finish for wood

[lionfish]

what do you use to finish the wood? i know some wood is painted, but what about the wood thats left natural or stained?

[Jaager]

Flying my true colors, I have a bias against plastic or anything synthetic on my wooden ship models.  This does not extend as any prejudice against the work of others who do use these products

 

raw wood - sanded 220 -> 320 -> 400 -> 600 and then scraped with single edged razor blade - rubbed with shammy leather cloth

1st coat  pure Tung oil cut 1:1 with mineral spirits.

2nd coat  straight Tung oil.

3rd coat  super blonde shellac flakes made into a 5% solution in 100% 2-propanol (isopropyl alcohol) [ 10% solution diluted 1:1 ]

4th coat  10% shellac.

 

0000 steel wool between coats.  Be sure to remove all of the steel fragments - they will oxidize and stain the wood.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Jaager

[lionfish]

Flying my true colors, I have a bias against plastic or anything synthetic on my wooden ship models.  This does not extend as any prejudice against the work of others who do use these products

 

raw wood - sanded 220 -> 320 -> 400 -> 600 and then scraped with single edged razor blade - rubbed with shammy leather cloth

1st coat  pure Tung oil cut 1:1 with mineral spirits.

2nd coat  straight Tung oil.

3rd coat  super blonde shellac flakes made into a 5% solution in 100% 2-propanol (isopropyl alcohol) [ 10% solution diluted 1:1 ]

4th coat  10% shellac.

 

0000 steel wool between coats.  Be sure to remove all of the steel fragments - they will oxidize and stain the wood.

do you use the same process for all wood? or do you have different techniques for say decking vs planking?

[dgbot]

I am a fan of painting my models.  I start with a coat of sealer to insure even coverage then a primer if needed then airbrush the colors needed.  My Latham has paint hull and masts etc.  Fishing Schooners were identified by their colors from a distance.  The real vessels were always painted or had other protection from the elements.  This is a judgement call and it would depend on what you are building and what you are trying to show.

David B

[GuntherMT]

I just use Minwax wipe-on Poly, as do many other members here based upon reading build logs.

[jdbradford]

I too use Minwax wipe-on Poly with great results.  I would love to see a pictorial of your wood finishing Jaager.

 

Jeff

[Jaager]

For a deck, I skip the Tung oil and use only shellac.  It is easy enough to buff the surface if it is too glossy.

Shellac is the classic base for most any other non water based finish - paint or clear.

 

I haven't gotten there, since I found out about it, but I think the last layer will be a rubbed on coat of Renaissance wax.

 

I doubt the process would be very interesting as a pictorial.

 

One promising thing - I finally got a picture that I can look at from my digital camera.  It was the first I took from a distance and not macro.  Who knew?   It is the midship section framing of USS Porpoise 1836 - designed as a schooner - rigged as a brigantine and later a brig -

 

 

The last few years, I have been developing a (new?) way of framing a hull that I call The Frame Sandwich Method. I am just not sure how to present it.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Jaager

[hornet]

Matt or satin poly, diluted 50:50 with low odour turps and applied to larger areas (hull /deck ) with a single action airbrush. Very light sand between coats. 4 coats applied. The 50:50 mix dries a lot quicker than undiluted poly and gives a smooth even finish.

[dgbot]

The main problem is Shellac will turn yellow after a few years.

David B

[lionfish]

Matt or satin poly, diluted 50:50 with low odour turps and applied to larger areas (hull /deck ) with a single action airbrush. Very light sand between coats. 4 coats applied. The 50:50 mix dries a lot quicker than undiluted poly and gives a smooth even finish.

what psi is best for this?

[hornet]

Lionfish, between 20 and 25 psi. Much the same as for acrylic paint. I use a dual action Sparmax model DH 103 for Acrylic paint and a single action badger model 200 for poly/turps mix.

Edited October 16, 2015 by hornet

[Fidlock]

I hope this thread isn't ended, but has anyone used Danish oil

[Slowhand]

Yep used it quite a bit on wood carving and on a deck planking. Wished hadn't on latter it adds a golden colour. Applied in daylight it produces a gloss finiish, due to UV light.