing to really work it in like a 8th of a can of lighter fluid on one pool cue shaft..

As lighter fluid working on cue shafts or other wood workings .
Lighter fluid is clean and contains  .

This part is a theory I think I know a little enough to explain why lighter fluid works.
Naphtha  if I am not wrong has paraffin oil in it  and its the paraffin oil that seals the wood pours ...
Form of petroleum oil,  paraffin oil  is a byproduct of petroleum and is what creates the BTUs in a diesel engine.
When it gets really cold diesel engines fuel filters wax up because they were running #2 diesel  with has more paraffin in it then # 1 diesel fuel , but # 1 diesel fuel has less power .... less BTU's Less paraffin .
Sometimes the specialty naphthas are called petroleum ether, petroleum spirits, mineral spirits, paraffin, benzine, hexanes, ligroin, white oil or white gas, painters naphtha, refined solvent naphtha and Varnish makers' & painters' naphtha (VM&P) . The best way to determine the boiling range and other compositional characteristics of any of the specialty naphthas 

The scent of lighter fluid doesn't linger after a while either ...

Its really nothing new in the cue makers world .
Some say it raises the grain, and it might at first but its burnished down  pretty solid ...


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## bigcountry11 (May 27, 2016)

One type of finishing I never see on here is wetting the wood to raise the grain.  Its something bowmakers and gun stock finishers do a lot.  We sand, wet the wood, raise the grain, sand again and keep on, until it doesn't raise again.


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## leehljp (May 27, 2016)

bigcountry11 said:


> One type of finishing I never see on here is wetting the wood to raise the grain.  Its something bowmakers and gun stock finishers do a lot.  We sand, wet the wood, raise the grain, sand again and keep on, until it doesn't raise again.



This has been mentioned quite a few times going back years, (usually from woodworkers) but it depends on the wood one is using and the kind of finish desired. 

It is good to mention this about 3 or 4 times a year for new turners coming on.

On the original post, there is a CA finish one can add for total protection and still avoid the shine. It makes the finish to appear as natural wood. This too has been the subject of several discussions over the years.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f28/shine-not-shine-32496/

It ends up being similar a well stabilized blank. I like Farmer's idea, the finish will be in the wood itself, not ON the wood like CA is.


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