Buffing Question

Dan Mosley

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1,169
Location
Palm Springs, Ca
I turned a small vessel today (picture below) and have it sitting and drying inside. I sanded to 500 wet/dry using Formby's tung and wiped down well, then put one more coat let sit for a bit and wiped it down well.
I read where alot of turners will coat up to 3-4 times with this Formby's letting each coat dry for 24hrs - rubbing between coats with grey or green 3m pad or 400-500grit etc.... then the final coat letting it sit for a week to totally cure well. Then buff with Tripoli and WD....then hand rub on Renissance wax and hand buff off................................
In the case of the above I may just use tripoli and then go to Renissance - skipping the WD and white junk in the pores.....

Sound right ?
 

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I would not use tripoli on a white wood or the White diamond on a dark wood, where there were any voids or areas to "highlight" it. I've spent too much time with a dental pic type gizmo trying to clear it out. Just my .o2.

Interesting piece BTW... 1st 2 pics look very halloweenish!
 
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...In the case of the above I may just use tripoli and then go to Renissance - skipping the WD and white junk in the pores.....

Sound right ?

That'll work. The gloss won't be quite as shiny as if you used both compounds, but you're right...the white diamond will be a mess around the inclusions and voids.

Another approach (the one I'd use these days) would be to use Don Pencil's PL compound instead of the tripoli. It'll leave a higher gloss than tripoli by itself, but won't load the pores of dark wood like white diamond will.
 
Vaughn...........ok so after a week drying time with the tung oil (formby's).........just use the PL compound ? alone ? or do you apply Renissance after the PL compound?
I have the PL compound but have never tried using it.....sounds like a good time to try it.............
 
Dan, I'd use the PL compound, then follow that with Renaissance wax. On the PL compound, Don recommends keeping the buffing speed low...I use about 800 rpm...and using more compound than you would usually use with tripoli or white diamond (which should normally be used pretty sparingly). After buffing, wipe any residual compound off the piece with an old t-shirt or similar soft cloth before applying the wax. I think you'll be happy with the results.
 
Dan, I'd use the PL compound, then follow that with Renaissance wax. On the PL compound, Don recommends keeping the buffing speed low...I use about 800 rpm...and using more compound than you would usually use with tripoli or white diamond (which should normally be used pretty sparingly). After buffing, wipe any residual compound off the piece with an old t-shirt or similar soft cloth before applying the wax. I think you'll be happy with the results.

Vaughn,
What is the PL compound? I have Don's buffing system and there were several bars of materials with the wheels... I've not used any of them since I already had a couple bars of Tripoli, white diamond and Carnuba from another source... what I have are bars from the local Borg that I got to go with my home made Bealle system.
 
Vaughn,
What is the PL compound? I have Don's buffing system and there were several bars of materials with the wheels... I've not used any of them since I already had a couple bars of Tripoli, white diamond and Carnuba from another source... what I have are bars from the local Borg that I got to go with my home made Bealle system.

It's a relatively new compound he's started selling in the last year or so.

His site is wonky, so I can't get a direct link to the page, but go to http://donpencil.com/, then click on the link for buffing systems, then look for the link for the PL compound. That should explain it.
 
PL - Plastic Laquer - as far as how well it works ill let Vaughn answer that because I have not tried it yet. I bought it awhile back and just never thought about using it because i was using spray laquer alot (semi and gloss).
I stopped using Carnuba awhile back and just use the tripoli and WD buff and then go to Renissance wax and apply by hand.
 
Dan, I think the "PL" is for "poly and lacquer". I've not used it on poly, but have had great results with lacquer and wipe-on varnishes like Formby's Tung Oil Finish.
 
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