# Smooth finish on lathe



## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Im wandering how to get that ultra smooth finish on the lathe? The FBE PM I posted yesterday for example I finished with Woodturners finish and then polished on my homemeade Beal buffer. I got the ultra shiny look I was looking for and the realy smooth feel I was looking for but when tilted a certain way in the light, you can see ripples or swirl from applying the finish on the lathe. I'm wondering if a light sanding with 600 grit or so on the final coat before going to the buffer would correct this? Would the buffer take those scrathes out or would it require a final coat that dosnt get sanded? If it requires a final coat after sanding, how do you apply without the ripple effect?


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

If you go the way I finish my pens you might get there. Apply a heavy enough coat you can sand back a bit then wet sand with a micromesh pad set to a high polish. Stopping the lathe between grits to cross sand help get rid of radial marks from sanding.


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I dont have a problem with pens because I also use MM and can get a perfect finish just by making sure the first grit gets everything level. The problem with doing things like PM's is there are details like the corners of beads and such that are difficult to get into and polish with MM.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I share the challenge of getting the turning marks out of the piece.

I have needed to get the marks out before finishing.

I sand through the grits upto 800. I then use the EEE-UltraShine for the final polish.

I then apply the finish, presently Shellawax (same company), but have purchased Mylands finish, just not used this - yet.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Do a test before applying anything other than Shellawax over EEE ultra shine.


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## ghostrider (Oct 31, 2012)

I've only used WTF on a one pen, and here's my experience. 

Ed from exoticblanks.com has a video on his website. He recommends applying your finish, and then giving it a few days to cure. Then he says you can sand the hills and valley's (my wording) out with 2000 grit (WTF is water based, so I don't recommend wet sanding), and then go to the buffers. 

I've used this method on one pen (two barrels) and it has worked great leaving a nice glass like finish. I had to do the second barrel twice because I forgot and wet sanded (after having already cut the WTF with water). 

I'll be adding this finish to the pieces that are made from some of the more oily woods. Otherwise the CA works for me, and is quicker.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

It's all about cutting with sharp tool and tool control. If you do any scraping at all it should be shear scraping to clean up an errant tool mark. The ultimate goal should be a good finish right off the tool. 
that being said you can sand out bad details if your careful. The trick here is to sand without destroying any fine details. Don't sand across a detail sand up to it or start at the point and sand down. 
You have to learn to see bad areas first. Once you see them then it's just a matter of figuring out how to deal with them. I had a problem like that today. I had some Walnut that didn't want to cut clean. I was using my bowl gouge which has an edge that is 50 degrees. I switched to a gouge that was 40 degrees and tool several light passes until it was cleaned up.


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks guys. This isnt a tool mark issue. I do have tool mark issues but when I do I sand those out before I ever begin finishing. This is a finish issue. Someone said hills and valleys and that pretty much sums it up. Its from applying a finish on the lathe with a rag and I cant figure out how to get it to go on perfect without these hills and valleys. I just wanna know how to get rid of those and get a perfectly smooth finish. I assumed the buffing wheels would make those go away but it didnt. I guess I'll try the sanding route with 2000 grit before going to the buffer.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Sounds like your finish is too thick. A thin finish will wipe on better. Are you finishing while spinning on the lathe. I apply my finish with the lathe either off or running very slow. Then I speed up the lathe spread it and dry it. In this case I'm using thinned lacquer. 
If your using friction polish you may not be heating it up enough with friction and or applying it too thick or both. It takes heat to sort of melt and make the finish flow as you push it along with your rag. You are using a small piece of cloth for this. Paper towels don't work very well. I do use paper towels for my lacquer finish but found that Bounty is the only one that works well. All the others leave streaks or even part of the paper towel behind.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

John, you mention friction finish, I was doing this last night with Mylands and I'm sure (now that you mention it) that it wasn't warming enough. It was a scoop handle at 600 rpm. What speed should be used for that to work?

Hope this isn't an intrusion Bass. Great thread.


