Finishing outside the box

I would never have thought to use any adhesive as a finish.

I suppose this technique is best for small projects (only?).

Sonny

Historically, glue-size has been used as a finish (artists), or as a stain conditioner. White glue diluted 10:1.

The box builder was applying only to small boxes but I don't see why it could not be done on larger pieces. For a piece approximately 4" x 36" he applied maybe a dozen or so drips, IIRC. It seemed to spread quite a bit and or go a long way.

I am going to have to try this out.

Well here you go!

Scroll down to the video...

No but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the OP!

I can't imagine that being a satisfactory long term solution to finishing. No abrasion resistance, no UV (or even light) resistance, no idea of what the long term effects of full exposure to the elements will do the finish. Open to the air instead of hidden in a joint, will it get hard, then britt le? Will it yellow or muddy?

If I was going to do that I would wipe some lacquer from a dauber or use a polyurethane conversion product.

I used super glue as a pen finish for a while, but found it unsatisfactory. Plenty of other home brews out there that worked better.

Robert

Glue is designed to glue, finish to finish. Switching them around never sounded good to me. If it was a good idea, glue makers or finish makers would perfect it and sell it as a finish with known results. They probably already have.

I think it all has to do with potential sales. 3M makes or used to make a product commonly referred to as Old Yeller. It was a weatherstrip adhesive but used more often as a gasket sealant on engines. 3M made a gasket adhesive but mechanics used the less expensive Old Yeller.

Another good example, TopKote. Originally manufactured by Empire and sold as a metal surface lubricant. Bostitch bought the product and sold it for many years with the same name but it was intended to be used as a rust preventative. The original was a great rust preventative too.

Jack wrote in news:oh91ba$hfa$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

At the same time, there are products out there that work well completely outside of the intended use. Sparkfun Electronics has a post about a $30 electric skillet they use for prototyping SMD PC boards. I've tried the method--heat gun on the back of the board and it works, but I have yet to try the electric skillet.

Can't imagine the manufacturer even acknowledging that possibility exists.

Puckdropper

Don't try mounting SMD LEDs that way or you'll turn them into Dark-Emitting Axial Diodes. Inductors are a problem, too.

In today's litigious society and with CA Prop , I suspect you're right.

Back in the day when I prototyped pc boards I had a hot plate, with a good temp control setup, preheating the board is critical to dry out the flux in the solder paste. Would then use a hot air unit to melt the solder, it is impossible to do this on a whole board with out the preheat to stick things down.

An electric skillet would be good to preheat, but using it to melt the solder paste would be a waste of components and likely the pc board.

The leads would tend to delaminate caused by the epoxy sticking them down would fail.

I also saw that episode and was thinking about it while I sanding a small cup I had turned. I am new at turning and didn't like much about the cup and decided to give Gorilla glue a try.

I used a nitril glove and a small piece of cotton t-shirt. Squeezed a few drops on the wood and immediate began to work it in circles. The glue wanted to dry so it difficult to work -rub in.

I did this while it was still on the lathe and I hadn't finished the bottom and it doesn't look bad at all. I will probably try to finish the bottom and keep it. The piece was dry in 10 minutes or so. Note that I am AL but it was not very humid today and my shop as AC.

It added a nice color to the cherry piece and I will post a picture if I can remember how.

Jim

Pretty cool. Did yu also use the 1200 grit paper and apply a coat of wax?

Next time try the same thing with Shellac, a product made to finish wood, not glue wood. A bunch of other products around made to finish wood as well. My advice is unless you have a really special reason to use a non-finish as a finish, don't do it.

Never saw anyone use old yeller, everyone I knew used Permatex, a product designed for the purpose. That was 50 years ago, and I don't think anything has changed.

I don't know about Empire, but also 40 years ago I used 3M dry lubricant before Bostik TopCote existed. It worked exactly as TopCote does today, and in fact, the cans look almost identical. I suspect 3-M sold the product or patent to whomever makes Topcote now, but it's just a guess.

Point is, the product was designed as a lubricant and moisture barrier for machine parts, and it works exactly as designed, and required by woodworkers on iron table tops. Homemade remedies are not even close to as good, just as I suspect glue vs finish would fare.

I haven't been able to find a 1200 grit paper locally so must wait for a trip near a big box store or a good hardware store. In the meanwhile I will finish the bottom.

I would not consider using glue all the time. I don't think it at all suitable for utility type turnings. I doubt the wax coating would hold up and have no clue as to what might react badly with the glue.

I did this more out of curiosity than anything else.