Finishing Question

[needsmorecowbel]

I'm making a few knick knacks for some girl friends. I made a necklace for a mate and finished it with tru-oil and realised that this was a really bad idea as people can have reactions to some of the chemicals in the oils even when they are dry. As these pieces may make frequent contact with skin what finish would I best to use to prevent any nasty skin reactions/ skin sensitivity?

Pure Tung Oil?
Pure Mineral Oil?
Pure Walnut oil (I was thinking this one would be quite good)
Dewaxed Blonde Shellac?
Salad Bowl Food Safe Wax Paste

https://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/ ... ishes.aspx

U Beaut has a foodsafe mineral oil that could work?

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/FS+.htm

[Trevor Gore]

I'm making a few knick knacks for some girl friends...

You'd have to consider Organoil, wouldn't you?

[needsmorecowbel]

Which of their range have you used? I have a big bottle of Sceney's Pure Tung Oil (but that is a nut based oil)

[charangohabsburg]

I never heard about shellac being a problem (shellac gets used by the food industry as an edible component, which of course does not mean much), but then I also may not have heard all. And not to forget, shellac does not hold up very well against sweat.

On the other side, walnut oil is also edible, but there are people who have allergic reactions to walnut and walnut containing food. "Natural product" does not at all mean "harmless or problem free product".

Maybe some synthetic and as non-allergic approved oil may be the best bet, or even some polyurethane wipe-on stuff which I believe is "only" evil until dry (I never would use the latter for exactly this reason).

https://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/ ... ishes.aspx

I loved the last recommendation =>

Nothing. Available everywhere. Makes a reasonable finish for woodenware. No application time. Free.

[demonx]

You could try dipping them in epoxy and sand/polish when it's cured.

[Trevor Gore]

Which of their range have you used? I have a big bottle of Sceney's Pure Tung Oil (but that is a nut based oil)

The hard burnishing oil.

[kiwigeo]

You should be worrying about more important things than wood finish....like how youre going to explain to your beloved why she's wearing a string of wooden beads instead of Kimberly pink diamonds

I notice you mentioned "girlfriendS" in your OP.......perhaps this is why you cant afford diamonds?

[Kamusur]

I'm making a few knick knacks for some girl friends...

You'd have to consider Organoil, wouldn't you?

Trevor's on the money Stu, but how many girlfriends do you have

Steve

[needsmorecowbel]

Damn, I knew I forgot something... The thread should read more like: "Mormon Man seeks Wooden Jewellery Finishing Advice & More Wives...Dowry of Free Jewellery"...

I really have to get my mind out of the gutter "organoil" sounded like some kind of couple's sensual massage oil.

but how many girlfriends do you have

It's funny because In Melbourne there is a very large "polyamorous" community. My partner's friend is polyamorous and has multiple partners. I wasn't even aware it was a big thing in Melbourne until a few weeks back. I have zero involvemt in the community or its ideals but to me, It seems like a pretty funny idea mainly as there sure would be some awkward Larry David/ Jerry Seinfeld moments.

"my girlfriend is in the other room with her husband and their partner. My fiancee couldn't make it tonight."
"hey, it was nice just hanging out the other night!" - "what OTHER night?" - "oh, crap"
If someone asks you to bring a +1 to a party who do you bring?
You would surely also have to in some odd way rank which of your partners was your primary partner, secondary, tertiary


youtu.be/

Cheers for the suggestion Trevor and co I'll pick some organoil up today.

[needsmorecowbel]

I've moved back to sealing the "knick knacks" with Shellac as per Markus's suggestion. It is a tricky thing to find a solution for as shellac is not ideal outside. Don't really want to go down the epoxy/ polyurethane road either.

That and I somehow managed to get a nasty rash from the Organoil vapour.

30 down, 30 to go - My Scraps box is getting emptier

Stu

[Kev3]

Looking good Stu.
I too made some bits and bobs (pendants etc) for my better half (singular, none of this multiple "friends" malarkey) - seemed a good way to explain the amount of time in the shed - can't really complain if I'm making stuff for her
I also pondered on appropriate finish - ended up with shellac then a light coat of beeswax.
Seems to have held up OK so far.

[needsmorecowbel]

Cheers Kev, For such small things did you just brush on the shellac one side at a time?

Would the shellac stick or gather enough of a layer if you applied it between a piece of cotton like you would if you were oiling a piece of timber or polishing fine cuttlery/ a piece of metal with brasso or silvo? I imagine if you did it like this you would get very little shellac on the piece and have to do many many coats.