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## Handplane (Nov 28, 2012)

I sometimes use Beal and it is great for a fast finish.

To get a really professional finish, I spray, sometimes with a very light hand rub out using 3M compounds. Sometimes back on the lathe for a slow speed rub-out. Especially for high gloss items, it is hard to match a sprayed finish by rubbing on the lathe.

The only thing I don't spray are pens. I use a high quality WB Poly, with a small brush, about 6 coats, let it rest for a day and then rub-out with 3M finishing compound. Looks better than glass when done.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Shop Dad said:


> John, you mention friction finish, I was doing this last night with Mylands and I'm sure (now that you mention it) that it wasn't warming enough. It was a scoop handle at 600 rpm. What speed should be used for that to work?
> 
> Hope this isn't an intrusion Bass. Great thread.


I will have to try the Mylands on the next handle.

I think the key is to generate sufficient heat to melt the polish. This feels like it can be slower speed and more pressure or higher speed and less pressure.

My experience so far is the Shellawax. With this product I see the white waxy "front" ahead of the cloth when I have generated sufficient heat to melt. I make a few passes to ensure all has melted.

I think I had the speed at 750rpm for the first handle, but I have used 600rpm for other items without a problem.


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## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

I have used Mylands quite a bit on small items. I apply a light coat and keep repeating. i.e. for an item the length of a pen the coat takes maybe two seconds, another few seconds and it is ready for the next coat. On a longer item like a shoe horn of a foot length, as soon as you get to the end the other end is dry.

I found the ridges were caused by too much finish and wrinkles in the cloth. It dries so fast your applicator needs to be wrinkle free or the finish will build up in that area making it thicker on the item.

I haven't used Shellawax and it may work differently. I believe it is the high DNA content in Mylands that melts the coats together more than high heat. I take the approach of a french polish where the cloth is just damp, about 1 drop of finish per coat on a 1 foot length.

I may be doing it completely wrong.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

bass i remember asking something like this in the past and i remember people saying to do like handplane said to do.they suggested using rubbing compound and wet sanding to get that thick smooth shine


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Handplane said:


> ... and then rub-out with 3M finishing compound. Looks better than glass when done.


I just did a search, there are more varieties of 3m finishing compounds than I expected ... when you get a chance, please post the specific details of the compound you use :smile:

Thanks!


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Yes please post more about this compound.

Shop dad, no intrusion. Finishing is probably my biggest weakness so anything asked or posted here can only help me.

John, I'm using woodturners finish applied with a small cloth (piece of an old t-shirt) with the lathe running at its slowest speed. I believe my lathe only goes down to around 700 rpm's though.


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## Handplane (Nov 28, 2012)

BassBlaster said:


> Yes please post more about this compound.
> 
> Shop dad, no intrusion. Finishing is probably my biggest weakness so anything asked or posted here can only help me.
> 
> John, I'm using woodturners finish applied with a small cloth (piece of an old t-shirt) with the lathe running at its slowest speed. I believe my lathe only goes down to around 700 rpm's though.


About the compounds, you can get them from an auto store that sells body repair materials and paint. I purchased three bottles 10 years ago, have buffer rubbed out four table tops and hand rubbed several pieces of furniture and lathe turnings and they are still 3/4 full.

For a satin finish, or if you want to smooth a bad rough finish, use this sparingly, it is pretty agressive.

http://3mcollision.com/products/buf...und/3m-super-duty-rubbing-compound-05954.html

For a semi-gloss finish, you can get this in a quart bottle, gallon shown in link.

http://3mcollision.com/3m-perfect-it-ii-rubbing-compound-05983-1-gallon-us.html

For a high gloss finish:

http://3mcollision.com/products/buf...erfect-it-ultrafine-machine-polish-06068.html

I normally use the last two only, if I sanded the wash coat lightly.
If I do not use a sanding sealer, I do no sanding on the first coat, use three coats and rub out using the first compound, or more for a higher gloss finish.


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