WEEK COMMENCING 16 FEBRUARY 2025

Hi

It’s all been a bit hectic this week! We hoped to squeeze in a livestream with Nathanael, forgetting he was out at a demo on Monday evening, meaning he wasn’t in until Wednesday. That plan went out the window, but barring any huge problems, we’ll be going live with Nathanael on Tuesday afternoon at 2.30. Click >>>THIS LINK<<< to join us!

If you can’t join us live, you can watch the demo afterwards too.

One of the questions that came in this week asked why smoothed timber felt rough to the touch after Cellulose Sanding Sealer had been applied. Does thinning the sealer cause this?

The answer here is quite simple; it feels rough because it’s meant to! That roughness is a special agent (not James Bond!) in the sealer. This fills the open pores of the wood, to seal it, and dries standing slightly proud of the surface. When the sealer is sanded, the aim is to remove these high spots—not sand through the sealer itself.

To make life even easier, this protruding agent acts as a lubricant, making the sanding process easier. Win/win!

We often show our Rainbow Waxes in use on textured surfaces, or to highlight the open grain on a piece of ash or oak. We were asked this week to confirm if they can be used on ‘flat’ wood, to which the answer is a resounding yes!

Answering this question gives us a great excuse to feature Stewart Tilley’s beautiful carving, finished with our Bronze Rainbow Wax.

This shows the effect of the wax on smooth and textured surfaces. Beautiful!

Our final question for this week concerns our Hard Wax Oil. A regular user told us that it has become his ‘go-to’ finish, giving him the results he wants every time.

He asked, though, if it would be suitable to use outdoors? We’re not keen on this, as this oil doesn’t contain the UV filters required to protect the coating and prevent it from cracking.
We’d expect it to last twelve months, less in some extreme situations, more in others. As long as the user doesn’t mind regular maintenance—usually just a quick clean down and possibly a cut back with abrasive—then it’ll be fine.

n just two weeks’ time we’ll be in Newark at the Midlands Woodworking Show. That seems to have come round quickly! If you’re coming along, please be sure to come and say hello to us. Nathanael will be there too.

All the best

Terry