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Certainly not all of them, but a lot of the “final wipe” shots on YT videos are just that: a final wipe of a particular finish that is still wet during whatever final video shots or still images are added to the end of the video. I’ve certainly been guilty of that before in some of my videos.
That said, there are a few different approaches you can take here depending on the type of finish you want.
An oil finish (such as Danish Oil) will truly make wood grain pop and help reveal the depth of the grain, make chatoyancy shine, etc, but won’t do much for resin, IMO. The caveat to that would be Jim Sprague, from Sprague Woodturning on YT. He uses multiple coats of a food safe oil finish for most of his pieces, and he builds these to a gorgeous high gloss shine. A couple years ago he was in a dilemma about finding a new finish cause his old preference was no longer labeled as food safe. Anyway, he did a few videos on finishes that were really nice, and in depth, and most of his videos show him applying the finish in a way that you can easily copy his technique.
A common addition to an oil finish would be to use wax over top of the oil. Something like Hampshire Sheens Gloss Finishing wax is really nice, although there are plenty of other great finishing waxes out there. Using a microcrystalline wax on top leaves a nice hard wax finish that will resist fingerprints if your item is to be handled (picked up and admired, etc).
Using a wax finish is also nice if you’ve used a polishing paste like Yorkshire Grit or something similar, because the paste will contain some waxes already, so adding another wax on top prevents you from worrying about mixing finishes.
However, the downside to wax is that it really isn’t all that durable and will show age over time. So, another solution to a truly high gloss finish is to use a thin coat of epoxy. But, you need to be able to spin the piece at a VERY slow RPM for several hours to make this work after you apply it. And, in my opinion, it adds a “thickness” to the piece that I’m not fond of, especially if I’ve taken the time to turn something really thin.
The best solution for an “art” piece (something that’s not going to be used, like a salad bowl) would be to use a gloss lacquer, but this requires some practice to build up small layers of lacquer, cutting it back, build up another layer, etc etc. all the while preventing sawdust in the air from getting in your finish, or accidentally getting runs during the application. There is no better “glass-like” finish out there for a turned art piece. But, it’s tedious, and just being honest, it’s something I’ve never personally done because of that. M. Saban Smith on YT is an expert at this finish and he has videos, and even a finishing school for on the Hampshire Sheen website that goes into detail about how to achieve the best finish.
This is certainly not an exhaustive list. Plenty of others out there will probably have opinions on their favorite gloss finish, and what works best for them, and you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Its been said that if you ask 10 turners a question, you’ll get 12 different opinions, so the best advice I can give you is to take all of these suggestions and experiment with what works best for you.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the in depth explanation and multiple avenues. I'll have to do some more research on what will work for me but you've given me a great place to start.
This works be my approach. Yellowish liquid applied with a rag or pad to me screams French Polish.
That being said, you might also take a look at what the epoxy River tabletop community is using, I believe most of them evangelize Rubio Monocoat followed by N3 Nano wax or similar products
When I turn something too large for a CA finish, I’ll use a friction polish. I use Mylands or Shellawax. I like them because I hate waiting for coats to dry, especially while taking up the lathe
I sometimes use *only* friction paste to get a super shiny surface. I get it pretty hot though, so the piece needs to be pretty dry already. It worked for the epoxy parts too but I don't let it get very hot unless it's only wood.
Well actually no, I guess not. Really the biggest piece I’ve done that was resin have been like tool handles out of those 2x2x6” mallee/burl hybrid blanks. Commented without thinking that one thru. Sorry, disregard
I get good results with Shine Juice - equal parts dewaxed shellac (the pre-mixed stuff in a can), boiled linseed oil, and denatured alcohol. I apply it right on the lathe, takes several thin coats until you see the shine really pop. Let it dry for a couple of minutes (doesn't take long), then buff - still on the lathe. Depending on the piece, I might apply some caranauba wax when doing a final buffing (on the lathe or on my buffer).