Stu

[jeffhigh]

Stu,
The problem with applying shellac as you have described is that it is too easy to rub off as much as you are rubbing on.
The alcohol in the wet shellac just redissolves what is on the object.
Even with proper French Polish techniques, small objects are difficult

[Kev3]

Quite a few coats Stu. Built up a layer, scuffed it back and started over. Damned fiddly on small things. But it worked for me in the past on carved bowls and the like. You can get a real good sheen if you build it up, not exactly French polishing though. But I wasn't sure how it'd hold up with sweat etc (oops, I obviously didn't mean sweat, women perspire) - that's why I finished with a light wax. Figured it could always be touched up again.
For me I wasn't considering them to be family heirlooms to last for generations to come - if they cark it I could always make some more.
Won me some brownie points though

[Kev3]

Sorry Stu- forgot to actually answer. Used a rubber/pad. One side at a time and gave it a chance to dry a bit before flipping over to other side. I had some nice super blonde shellac and a primed rubber sitting there as I'd just finished working on the latest build. Don't think rubbing it between a cloth like oil would work and I have never used a brush, but some do the latter with good results.
Cheers

[needsmorecowbel]

Cheers Guys I figured that technique would be entirely the wrong way to do it (due to the alcohol needing time to evaporate to leave the shellac on the surface)

Yeah Kev, I was never planning on making so many and wasn't expecting any of the finishes I'd considered to age fantastically, but my girlfriend's friends were like yeah put me down for a pair I'd pay $45 for a pair (they are sterling silver hoops).

Light Wax sounds like a plan over the top.

U-beaut suggested this EEE abrasive wax over the shellac (white shellac was their suggestion)

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/eee.htm

[charangohabsburg]

Kevin, a question regarding beeswax: did you simply rub on some "raw" beeswax, or did you use a beeswax product especially made for finishing purposes (mixture with solvents or softeners)?


I agree that proper french polishing of very small objects is much more difficult and takes more time than french polishing anything else. Sealing is quick though (wipe on thin shellac until it starts to get sticky, add half a drop of oil and another drop of thin shellac to the pad and "polish" until it starts to get shiny but stop before it gets (partly) glossy. This is what I did with these kazoos, but then also, they are nor really small objects...

For example, I gave up on this one...
Two years ago I had to do this small bugger (a Lacôte replica ), 35 mm long:



Even after pointing out that shellac would not hold up for too long when in contact with the skin, I was still asked to french polish it to mirror gloss. Well, pore filling on the kingwood side was a major pita, and after the normal schedule I almost got there, but not really. Each side stayed with a dull spot of a bout 1/5 of the surface.

I finally gave up, removed the shellac, pore filled again (glad that the spalted beech didn't need pore filling) and proceeded to slapping on some nitro lacquer and polishing it.

However, I still believe that the shellac/oil or shellac/wax method may be good enough for hangers that are not in permanent contact with the skin.

[needsmorecowbel]

Cool Little Pendant Markus and those kazoos are great!,

I had a crack with blonde shellac earlier and just decided it was not going the way I had planned and was far too fiddly, so sanded off the shellac and oiled the pieces as I had the previous 30 pairs.

Turns out I am not allergic to the tung oil but two weeks of 30+ hours of repetitive hand sanding causes a nasty armpit rash...whoops....thankfully there is talcum powder...

Stu

[charangohabsburg]

Thanks Stu. Yes, shellacing little pieces is fiddly. Question is now if using violin oil varnish would be even fiddlier.

Glad that tung oil worked for you.
30 hours sanding in less than an year? I believe that such a thing never happened to me.

Cool line-up of pendants, and it is nice how the pairs are clearly defined by the figure in the wood, even if apparently not (or not always) bookmatched. BTW, what wood are the "white" ones made of?

[needsmorecowbel]

Satin Box, (Phebalium Squameum) - It has an amazing aroma, the kind you would like to stick in a bag and sniff it all day if it weren't so bad for you...

This is off the Maton Guitars Catalogue:

"SATIN BOX
(Phebalium Squameum)
Satin Box
is a small tree which is often found
as a companion plant to Victorian
Blackwood. It is a striking blonde colour
and has amazing tonal properties.
Satin Box is extremely stiff and produces
a sound comparable to Brazilian
Rosewood (often referred to as the
ultimate acoustic guitar tonewood
but now endangered). It is rare to find
a Satin Box tree large enough to yield
a guitar back and side set so we reserve
the use of this beautiful tonewood
for very special guitars"

[needsmorecowbel]

I'm going to have to scrap the ziricote ones as they were far above the weight I was aiming for (6-7 grams) - They weigh in at about 9

Stu

[charangohabsburg]

Thank you Stu fotr the detailed info about satin box wood.

I'm going to have to scrap the ziricote ones as they were far above the weight I was aiming for (6-7 grams) - They weigh in at about 9

Use a jig saw to cut a hole in them, maybe in a shape your customer would choose (and charge $20 more ).

[needsmorecowbel]

You're Creating a Monster, Markus...

[Kev3]

I'm going to have to scrap the ziricote ones as they were far above the weight I was aiming for (6-7 grams) - They weigh in at about 9

Use a jig saw to cut a hole in them, maybe in a shape your customer would choose (and charge $20 more ).

Necklace pendant .......key ring dangly thing ........

Don't give up on them

[needsmorecowbel]