In article ,
"Stew" wrote:

I getting ready to try making a perfume aerosol and wonder what finish
should be used, that won't be affected by the chemicals in the perfume.
Anyone with experience care to comment?

No experience with your specific project, but...

You'd want a finish that is impervious to alcohol. Shellac is out off
the bat. Lacquer is probably OK, varnish would be just fine. Lacquer
would yield a higher gloss and may be faster to get to a completed item
but may be more susceptible to body oils and abrasions. Varnish is quite
durable but takes more care in applying due to longer cure time. To
attain a high gloss, one should wait at least 30 days before rubbing out
and polishing. Varnish will lend an amber tone to the wood while lacquer
is closer to "water-white".

There are certainly more durable and impervious finishes out there, such
as the catalyzed varieties, but they're not user or financially friendly
- used more in commercial production.

Do a sample test using a couple finishes of choice and then subject them
to perfume and handling as you see your item receiving.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.