I spent most of my working time on the stand at Harrogate talking to visitors and answering questions. That’s normal, and I enjoy it; I just wish I could remember them all to share with you.

A regular one is about the difference between the sanding sealers – Cellulose, Shellac, and Acrylic. This comes down to three main factors; personal preference, how quickly you need it to dry, and what the next coating is going to be.
Cellulose Sanding Sealer remains our most popular version, as it’s quick drying, easy to use, and is compatible with any of our finishes that benefit from using a sealer. Which is pretty much all of them, only the oils don’t need a sealer first.

Nathanael spent a lot of time demonstrating on the lathe, and also answering questions.

In case you missed it, or need a reminder of the process, he was turning and decorating small Christmas tree ornaments. After turning them, he opened (i.e. increased the depth of) the grain using one of our Liming Brushes. Next he stained them with a suitable festive colour – Green and Red were very popular. Once dry, he sprayed a light coat of Cellulose Sanding Sealer on, to seal the open pores of the wood – important for the next stage, which was to apply the Rainbow Wax. This was applied all over, allowed to dry for a few seconds, and then he used the Reducer to remove the excess, leaving the coloured wax just in the grain. The metallic effect of the Rainbow Wax really shines, giving a wonderful effect.

Whilst writing this, an email has literally just arrived in my inbox, asking about the effect cold weather has on finishing. It’s something I’ve covered before, but the current chill makes it a good time to publish a reminder!
Good storage is important, water based products must be protected from frost.
Care needs to be taken regarding application too; with lacquers (and sealers) the real enemy isn’t the cold, it’s the damp atmosphere that it can bring. Moisture from the air will permeate into these materials and cause it to ‘bloom’ – that is, have a white, cloudy effect in it. Sprayed lacquers are even more prone to this, as they collect moisture even easier. There’s no easy cure for this, other than heating, or wait for a warmer day.

And that brings me to the end of another Newsletter, I hope you’ve found it useful.
If you bought access to the recordings of this year’s Woodturning Weekender, this will come to an end just after the weekend, so if you haven’t watched it all yet, time is running out. Talking of the Weekender, basic details are now available on its webpage, do feel free to have a look!

Stay warm, have a great week

Terry

P.S. Nathanael will be back in Harrogate on Thursday demonstrating at the Greenvill Crafts Open Day. Do pop in and see him if you’re in the area!