Hi

My thanks to everyone at Waveney Woodturners for inviting Mandy and me to their Wood Choppers Ball last night. We had a great time, and although it was very cold outside, the warmth of the welcome and the great reception we were given was wonderful. Thank you to David for arranging for us to be there, and to Darren for going above and beyond to look after us. He’ll understand! Congratulations to the competition winners as well, it was tough choosing them, and thanks also for the gift of the toothpick holder – unexpected and very well received.

One of our regulars asked this week about using Burnishing Cream on a buffing wheel. He liked the effect of the cream, but it would be difficult to use it on the pieces being made. We wouldn’t recommend using the Burnishing Cream with a wheel; the cream could be flicked around a bit when wet, but then dry off and not work properly. Using the Buffing Wheels in the way we suggest, with the compounds and waxes, would be a better option.
It did occur to me that it might be possible to apply the cream to the piece, let it dry, and then buff/burnish it, but some experimentation would be needed.

Another question this week asked about using 0000 Steel Wool to dull a lacquer. I’ve mentioned this before, and it’s quite acceptable to use an abrasive to alter the gloss level of a finish. Obviously, make sure the finish is totally dry/hard before attempting this. But an extra thing to be aware of is that if the abrasive is too fine – and 0000 Steel Wool just might be – it can burnish the finish and make it even brighter! So, some experimentation might be called for, always bearing in mind that it’s easier to make a glossy finish dull than it is to reverse the process. (Burnishing Cream can help reverse it, but depending on the item it can be hard work!).

I think I’ve said before that I’m always happy to receive comments and feedback about the Newsletter, and I’m always surprised by what gets the most reaction. I mentioned last week that Lemon Oil is good at removing adhesive, either unwanted residue or just simply ‘unsticking’ stuff. I had a number of interesting emails about this, thank you. Whilst it’s not actually a new question, I’m including the extra information as a sort of addendum to last week’s Newsletter. One of the emails mentioned (and recommended) a product called 151 Sticker Removal. Good old WD40 was also mentioned as another way of removing sticky residue. So, if you find yourself needing to do this, these products have the Chestnuteer seal of approval!

That’s all for this week. No more demos now until next year, when it all kicks off again in January. I’m pretty much fully booked for 2023, and have been for several months; I’ve already got a few bookings for 2024! How crazy is that?

I hope you have a good week, I’ll be back again one more time this year with your final round-up next week.

All the best

Terry