Buffing!

[Canuck]

Well as most of you know I use a buffing process on most of the puzzles I make, but never really did post an indepth tutorial about it, so...just today found one made by Pipe Maker 'Extraordinaire' Kurt A. Huhn!      Have a look, he describes a finishing method for 'Ebonite' but many/most of the same steps can be followed for wood! 

http://www.pipecrafter.com/articles/finishing_ebonite.php

[Roby]

John, exceptional results I must admit.  I have never made a finish on a puzzle that is as good as this.

However, I will add my 2 -cents worth (odd that the modern key board does not have a key for the "cents" sign).  If you have a project with lots of intracate cuts, I will recommend something that I ran across by accident.  You can't buff into the nooks and crannies of an unlevel or carved project with normal methods. 

However, drimmel makes a nylon rotary brush.  If you mix 1 part lacquer with 3 parts thinner and spred it on with a toothbrush and then hit it with this brush, it leaves a near perfect finish that gets into all irregular places.  You spread it on, and it is a clear liquid.  Then hit it with the drimmel rotary brush and it turns into a white paste almost immediately.  Then all excess lacquer gets tossed (away as dry granuels) and what you are left with is a perfectly even but thin layer of lacquer over all uneven surfaces of a project, and it is polished to a perfect sheen.

I did this for my last project because it had multi-levels and diviots and nooks and crannies, and it worked exceptinally well.  Now for pens, I can not come close to the buffing techniques that you guys use.  But I mention this because I have seen some of your pens that are carved out helixical patterns, and I just wanted you know that there is a process that will allow for a very good finish to items that cannot be buffed by traditional means.

[Canuck]

However, drimmel makes a nylon rotary brush.  If you mix 1 part lacquer with 3 parts thinner and spred it on with a toothbrush and then hit it with this brush, it leaves a near perfect finish that gets into all irregular places.  You spread it on, and it is a clear liquid.  Then hit it with the drimmel rotary brush and it turns into a white paste almost immediately.  Then all excess lacquer gets tossed (away as dry granuels) and what you are left with is a perfectly even but thin layer of lacquer over all uneven surfaces of a project, and it is polished to a perfect sheen.

Wow, that is interesting and might come in handy down the road...I just might give that a go sometime 

[LEAP]

Roby could you post a pic of the brush you use? this sounds like the answer to finishing antler that has bark on it.

[Roby]

Yeah, give me just a few minutes.

[Roby]

OK, here it is.  The one on the left really works the best.  An awesome finish with no excess.  Would work great on the recesses of antler bark as long as the bark is not so frail that will flip off with your fingernail.

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[Roby]

Ahh, I just realized that what you were calling antler bark, I thought of as being the fuzzy stuff that they scrape off thier antlers in the spring.  I now suppose that you are talking about the pitted areas around the base of the antler, which absolutly won't come off with your fingernail.  These brushes should put a nice sheen on those areas as well. 

[LEAP]

Thanks I'll have to give that a try. I never would of thought of using so stiff a brush.  I have a few of those brushes already. but always need an excuse to go to the tool store "Just to get a couple small brushes, dear, Honest"