Finishing Basswood

[rsimpson7]

I got my hands on a nice chunk of dried basswood and turned myself a couple of bowls. Cuts like butter. Whats the best way to finish this generally bland wood?

Thanks, RBS

[Zeke Redner]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Basswood has singlehandedly lowered the standard of electric guitar bodies. I suppose it has it's uses, but not when it comes to musical instruments. What exactly do you want to use the wood for?

[Andy Dingley]

Absolutely any way you want. But nothing is going to make it exciting.

I generally use blonde (or often heavily coloured) shellac, but it doesn't look like much afterwards. Wax doesn't work too well - I think the surface is too soft to stand up on its own and the wax seems to start looking "dirty" after some handling.

Trying to use oil, button shellac, or something to try and highlight the "figure" just doesn't show anything good and just ends up looking like muddy brown wood.

For a turning, I'd probably look at one of those melamine-based friction polishes. Not something you can use by hand, but they work fine on a lathe.

-- What ? Me ? Evil Dictator of Iraq ? Nah mate, I'm just a Hobbit, honest