"Fred Holder" wrote in message
oups.com...
It depends upon the size of the item you are finishing. Shellac,
Beeswax and Walnut oil will not really give you a shiny finish, unless
you apply carnuba wax and buff. If you are turning small items, like
bottle stoppers, etc. What I call the Bonnie Klein finish is good. It
consists of 1/3 Shellac, 1/3 Alcohol, and 1/3 boiled linseed oil.
Apply with a rag, let soak in a bit, then buff with the same rag and
in the area of the rag where you applied the solution to the wood.
Finally, buff with a dry rag. I used the commercial Shellac that is
already mixed. This was my standard for bottle stoppers for several
years.


Shellac will give you a _very_ shiny finish if you use a modified French
polish technique versus a friction polish technique. Standard wax can be
applied to dull the surface afterward if you desire. Technique is an old
one, just eliminate the pumice. I like to use a light oil like grape or
olive myself. Mineral is too thick, linseed too amber.

Use the 1# cut as your sealer/fuzzer, sand with 400 to level and defuzz,
then another to get a good base, sand as needed. Then get your muslin and
oil and rub up while you're watching TV or something. Builds fast enough,
as long as you remember to keep the rubber moving, and not so thick as to
dissolve your base. Search "French Polish."

Shellac is vulnerable to alcohol and alkali, so consider where it's going to
be.