For the foreseeable future I am going to be using this blog to tell you about some of the things I do in the studio that might help you if you are wood turning or doing some related wood working project. These posts will not be in any particular order but you should be able to search for what interests you.
| In this post I will cover how I manage my finishing materials. Here I am talking about Salad Bowl Finish from General Finishes but these tricks can be applied to most finishes. Before I open a new can of finish I turn it over and write the day's date on it. Also, when I have closed the can after use, I turn it upside down and leave it at a slight angle by putting a piece of wood under the edge. By leaving the can at an angle, the finish inside will slide off of all surfaces and collect in the main body of the tin. Turning the tin upside down will ensure that no air gets in and there will not be a build up of partially dried finish on the top or the bottom. |  |
 | I keep the steel wool and tack cloth in plastic screw top containers. This keeps them free of airborne dust and ready for use. Keeping the steel wool in a tight closing container reduces the risk of it self-igniting. I buy my steel wool and tack cloths from Lee Valley - see below. |  |
 | I use 2" sponge brushes for almost all of my finishing. I generally use one a day and I buy them in bulk, usually 100 at a time from Lee Valley. (You can find contact information for Lee Valley here. Scroll down to find it.) I keep a plastic bag, marked as shown, so that I can keep the brush moist during the day. I use the newest finish for final coats, which I do at the beginning of the day, and older finish for first coats. I mark off sections of the grid so that I won't put the brush in a section that has old finish in it. |
| I wipe back my finishes with a cotton pad. My wife, graciously, cuts, folds and packs the pads in bags of 1 to 2 dozen. I keep the used pads in a separate bag and I only throw them out when the bag is full. It is amazing how many times you may need a damp pad to touch up a spot on a finished piece. I purchase the cotton scraps from Lee Valley. See the link above. |  |
 | If you have the capability, try finishing two pieces at the same time. This reduces the finishing time by about 40%. In a future blog I will go into some of the tricks and techniques I have used for finishing on the lathe. |
I am always looking for alternate ways of doing things that are better and/or more efficient. Please feel free to add your comments to this discussion.
Until next time, all the best!
Jim
Jim
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