JeepDad Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 I have been turning pens/stoppers/handles/etc.... for a year now and I typically use General Finished Wood Turners Finish. It is easy to apply and it can be polished to a beautiful gloss sheen. I just turned a few razors (myself and gifts) and I was concerned that the above finish would protect the wood enough. From my research it appears that if the wood is not sealed well, water can get in between the wood and the brass/chrome ends, causing the wood to swell and eventually cause the finish to ghost or fail all together. Some research suggested that I should only use oily woods (cocobolo, teak, etc....), stabilized, or poly-resin blanks only. Great advice and makes total sense, but since there are hundreds of different woods in the world, I would like some variety. Does any one have experience with Wood Turners Finish regarding use around water? And what about just using mineral oil/beeswax combo applied monthly? Any other advice or thoughts greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 As a non turner, I'll go out on a limb here. Wouldn't the question better be served as how to stop water from getting into the brass/chrome ends? It seems if you stop that, the sealing question becomes more simple that there are a lot of tried and true(not the brand) options for. For cutting boards, I use salad bowl finish by gf. It does create a film with a few applications and wouldn't hesitate to use it somewhere water will touch it often, as long as It gets dried after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwalter5110 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 I've used CA glue (super glue) for a TON of pens and I like how it holds up. I don't know how well it would hold up around water, but it's the best finish I have used for pens. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepDad Posted February 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 Yes, the ultimate goal would be to keep the water from getting around the edges. But, the challenge is unless the seal is perfect, water will find away in..... I was thinking of using CA glue, but if the water does get in, how will that effect the CA finish? I also read else where to apply epoxy to the ends of the tube - to seal the ends. I used CA for a finish for a short time but I hate the smell while applying it and I had a few instances where the pen fell and the CA finish cracked. I just worry that over time with being dropped (as we all do with razors) the CA could crack. I guess I just need to make several handles and try different methods and see what works and does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwalter5110 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 28 minutes ago, JeepDad said: Yes, the ultimate goal would be to keep the water from getting around the edges. But, the challenge is unless the seal is perfect, water will find away in..... I was thinking of using CA glue, but if the water does get in, how will that effect the CA finish? I also read else where to apply epoxy to the ends of the tube - to seal the ends. I used CA for a finish for a short time but I hate the smell while applying it and I had a few instances where the pen fell and the CA finish cracked. I just worry that over time with being dropped (as we all do with razors) the CA could crack. I guess I just need to make several handles and try different methods and see what works and does not. Report back with your findings. I'd like to know which works best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepDad Posted February 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 I have done a ice cream scope and pizza cutter for the house with the Wood Turners Finish and even with several washings, it has held up okay. I'll report back on this when I get back in the shop this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 Any surface finish will eventually fail if water can get around it and swell the wood. CA holds up pretty well against moisture, but full coverage is key. You might search here for threads about outdoor finishes. I hear good things about some epoxy finishes, but that might be cumbersome for such small items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxerjoe04 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 I was gonna say CA, but I'd probably put it on the ends too if possible, assume it's just a brass tube like pens? Of course the safest bet would be to use stabilized wood, a little more money to buy blanks but you could always get the stuff to do it yourself if you make a lot of them. It is expensive to start out stabilizing your own stuff but once you have it, could easily make your money back selling stabilized blanks. It is nice turning stabilized wood and not having to worry about it as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williaty Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Why not just start with the interesting woods you want to work with, stabilize them, and turn the result? I agree that the interesting part of all this is the variety of wood but it seems like the correct answer is to make the wood impervious to water, not to try to resist failure if the wood has already gotten wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 I have used WTF a lot. If you want faster build and more protection...try General Finishes Enduro-Var, its kinda sorta similar but has more yummier stuff in it than WTF . Works great and easy to use. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepDad Posted March 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Interesting idea about Enduro-Var. I'll try that one and see. I would love to be able to stabilize my own wood but not sure I want to invest the money and time. Each year I might turn 1-2 dozen handles that will touch water. Maybe when I do more I'll go that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomP Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I just got friction polish. I haven't used it yet but it said on the label it seals out water. I will let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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