So these guys are the first 2 of 4 handles I turned, plugged with golden nib 20 and 22mm silver tip knots (which I love) The other two are awaiting a 22mm and 28 mm knot that will soon be on order. They were turned from mahogany, polished with turners polish and the large handle was then waxed with carnuba.
Sparcotsi, nice work. I've done lot's a woodturning and would offer this advice for what it's worth to you. If the finish you're talking about is a friction polish it simply will not hold up to the use...especially with the water involved and the carnuba wax, while a very hard wax, will water spot right off the get go. I'd recommend a wipe on poly finish. Hopefully some of the other brush makers will also chime in with the finishes that work for them and we can all benefit. You could also call Tony at the Nib and ask what he recommends. Be well, Cyril
Cyril, Thanks alot I appreciate it, being the first 4 I've turned I just applied my father in laws turners polish as I wasn't really expecting these to turn out as well as they did, the carnuba I thought would hold up alot better though, i'll buff it out and reapply a sealing coat as I don't want the big brush to fail. I'm definatley hooked on this and have procured a block of brass and one of aluminum and will be spinning those up in the future some time. Brad
I got into it by keeping an eye on the classified ads around my house and found an old wood lathe for sale for very cheap, after that it was simply sourcing the wood to use as a beginner. Since these two I have turned around 100 projects now, and have 2 lathes, a mini metal/wood and a midi wood lathe. They both have there advantages and disadvantages. It's very enjoyable and I live in an appt but managed to build a rolling cart that I can wheel outside to work on. It just takes some creativity to get yourself setup.
Love the feel of working wood, almost better than the finished product. They look great, I'm thinking of doing some in stainless. James
It's been a while since those first few. Scout what kind of lathe are you using? Right now I just picked up a length of 316 marine grade stainless steel rod. I'm getting pretty excited to spin up a few handles out of that. Not the cheapest material nor the lightest but should be interesting!
Those look great, keep up the work. I have to agree that any wax finish really will not hold up for very long. The wipe on poly is good and I usually use satin finish polyeurethane. 3 coats and 0000 steel wool between each coat for a beautiful smooth finish, then carnuba wax last, and I haven't had any problems at all. Will N.
I now use marine grade epoxy for sealing my brushes, a little tempermental but high gloss, water proof and incredibly strong.
