Finishing

[reby]

How do you apply finish to your projects? Trying to use artists brushes is so time consuming! I've begun storing my lemon oil furniture polish, tung oil, and Watco oils in large flat Tupperware type containers that seal tightly so I can simply dip the items or pour oils over them. Then I complete them with a spray of clear Poly. This works great for those kind of finishes but what if you want color? And sometimes multi-color on the same project?

[Travis]

For an oil finish, I do like you describe: Lemon oil in tupperware, with an acrylic spray finish.

 

For color: If it's solid color, I use spray paint. Otherwise, I use craft paints you can find at any craft store (Delta Ceramcoat, or Folk Art brand) and use a brush to paint it on. If I want the grain to show through, I water down the acrylic paint and 'stain' it. After everything has dried, I'll spray it with acrylic spray to protect it.

[chippygeoff]

I to use various oils for finishing items and like you I use a tub to dip the smaller items. With the bigger items I use brushes about 1/4 -1/2 inch to get to the inside cuts and then use a rag to oil the rest. I will give you a good tip here. Ten minutes after oiling go over it with a rag and wipe off any excess, if you don't you will get high spots that stick out like a sore thumb when viewed in a certain light. Like Travis I also use and acrylic spray on lacquer depending on what i have made and with other items I use a wax polish after the oil has had 24 hours to dry. Another tip, when I oil my items I lay newspaper down on the table and then thin sticks the place the items on so the air can get underneath. When wiping off the excess oil pay attention to where the sticks were. Hope this helps.

[artmill]

Thanks for the tips guy's. I was just looking for some info on finishing tips on wiki but nothing there. Where do you get lemon oil and what is the difference between that and the other oils. Thanks Art

[artmill]

Oops, I noticed that Reby was talking about lemon oil furniture polish. Will the polish affect the adhesiveness of the polyurathane, varnish and lacquers?

[Travis]

...Where do you get lemon oil and what is the difference between that and the other oils. Thanks Art

 

You can buy Lemon Oil in the cleaning section of most grocery stores, hardware stores, or a place like Target. It's with the furniture polish. I like Lemon Oil, mostly because it smells nice. I can finish in the house without "gassing" everybody out. It's cheap, easy to find, and isn't volatile. Plus, if your furniture needs a quick polish, you're set!

[amazingkevin]

I may be brutal,but i have'nt to much time on my hands .Believe it or not i make aluminum trays out of aluminum foil.then i put my projects in for a bath by filling up the trays and lift out and touch up the drips on the bottom.Quick and fast and i drain what is left back in the can and throw away the foil.noproblems yet.The trays are higherthan the project and i slide it to the edge of the table and punch a hole in it to drain.Hope cave man approch!I use this method for clear,stain and sealer.