Mother's Day Gift. First real project.

Thank you. It was my first time working with some really nice and expensive woods. I was a little nervous but I am happy with the way it turned out for the most part. I used some aerosol lacquer for the finish and will not be using it anymore. I think a brush on would have turned out better. Luckily my wife would never notice the difference.

Matt
 
Looks great, Matt. :clap: Nice choice of wood, too. :thumb: That's gotta be worth some serious Brownie Points. :D

Personally, I find spray lacquer much easier to get a good finish with than brush-on lacquer. For me, the trick was learning to use lots of LIGHT coats, instead of getting in a hurry and trying to use just a few heavy coats. It also helps to lightly wet sand with 400 or 600 grit paper between every few coats (don't want to sand through the lacquer). This sanding gets rid of dust nibs (bumps) and helps give a smooth feel to the finished piece. Then, after sufficient lacquer has been built up, it can be polished to a gloss (if desired) with automotive polishing compounds (or a cloth wheel buffing system like many turners use).
 
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