[David Nickell]

What is the very last thing you would put on a bowl to give it a glossy finish that will last? I've got some that I used the shellac, boiled linseed oil, denatured alcohol mixture on, and some that I used a butcher block polish on. I've been using very fine steel wool between coats, but want a highly polished look on them.

 

[yomanbill]

Assuming that you have a hard film finish, you could wet sand with progressively finer wet/dry paper up through at least 6000 grit. Then rub with automotive polishing compound. Then put on a coat of paste wax. Smooth and silky!

 

[David Nickell]

Assuming that you have a hard film finish, you could wet sand with progressively finer wet/dry paper up through at least 6000 grit. Then rub with automotive polishing compound. Then put on a coat of paste wax. Smooth and silky!

I've got three coats on the bowls so far, one per day, but it's taking awhile for them to harden. It's hard to get my shop warmed up with the wood stove after work. I've been bringing them inside the house to cure, but it's not very warm in here, either. An early 19th century farm house is hard to heat!

When the finish gets harder I will try that. I think I have up to about 2000 grit, but will try to find higher grit.

Trying to figure out wood finish is one of the more perplexing things I've run across in awhile.

 

[Tony B]

I am not a chemist but I'm not sure if your finish will ever get hard. Usually there is a lot more to chemistry then simple mixing. There are very exacting measurements and often times a catalyst that are necessary. What you have attempted to do was to mix together a combination to create a varnish. This is called 'Voo-Doo Chemistry.
I seriously doubt that anyone here will ever come up with a formula/recipe and process that is even close to being equal to anything already available on the market.
As for this particular problem, I think you might just have to wait it out and see what you end up with. Then take it from there.

 

[Quickstep]

You could put on a topcoat of just shellac, let it fully cure and then polish it.

 

[epicfail48]

Not entirely sure what mixing linseed oil with shellac is going to do, other than make a mess...

If all you wanted was a high-gloss finish, why didnt you just use straight shellac?

 

[Quickstep]

Not entirely sure what mixing linseed oil with shellac is going to do, other than make a mess...

shellac+BLO is used by turners to finish stuff while it spins on the lathe. The BLO pops the grain and provides lubrication for the shellac so the rag being used to apply it doesn’t stick to the piece because of the heat generated.

 

[holtzdreher]

Depends a bit on the wood too. I recently got my best finish ever on some bird cherry. I gave it a coat of wipe on poly when i got to 220 grit sand paper. Then sanded with 220 again and up through 400 and 600. then another coat of wipe on poly and more 600 grit. The 4th coat was the last followed by paste wax and buffing It wasn't blindingly shiny but is the smoothest finish and most like glass that I got so far.

 

[Quickstep]

I’ve been using a finish on turnings called, ironically enough, wood bowl finish. Here’s what it looks like. This is not polished; it is three costs wiped on.