Green and Gold

The third and final coat of Arm-R-Seal went on this yesterday. I think it still needs to be rubbed-out and buffed, but I prefer to wait a week or more for the finish to fully cure.

This is sycamore, about 8-1/2" diam x 3-1/2" tall.

Tinted with alcohol-based transtint dye, then a gold leafed band with wire-burned border inside and out.

Finish is two coats of Seal-A-Cell and three coats Arm-R-Seal semi-gloss.

As always, comments and critiques welcome.

Thanks for looking.
 

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I really like it, the dye thing is something I've been dying to try....... :D

No seriously, I have.

Now work on your pictures, they do not do your FABULOUS turnings justice! :)

(I have poor pics and poor turnings! :eek: )

Thanks for sharing that, care to give us some more details on HOW you did it?

Cheers! :wave:
 
I really like it, the dye thing is something I've been dying to try....... :D

No seriously, I have.

Now work on your pictures, they do not do your FABULOUS turnings justice! :)

(I have poor pics and poor turnings! :eek: )

Thanks for sharing that, care to give us some more details on HOW you did it?

Cheers! :wave:

Stu:

Thanks for the kind (and honest) words.

I wish I knew how to take better pictures. Really, I do. But I am not willing to spend the $$ needed for better equipment, so I have to make due with what I have. Any suggestions on how to improve the images I take using the equipment I have (a 5MP Kodak Easyshare) would be greatly appreciated. I'm willing to learn, but SWMBO will be very unhappy if I start spending money on camera equipment.

As far as the tinting... its really not that complicated a process. A lot of it was simply learned by trial and error and error and error.
After experimenting with a few different types, I now use alchohol-soluble trans-tint powder. I buy mine from Clay Johnson at Choice-Woods. It goes a LONG way, so add just a little at a time to your DNA. I use the tip of a popsocle stick to scoop it from the jars and to mix it. I try to count scoops and how much DNA I have used, so I can replicate the color if I need. I also found it helpful to add between 5% and 10% of 2lb cut blonde or superblonde shellac after the dye has dissolved in the alchohol. I get better coverage and less splotchiness.

I have found that the best way to get even coverage is; after sanding to 400 grit, put on a wash coat of 1/2# cut shellac. Let it dry (raising the grain), then wet sand with 600 grit stearated paper and mineral spirits. Repeat the process, only sand with the lathe in REVERSE this time.
Wipe the entire thing down with mineral spirits, and once evaproated, put on a thin coat of 2# shellac. Let it dry and buff in by hand with steel wool. The finish is glass smooth, but using shellac (alcohol-soluble) as your sanding sealer means the wood pores are ready to take on the tint with no problems.

Now, you can tint, and get really clean, even color.

BTW... use gloves and wear a smock. It will be very unpleasant if you get it on a shirt or pants that end up in the wash with you other clothes.

DAMHIKT :doh:
 
Very nice work Steven :clap:, and thanks for the insight on your process. The finish looks sweet, and it'll really be like glass after you buff it.

On the pictures, your Kodak should be able to do just fine. Do you have a tripod? That should help the focus a bit. If not, even a cane or something like a 4' 2x4 can help steady the camera. Also, you might try adjusting the exposure compensation to help lighten the pictures a bit. (If you're not familiar with it, your manual should point you in the right direction. You'll want to adjust in the + direction.) If you can help us get finishes like yours, we should be able to help you get pics that are more in line with the quality of your turnings. :thumb:
 
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