Hello again!

We’re back from a very busy few days in Harrogate, it was good to meet some more Newsletter readers there, and thanks again for the kind comments, very appreciated.

A question that came up a couple of times at the show was about a finish to use on wooden pens. To my mind it’s hard to think of anything better than Melamine Lacquer. It’s hardwearing enough to allow it to be handled a lot, and bright enough that it will look good. It’s also quick drying and easy to use on such small items. An application of Burnishing Cream after the final coat will help improve the gloss if needed too, or you could use Cut’n’Polish to improve the gloss and leave a nice, waxy feel to it. The wax will wear away in time but the finish will still look good.

We were also asked about slowing down the discolouration of Purpleheart caused by ultraviolet light on small items. The Acrylic Gloss Lacquer and Acrylic Satin Lacquer both have UV inhibitors in them which will slow this down dramatically, although sadly they won’t prevent it completely long term.

In a similar vein we were asked about the same sort of thing for a pair of exterior gates – one would be in the shade and the other would be in the sun. Situations like that are much harder as any change will be very obvious when comparing one to the other and at the moment we don’t have anything to offer for this (we suggested a specialist, tinted exterior coating such as Sikkens) but we are working on adding UV filters to our Finishing Oil. Watch this space!

Another visitor at Harrogate spoke to us about Spirit Stains and why they weren’t blending on the wood he was working on. At first we weren’t sure, but after speaking to him for longer we realised that he was using the stains very sparingly indeed. Whilst this wouldn’t normally be a problem it was in this case, there wasn’t enough solvent being applied (as part of the stain) to reactivate the previous colour and make it mix, so our advice was to use more of the stain.

And finally for this week, during a demonstration of our Buffing Wheel Kit, there was some confusion about which finishes can be buffed this way.
The important thing is that all of the coatings must be allowed to dry properly before buffing; overnight is preferable in most cases and a few days in the case of oils is vital. Any of our lacquers can be buffed, also the Cellulose and Acrylic Sanding Sealer, plus the Finishing Oil and Hard Wax Oil.
Shellac Sanding Sealer and Friction Polish can be buffed a slower speeds and with care.

So for a change this week I’ll still be at home when you get this…but getting ready to go to the Axminster store in Cardiff, so if you’re in the area on Saturday do pop in and say hello. I’ll be the one in the green Chestnut Products top!

Have a good weekend

Terry