Friday, December 19, 2014

The walking stick world of finishing....


The walking stick world of finishing....

So which is a good finish for walking sticks, is it Shellac, or Lacquer, or Varnish—Polyurethane.
So which do you choose how do you go about the process of finish, well let me explain, these in some detail..

Let's start first with Shellac will it hold up the answer is no it is to brittle, it will most likely scuff and scratch real easy, and does not have long lasting life, and will eventually flake off so that is out of the question...

What about Lacquer once again the answer is no to brittle, it will not hold up to outside weather, and it will easily scuff and scratch. Although it does have a natural look, just not so good on strength.

What about Varnish or Polyurethane these are good but they better be interior—exterior or they will scuff and scratch real easily.

The varnish can get confusing real fast, let me help you out with this:
First of all the most the stuff you find on the shelf is not the greatest for varnishing a walking stick, because it is so mass produced, this is my opinion stay away from Minwax Polyurethane, Helmans Spar Urethane, they look real plasticy looking...

Now when finishing a walking stick the best one to go with is a good varnish, I like Arm Seal finish it looks like a Lacquer, but has the strength of Polyurethane... I Haven't tried the exterior finish yet but hope to soon...

Now I hope to soon try a varnish that is called Epifanes, which is more spendy but well worth the money because it is a high quality varnish which is for interior—exterior which means it will hold up to outside weather.

Now that I have an idea of what kind of finish to put on my wood how do I do it brush it on or wipe it on the debate can get hot real fast. You would do well to brush it on.
Did you know you can thin any varnish with mineral spirits, this is the secret to making a nice looking walking stick..
How much do I thin it; at least 60 percent, how many coats do I put on the walking stick at least 7-9 coats and sand between coats and buff the last coat.
But you say my brush is going to get hard, no it won't if you get some diesel pour some of it into a jar stick a pencil through the hole in the brush tape it down to two empty juice bottles I will show a picture of how it is done...





So now that I have covered the basics oil based finishes, I will now talk a little about water based finishes.

Water based finishes do not like to be brushed much you have to do long even strokes and don't take many small strokes...

Some water based finishes on the market are good I will share some of them..

Enduro-Var uses a colored urethane resin which imparts a warm glow to wood that darkens or ages over time because it's an air oxidizing, air facilitates the cure. Once cured Enduro-Var produces an incredibly tough finish that is suitable for any interior application, including floors. A tough finished combined the ease of water based application makes this the finish of choice.

Another is General Finishes Polyurethane& Acrylic Blend are formulated to resist foaming and prevent sags so they do not run like ordinary water-based finishes. Tack free dry time is only 15 minutes. Dry time between coats is 2-4 hours. Polyurethane & Acrylic blend, PA, is the standard top-coat and is available in a convenient aerosol can. High Performance Polyurethane, HPP, contains all the characteristics of the Poly/Acrylic blend, but also has a UV stabilizer to prevent it from breaking down in sunlight..
It comes in Flat, Satin, Semi-gloss, and Gloss...
So I hope this helps you no one finish fits all walking sticks for a bunch of people this just gives you some options...