Other folk have done superb jobs of showing how to make a
shave, The shave here is just an example on a couple of finishing
methods. Mostly using CA glue. CA is used by pen makers and few of
them have any complaints.
Here is a set of quick instructions
for one of the easiest finishes you can do. This stuff lasts.
Included are a couple of neat tricks for finishing.
You need
three things:
Paper napkins: I like Scott brand cause it does
not shed a lot of fluff.
Super Glue: The cheap stuff works fine!
Called CA by most folk that use it.
High Linoleic Acid safflower
oil: This is a superb drying oil and is used in quality oil paints.
It does not tend to mildew or yellow. It does dry slowly, but since
mineral oil never dries then that is not an issue. If the nutritional
label has Polyunsaturated fat as a much higher number (11 to 2 or so)
than Monounsaturated fat then it is the right stuff. The other
safflower oil (High Oleic Acid) will have the opposite ratio.
BLO
handles easier than Safflower Oil, but it yellows, mildews and
contains heavy metal drying agents. So I use Safflower Oil.
Here
is the Scratch Shave that I am making as a simple experiment, before
I make the scratch gauge that I need.
Just
to show the basic mechanics, here it is with the mouth
open.
Here
it is with the mouth block in place:
Here
is my method of resharpening my turning tools while using the lathe!
The big dirty green wooden wheel on the lathe is ash with Lee Valley
green honing compound.
Another
picture of it, I can use the edge to hone the inside of a chisel, or
the grove, face or side for most other parts. As It gets mangled, I
just clean up the surface. Eventually it will get to small and I will
make another wheel.
Here
is another neat trick, if you use sandpaper from a roll, it works
even better. You put a finger on the sandpaper over a spot that needs
sanding, Then you press with the finger and pull the sandpaper. Most
the sanding is done right on that spot. In this case I am using 80
grit paper to ruin the finish. More on that later.
Once
again here is the stuff I use to make the finish. I have added the
oil to the paper napkin. This makes it shine and keeps the napkin
flexible for a while.
It
will take most of one thing of CA to make this tool.
Another
nice lathe trick is to burnish the wood with clean wood shavings.
Note that my hand is around back of the work as I move the shavings
across the spinning wood. This heats up and polishes the wood nicely.
Remember to keep you hands away from danger as you work.
Here
it is close up and burnished:
On
the left the tool is unburnished, on the right it is
burnished.
Here
a couple of drops of CA are about to be rubbed into the spinning
wood. Slowest setting cause you do not what to scatter drops of CA
all over the place !
Here
it is with the left side burnished and the right side treated with
CA.
You
can also rub it in without a spinning target. Here is the cap
before:
Here
is the cap after. This is a thick wet coating. I don't usually go
this thick, but mesquite is weird, CA stays wet on it for a while,
and soaks up CA. You can coat and coat mesquite and it will still
remain a flat finish after it drys.
Here
it is finished.
Here
is a close up. Notice the scratches left by the 80 grit paper. This
is to show that CA is not great for hiding flaws. Instead it tends to
protect and highlight flaws for a long time.
Bob