# Best "Satin" finish?



## Ausdan (Jul 29, 2006)

Has anyone got any thoughts on a good "satin-like" finish (not CA / laquer)? I'd like to somehow avoid the sometimes 'plastic-like' feel of CA and don't need a high gloss finish. Any help greatly appreciated!


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## penbros (Jul 29, 2006)

A couple of coats of woodturners finish then polish with HUT P.P.P.


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## wdcav1952 (Jul 29, 2006)

Consider a semi-gloss Deft finish.  Done well, it will last, unlike the PPP which IMHO stands for p*** poor product.


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## penbros (Jul 29, 2006)

YOU DISSIN MY POLISH?[}][]


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## 1080Wayne (Jul 30, 2006)

I use polymerized tung oil sealer , but haven`t been doing it long enough to be sure of long term performance . <div align="left"></div id="left">Wayne Richardson


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## wdcav1952 (Jul 30, 2006)

> _Originally posted by penbros_
> <br />YOU DISSIN MY POLISH?[}][]



Nope Will, just how long PPP lasts.  Someone about a year ago said something to the effect that PPP would have a use if they included a candle wick with the bar. [][}][][}][]


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## Ausdan (Jul 31, 2006)

Thanks for the replies - leaning towards the tung oil option. William (wdcav1952), I'd like to know a little more about your "semi-gloss Deft finish" (doesn't sound to familiar to me) - I'd suggest this would certainly last longer than the tung oil option. If you could point me in the direction or a bit more info I'd appreciate.

Cheers

Dan


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## wdcav1952 (Jul 31, 2006)

Dan,

This certainly is not my idea; I learned it from others.  Sand your pen through 12,000 Micro Mesh.  I then use a couple of coats of Deft sanding sealer, let dry and again sand through 12,000 MM.  Buy a can of spray Deft lacquer in Semi-gloss (I think that is the correct name).  I protect the lathe with paper and/or Saran Wrap, and spray thin, hopefully even coats, rotating the lathe by hand.  After a minute of hand turning, I cut the lathe on the slowest speed for a couple of minutes.  Every 15 minutes or so, apply another coat until you get a very smooth surface.  I usually apply around 7 coats.  Set the blanks aside, I use a small dowell with cup hooks under one of my shelves, for at least a week. Buff VERY LIGHTLY with your choice of plastic polish or automotive swirl remover and hand polish to remove all traces of polish.  Although I like high gloss finishes, the lacquer, to me, feels better than my CA finishes to hold and use.

FWIW,


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## RussFairfield (Jul 31, 2006)

Or, you can have the hardness of CA glue in a low to no gloss finish, by getting the soft-gloss the same way the folks who make furniture do it - by buffing the high-gloss finish with 0000-steel wool.

As for the cold hard feel of plastic, I am convinced that it is in our minds, and has more to do with the high gloss than reality. We think cold and hard when we see a high gloss on wood, we think soft and warm when we see no-gloss on wood; therefore, they are. 

When folks pick up a no-gloss CA finish they think it is polished bare wood, and the same people will say the high gloss CA finish feels cold and like a hard plastic. The truth is that they are the same thing. Only the gloss is different.


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## mick (Jul 31, 2006)

I've got to agree with Russ, I had turned a Live Oak Churchill and finished it in a matte or satin finish, looked just like he said, polished wood. Usually sitting next to it at our shows was a Amboyna Churchill done in a gloss finish. IMHO Amboyna was a much prettier wood, yet people were constantly picking up the live oak and making remarks like this looks just like "REAL" wood. It's got to be all in how we ...or our customers preceive the pens!


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## wdcav1952 (Jul 31, 2006)

OK, who are you going to believe, me or Russ??  On second thought, scratch that, I'd rather believe Russ myself! [][][]

Yes, I understand that Russ was not disagreeing with me, just couldn't resist the joke.


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## alamocdc (Jul 31, 2006)

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />Or, you can have the hardness of CA glue in a low to no gloss finish, by getting the soft-gloss the same way the folks who make furniture do it - by buffing the high-gloss finish with 0000-steel wool.
> 
> As for the cold hard feel of plastic, I am convinced that it is in our minds, and has more to do with the high gloss than reality. We think cold and hard when we see a high gloss on wood, we think soft and warm when we see no-gloss on wood; therefore, they are.
> ...



Interesting school of thought, Russ. And it makes sense... at least to my small mind. I may have to experiment with this a bit and see what my customers say.

Concerning the original question of this post: I'm still not sure how "good" the finish is, but I get a good satin-like finish with my homebrew lacquer based friction polish. Okay, it really isn't "mine", I used the recipe on Russ' page.[]


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## Ausdan (Aug 5, 2006)

Thanks to those for replying - I think I'll have to have a bit of a play around with a "home-brew" myself! Russ, it's very interesting the different feelings towards 'plastic & wood' finishes and I know what your suggesting that "only the gloss is different"; I guess it's all in the 'eye of the beholder'. I must say that I have seen the odd wooden pen or two (primarily in the odd tourist shop) that appears to have what I would consider a very, very thick 'CA-like finish' and it really did seem to feel and look a bit like plastic (probably made to a price no doubt). Thanks once again!


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## leehljp (Aug 5, 2006)

Coming into penmaking from a woodworking background, I agree 100% with Russ and with Mick. When I steel wooled a finish that had several layers of polyurethane and then waxed it - versus leaving a semi gloss or gloss shine, I usually got the comment that the feel and sheen of polished real wood was better than the shine of a gloss shine. [] - And they would usually have the same number of coats. It was all in the perception.


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