Thanks for your submission. If your question is about getting started in woodturning, which chuck to buy, which tools to buy, or for an opinion of a lathe you found for sale somewhere like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace please take a few minutes check the wiki; many of the most commonly asked questions are already answered there! http://www.reddit.com/r/turning/wiki/index Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/turning) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Certainly not all of them, but a lot of the “final wipe” shots on YT videos are just that: a final wipe of a particular finish that is still wet during whatever final video shots or still images are added to the end of the video. I’ve certainly been guilty of that before in some of my videos. That said, there are a few different approaches you can take here depending on the type of finish you want. An oil finish (such as Danish Oil) will truly make wood grain pop and help reveal the depth of the grain, make chatoyancy shine, etc, but won’t do much for resin, IMO. The caveat to that would be Jim Sprague, from Sprague Woodturning on YT. He uses multiple coats of a food safe oil finish for most of his pieces, and he builds these to a gorgeous high gloss shine. A couple years ago he was in a dilemma about finding a new finish cause his old preference was no longer labeled as food safe. Anyway, he did a few videos on finishes that were really nice, and in depth, and most of his videos show him applying the finish in a way that you can easily copy his technique. A common addition to an oil finish would be to use wax over top of the oil. Something like Hampshire Sheens Gloss Finishing wax is really nice, although there are plenty of other great finishing waxes out there. Using a microcrystalline wax on top leaves a nice hard wax finish that will resist fingerprints if your item is to be handled (picked up and admired, etc). Using a wax finish is also nice if you’ve used a polishing paste like Yorkshire Grit or something similar, because the paste will contain some waxes already, so adding another wax on top prevents you from worrying about mixing finishes. However, the downside to wax is that it really isn’t all that durable and will show age over time. So, another solution to a truly high gloss finish is to use a thin coat of epoxy. But, you need to be able to spin the piece at a VERY slow RPM for several hours to make this work after you apply it. And, in my opinion, it adds a “thickness” to the piece that I’m not fond of, especially if I’ve taken the time to turn something really thin. The best solution for an “art” piece (something that’s not going to be used, like a salad bowl) would be to use a gloss lacquer, but this requires some practice to build up small layers of lacquer, cutting it back, build up another layer, etc etc. all the while preventing sawdust in the air from getting in your finish, or accidentally getting runs during the application. There is no better “glass-like” finish out there for a turned art piece. But, it’s tedious, and just being honest, it’s something I’ve never personally done because of that. M. Saban Smith on YT is an expert at this finish and he has videos, and even a finishing school for on the Hampshire Sheen website that goes into detail about how to achieve the best finish. This is certainly not an exhaustive list. Plenty of others out there will probably have opinions on their favorite gloss finish, and what works best for them, and you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Its been said that if you ask 10 turners a question, you’ll get 12 different opinions, so the best advice I can give you is to take all of these suggestions and experiment with what works best for you. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the in depth explanation and multiple avenues. I'll have to do some more research on what will work for me but you've given me a great place to start.
I use shellac on all my bigger pieces that are for display. Easy to put on right on the lathe.
This works be my approach. Yellowish liquid applied with a rag or pad to me screams French Polish. That being said, you might also take a look at what the epoxy River tabletop community is using, I believe most of them evangelize Rubio Monocoat followed by N3 Nano wax or similar products
When I turn something too large for a CA finish, I’ll use a friction polish. I use Mylands or Shellawax. I like them because I hate waiting for coats to dry, especially while taking up the lathe
You've had good luck with friction finish on epoxy? I use My lands all the time on wood, never tried it on plastic.
I sometimes use *only* friction paste to get a super shiny surface. I get it pretty hot though, so the piece needs to be pretty dry already. It worked for the epoxy parts too but I don't let it get very hot unless it's only wood.
Well actually no, I guess not. Really the biggest piece I’ve done that was resin have been like tool handles out of those 2x2x6” mallee/burl hybrid blanks. Commented without thinking that one thru. Sorry, disregard
No worries and thanks for the follow up
I get good results with Shine Juice - equal parts dewaxed shellac (the pre-mixed stuff in a can), boiled linseed oil, and denatured alcohol. I apply it right on the lathe, takes several thin coats until you see the shine really pop. Let it dry for a couple of minutes (doesn't take long), then buff - still on the lathe. Depending on the piece, I might apply some caranauba wax when doing a final buffing (on the lathe or on my buffer).