6 Favorite Finishing Techniques
Watch Your Sandpaper: Sandpaper is a cutting tool, keep it sharp and keep it clean. Don’t try to reuse and recycle your sandpaper, your piece will suffer.
Oil & Sandpaper: For a finer look, apply oil to the wood using 600 grit wet/dry paper or shavings. The friction caused by the heat will cure the oil faster. You can also apply this technique to wax finishes.
Rotary Sanding Disk: If you have lots of finishing to do, try using a rotary sanding disk. This method is faster than sanding by hand and oftentimes leaves a smoother finish with less scratches.
Use the Tools: Don’t be afraid to go back to your tools if a coarse grit of sandpaper isn’t doing the job.
Try Tung Oil: Many turners dismiss tung oil because of the time it takes to dry. Tung oil leaves a beautiful, watertight finish that may be worth the wait.
Don’t Skimp: Take your time finishing your piece. The better it looks now, the better it will look on display later. Finishing is important, don’t treat it as an afterthought.
What are your favorite finishing techniques? Let us know in the comments below!
Sources:
http://www.woodcentral.com/russ/finish7.shtml
http://www.morewoodturningmagazine.com/articles/finishing.php