Resources
More Natural Finishes
More Natural Finishes
I use a variety of finishes on my pieces. Decisions about what to use derive from the look I am trying to achieve, the perceived use of the piece, and ease or difficulty of applying the finish. Below is a listing of what I use.
Chapham’s Beeswax Salad Bowl Finish: Mix of mineral oil and beeswax, claimed by Clapham’s to be food safe. This has been applied to several bowls.
Clapham’s Hemp Wood Wax: Mix of hemp oil and beeswax, hemp oil being plant derived. Also, claimed by Clapham’s to be food safe. Hemp oil will harden (polymerize) on its own, which mineral oil does not do. I use this on items having milk paint for coloring.
Old Fashioned Milk Paint: These paints are derived from earth pigments, which are suspended in milk products. I apply these to rims and outside surfaces of bowls. They become encased in the wood after application of hemp oil (at least two coats).
Real Milk Paint Hemp Oil: Natural oil derived from plants. This oil is used on those items where I apply milk paint. Again, the hemp oil will harden on its own. The hardening process takes approximately 30 days. See this link for more information.
My own mix of mineral oil and beeswax: I do make a 60/40 mixture (by weight) of mineral oil and beeswax, which leads to a harder wax finish. I use this mainly for boxes.
Other Finishes used
General Finishes’ Wood Bowl Finish: This is an oil-based polyurethane that I have used on various vessels and a few bowls. This is a high-gloss finish.
General Finishes’ Arm-R-Seal: Also an oil-based polyurethane. I have used this on several vessels. It has a satin finish.
General Finishes’ Water-Based Polyurethane: Used primarily on vessels. This has a semi-gloss finish.
Useful Links
Useful Links
Wood Database: This is an extensive database cataloguing many species of wood. The companion book is titled “Wood,” the author being Eric Meier. The database and book give a good description of wood characteristics. Moreover, the website and book have ample pictures so you know what you are getting. Of the properties, a big one is the endgrain structure, as this often allows you to identify an unknown wood species. Just have a good magnifier or eye loupe available so you can see the details. The Wood Filter on the website is very useful tool to use if you are willing to gather a few properties on a mystery piece of wood. I have used this a few times, not with 100% success, but close enough to give me a clew on what I am dealing with.