Happy Friday! Here we are again with a non-news Newsletter! It’s probably too late to change the name of it now. A quick hello to our new readers, we had a lot of new sign-ups this week. You’re all now official Chestnuteers.
I always appreciate your feedback, and forgot to mention last week that someone had contacted me after the ‘Friction Polish on Spectacles‘ item. They were delighted as it not only solved a puzzle for them but it also saved them from having to buy a new pair of glasses and encouraged them to use less Friction Polish. Just what you need after the expense of Christmas!
Let’s answer some questions…

Long time readers will know that every once in a while we get asked some very strange questions. One recently was whether our Acrylic Gloss Lacquer would work in sub zero temperatures. This is problematical on many levels, but we were able to provide at least some information.
The first issue is that being an aerosol it wouldn’t spray, the propellants in the can need to be warm to work. The only way around this would be to keep the can in a warm environment and only take it outside into the cold (New York apparently) just before being used.
Next was the concern about whether it would dry. The answer here is yes it would, but it could take a lot longer than normal.
Next was appearance – the lacquer isn’t designed to work under those conditions really and the final finish was very likely to be substandard. This wasn’t a problem, I was assured, as the lacquer was planned to protect a metal bar which was eventually going to be encased in something else and no longer visible.
The other worry was how long it would last; getting a good adhesion was going to be a problem and I couldn’t imagine the lacquer staying put for very long. Again, not a problem, it only had to last two months before being encased.
As we often do, we suggested some field testing first, so that the user could satisfy themselves as to the suitability. This is where it all fell down as this was a last minute rush and the job needed to be done inside two weeks! I’m hoping to find out the final outcome; if I do I’ll let you know.

Another caller was finishing a pine box which had had some pictures painted onto it. He wanted to seal the surface with a sanding sealer but was worried that the sanding afterwards would damage the picture. That really shouldn’t happen; a sanding sealer is designed to be sanded; it only requires a very light touch and a very fine abrasive. The aim isn’t to remove all of the sealer and go back to bare wood, just to remove the ‘sanding agent’ on the surface. Afterwards you should be left with a silky smooth surface, ready for whatever you plan to use next.

I thought I’d said this elsewhere but I can’t find it… In the run-up to Christmas we sent out loads of Buffing Wheel Kits; I reckon they were a very popular Christmas gift. We got a kick out of knowing that these items we produce would, we hope, make someone happy on Christmas Day. It was a strange feeling really!
Anyway, as you probably know the Buffing Wheels are great for the outside of bowls, flat work and spindle work but not so great for the inside of bowls, which is why the Dome Buffs exist. They come in three different sizes and this is what we’re sometimes asked about.
We measure the size at the widest part of the cloth, which is the flat side of the dome (where it sits in the plastic holder).
The small one is 60mm, the medium is 100mm and the large is 150mm.
The medium is the most popular and covers most eventualities.
They’re a little bit slower at doing the job but give them the time they need and they’ll bring up the same shine on the inside of a bowl as you can achieve on the outside.

And that’s everything for this week. As mentioned, I’ll be at the Axminster store in High Wycombe next week, doing some staff training on Monday and then demoing to the club there on Tuesday, so do come and say hello if you’re in the area.
And if I don’t see you there I’ll see you here next week!

All the best

Terry