On Dec 18, 7:37 pm, Greg wrote:
Tom Dougall said:

Just made a bowl for my granddaughter. I took a lot of care over it and
was especially proud of the finish I achieved. When I gave it to her she
said " Gee, thanks granddad, it looks just like plastic". I think that
probably we can go too far with this finishing lark and we are likely to
loose sight of the beauty of the wood itself. The finish should enhance
not detract.

Tom,
Like you, I have been on a quest for the ultimate finish, and have
dabbled with most of the contemporary finishes. I can offer you my
personal opinions on what I have perceived to be the strengths and
weaknesses of each.

Oil (BLO, Walnut, Tung, Mineral)
Easy to apply and repair. Catches dust, generally requires
reapplication as maintenance. Only walnut and mineral oil are
considered food safe. Not waterproof. Can take weeks to cure,
depending on the blend. Luster rather than gloss, but can be waxed and
polished to a pretty high sheen. Some woods absorb irregularly and
may look splotchy over time.

Petroleum based Poly
Slow drying time, but faster than oil. Fumes toxic. Very hard, and
tends to crack rather than moving with wood. Can achieve high gloss.
Waterproof. Solvent proof. Not easily repairable. Yellows over time
and can aggravate glue creep. Probably food safe unless you eat the
turning.

Water-borne Poly
Fast dry time. Fumes moderately toxic. Hard, seems to move better with
wood than spirits poly. High gloss can be achieved. Water proof once
cured. Resistant to most solvents, including alcohol. Not easily
repaired. Doesn't yellow or affect glue. Can blush. Probably food
safe, unless you eat the turning.

Shellac
Easy to apply. Very fast drying time. Fumes annoying. High gloss can
be achieved. Water proof, but not alcohol proof. Fairly easily
repaired. Nice depth. Comes in a variety of "colors" depending on the
degree of purification. Can yellow, but the ultra-blonde 100% dewaxed
I've been using hasn't yet in several years. Definitely food safe if
you enjoy eating bug secretions.

Nitro-Lacquer
Very fast dry time. Extremely toxic fumes. High gloss can be achieved.
Water and alcohol proof. Not easily repaired. Doesn't yellow, seems to
offer a lot of "depth". Can blush. Probably food safe if you don't
eat the turning.

All of these may (and with the exception of oil, should) be leveled by
sanding between coats, but sandpaper clogs quickly with shellac. Fibre
pads and steel wool are preferred by me when applying shellac. Do not
use steel wool with acrylic poly. I apply multiple coats, sanded in
between, of all finishes. Too coarse or too fine grades of sandpaper
( 220 or 320) should be avoided except on the final coat. I tend to
avoid highly polished "plastic dipped" finishes as they detract from
the character of the wood.. I generally reserve oil for cutting
boards, etc. 1-2 lb cut shellac is becoming one of my favorites - for
the quick dry, easy wiping application, and depth. Lacquer is another
favorite, for it's durability, resistance to chemicals, and depth, but
the fumes are really serious - especially in winter. I avoid petroleum
poly period, even thinned wiping poly. The water based poly seems
better, albeit a bit "plastic" looking. I apply thin, as a wipe, and
sand between coats to avoid excessive build.

You say only walnut and mineral oil are considered food safe ???
Unless extracted without the protein walnut oil is no safer than
peanut oil for allergy sufferers.
Mineral oil is used as a laxative, as the body rejects it and all
that's in there with it ;-.
Pure tung oil is food safe, here's some info to that extend.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...at=1,190,42942

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

On the final coat, I either sand to 400-600 for a satin finish, or you
may progress upwards and polish with compounds and wax to really bring
out the gloss, but this tends to make wooden items look artificial,
kinda like a bowling ball. A satin finish, sometimes waxed with
Johnson's non-silicon paste furniture/floor wax, is my personal
preference. Whatever you and your market prefers should be yours.
Either way, it is important to make certain the sanding swirls are
removed before applying any finish. You can wet the wood with alcohol
or naphtha under good lighting to highlight sanding marks.

My 2 cents worth...
FWIW,

Greg G.