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Finishes for Tulipwood (tropical)

Scottl

Diamond
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Location
Eastern Massachusetts, USA
Sorry if this has been covered somewhere but the search tool turned up nothing.

I am seeking advice for possible finishes for Tulipwood. This is the heavy tropical stuff with streaks of brown, pink, amber, etc.

Stuff I found on the web says that there will be color shifts but they vary with finish and many finishes will not "take" due to oils in the wood and oil finishes may not harden. General advice seemed to be to seal with blond shellac and then apply a clear topcoat.

The issue I have is that some of this will be used for tool handles. The first use will be handle knobs for a small bronze router plane I am working on and as such will see much handling. I would like to preserve as much color as possible but also have a durable finish. One thought was spray lacquer over shellac sealer because it could be lightly sanded and re-coated when needed.

Any thoughts?
 
I sort of see your point but I don't really like a film finish on wood totes/handles.

My approach for oily tropical woods (Cocbola, African Blackwood) is to dip or brush with very thin superblond shellac made from flakes to the extent that it soaks into the pores. This "cut" is like 2lb cut diluted at least twice or maybe 3x as much (less than 1lb cut IOW). I keep brushing it in sometimes adding alcohol for a while, then towel or pad it off, and let dry a few hours. Sand the raised grain, and pad on another coat, but not intentionally building up a surface coat. One will form slightly of course. Let it dry again, and the next day sand, and wax with Trewax. I prefer Trewax because it has carnauba and smells much nicer than many waxes, expecially the stench of Johnson's. Add wax occasionally and it will eventually fill the pores.

After reading Chris Schwarz's blog a few years ago, I tried polishing a white oak cabinet/sideboard with beeswax. I added my own modification of sealing it a couple coats with very dilute shellac, and sanding the finish. Then I made a polissoir from broom straw, and polished more or less according to CS instructions. I ironed in the first coats with a clothes iron, though. :)

A Ancient French Method for Finishing and Polishing Wood

Me & the client both loved the finish, but I have not tried it on totes. We have quite a bit of beeswax, various colors, but it is not easy to apply to small objects. I have added it to partially empty cans of Trewax, the vapors soften it. But I have not noticed a clear difference. I probably will eventually test some that if purely beeswax from some of our more crystalline blocks.

As with any finish, try whatever is chosen on scrap, and be realisitic as far as the same procedures you expect to use on the finish parts. It does make a difference.

smt
 
Sorry if this has been covered somewhere but the search tool turned up nothing.

I am seeking advice for possible finishes for Tulipwood. This is the heavy tropical stuff with streaks of brown, pink, amber, etc.

Stuff I found on the web says that there will be color shifts but they vary with finish and many finishes will not "take" due to oils in the wood and oil finishes may not harden. General advice seemed to be to seal with blond shellac and then apply a clear topcoat.

The issue I have is that some of this will be used for tool handles. The first use will be handle knobs for a small bronze router plane I am working on and as such will see much handling. I would like to preserve as much color as possible but also have a durable finish. One thought was spray lacquer over shellac sealer because it could be lightly sanded and re-coated when needed.

Any thoughts?

Unless you are allergic to the wood, don't finish it. Wax it and use it, it will develop its own patina over time.

dee
;-D
 
Stephen,

That sounds like what I am looking for. I also don't like film finishes on handles which is why I was hoping someone would suggest an alternative. I don't mind some dulling of the colors but I spent quite some time picking through a stack of turning squares before selecting some with (IMO) the best grain patterns to purchase. I wanted to do something a little different to complement the nice rough casting (St. James Bay) that is almost finished. I am machining it with V-grooves to hold Veritas style blades and have little more left than the knobs and a blade locking collar (and eventually a fitted box) to make.

Question: How long can shellac flakes last if stored properly? I must confess (to my shame) that I haven't mixed shellac from flakes since school shop class decades ago and simply purchased pre-mixed orange shellac on occasion when repairing something originally done that way.
 
I like to leave really dense tropical hardwoods unfinished, especially when they will be used as a handle. Just sand up to 600 grit and then buff. It will look finished and feel very nice in the hand. With use just the oils from handling will provide all the finish it needs.
 
Scott- I have had flakes go bad in a "few" years, like maybe 5 - 10 for platina/superblond, blonde or other dewaxed versions, which are the best for water resistance and impermeability. Sometimes they last a little longer. It sort of matters how they were handled and at what temperatures, before they got to you.

The blondes also age faster than the brunettes. :D There is some almost walnut colored seedlac here from when Paddy oDean was still selling shellac flakes, that might make it almost 20 yrs old. I use it essentially only for touch up on antiques. My wife recently needed a couple ounces for a chair she is working on upholstering for the exposed wood parts. I mixed some up from the ancient plastic baggy of dark brown flakes without much optimism. It all dissolved readily, completely and dries in a flash like it is supposed to.

smt
 
5-10 years is fine for me. I will be keeping it in a basement where the temperature is very stable. I plan to buy blond rather than super-blond so it should keep just a bit longer. I like your idea of dipping the knobs (<1" diameter) in the diluted shellac mix because some things I read seemed to indicate that Tulipwood may be prone to cracking and sealing the inside as well as the outside should keep it more stable. I had thought of just sanding and buffing but was concerned about color fade and cracking.
 
I sometimes use one of the premade oiled finishes that are available
It's a traditional finish .prep well will give good results
Shop bought one I use has driers in it and also "feeds"the wood
Finish off with very fine wire wool will give a silky smooth feel
 
I'd use Tung oil, slightly thinned with mineral spirits and a bit of Japan dryer for faster curing. Apply a generous coat and let it soak in for 10-15 minutes then wipe off. Wait more than 24 hours if you want to apply a second coat.
 
I get why you want to try and maintain the colors and sealing with shellac is definitely the way to go, but the colors will fade/change regardless of the finish. Why try to extend the inevitable especially when hand tools feel better unfinished and develop a nice patina from natural oils on your palms.
 
I sort of see your point but I don't really like a film finish on wood totes/handles.


I have no experience with it other than as a floor finish on a job almost 40 years ago, but it just occurred to me that some people I know get amazing results on kitchen tables and counters with Waterlox.

Waterlox is a wiping varnish, hence it builds up a film.

A quote from Waterlox's site:

"Waterlox finishes penetrate into the pores of the wood and build up to a coating"
 
I just used waterlox this week on cherry and it's a decent finish, easy enough to apply. You can wipe it on and apply 2-3 coats in a day or brush it with a thicker coat to build faster. Thicker coat takes a day before recoating and having cross ventilation helps the curing process as it reacts with the oxygen in the air aka 'oxidative cure'.
 
I would use water lacquer. You can get it where it dries clear with no amber effect. You can apply as many coats as you want. You can even sand and buff it. It is water proof, and won't rub off. It's not toxic either. No ventilation needed. I've used it on tulipwood a lot of times.

ozarkwoodworker.com
 
Chris - thanks for the explanation. I only remembered that it "really soaked in" to the endgrain wood floor tiles way back then & seemed to consolidate the wood. It was a dense tropical wood, probably did not float. I do not remember building up a finish on it, but it was for a college art professor and he only had me put one coat on. I do not know if he sanded it again and top coated or not, or waxed. Have had no experience since.

smt
 
I vote for wax on top of a shellac washcoat. The oil finishes will be most likely to darken the wood, and are not going to penetrate very far if at all in tulipwood. Film finishes just don't feel as nice to me on a tool handle.

But whatever you do, those pinks are eventually going to brown out, may as well learn to love it anyway.
 
You can build a surface finish with Waterlox or just fill the pores, your pick.
 








 
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