Now, onto the questions… and we start this week with one about our Cut’n’Polish. Can it be used off the lathe, by hand? I’d never really thought about this before, but the answer is yes. In fact, although we’re well-known as suppliers of finishes for woodturners, pretty much all of our finishes can be used off the lathe as well – and often are, for cabinet work, carvings, marquetry, scrollsawing…the list is endless, my apologies if I’ve omitted your favourite woodwork discipline.
However, in the case of Cut’n’Polish, it will require some elbow grease (not supplied) to achieve the same result as on the lathe, but it is more than possible.

We were asked about a finish that would be very hard wearing, not glossy, and most importantly not ‘plasticky’ to the touch, as it was for a salt and pepper grinder, and the maker wanted to retain the tactile feel of the timber.
We’d normally suggest a lacquer for this, but this isn’t always as nice in the hand as a wax or oil; it’s not often a problem, but fortunately we were able to suggest our Satin Hard Wax Oil as an alternative. It’s very hard-wearing and will stand up well to being used with wet hands in a kitchen, and, being an oil, won’t detract from the feel of the timber. The only downside is that it’s a bit slower drying than a lacquer, clocking in at about four hours.

The same correspondent also asked if they could use the Hard Wax Oil over milk paint; they would like to paint their chairs and other kitchenalia in bright colours, and want to protect the finish. I’m not sure that the oil would be the best choice here, as it really wants to penetrate into bare wood to achieve a good bond; the paint would seal it, preventing this from happening. A wax could be used, but this might not offer the level of protection required, so the best bet here is either the Acrylic Gloss or Acrylic Satin Lacquer, in the aerosols. Hard-wearing, quick drying, and usually ideal for applying over most previous finishes. As always, a test piece is a strongly recommended, but I’d be very surprised if there was a problem.

That’s it for the questions, but a little bit of product news for you. Our supply of materials for the Copper Gilt Cream is running very low. We buy these materials in bulk, and the prices have risen dramatically since we last bought them 18 months ago (you don’t use a lot in 30ml jars!). The new costs would make the product too expensive, so we’ve decided to discontinue this product in the near future. But fear not, we will be adding a Copper to our Rainbow Wax range, so you’ll still be able to create the same effects.
(We still have stock of the Gold and Silver, but I strongly suspect that once our supplies are used they will go the same way)

I’ll be back next week with more questions, maybe some news too!

Terry