# Homemade Friction Polish?



## kmpres (Feb 13, 2010)

Hi Guys.

Here's my first dumb question for you all. Not sure if it should go in Woodturnings and Lathes or The Finishing Touch so I'll start it here in the latter and see what happens.

My question is, how can I make my own friction polish? I need something akin to Mylands but I cannot get it shipped to me from the US due to some regulation against shiping flammable items by air, the only way they can send things to Japan. I'd take it if they'd send it by boat but that is apparently no longer possible. Do any of you make your own turning finish, and if so, what ingredients do you use? I have found a store that sells liquified beeswax from Germany. Can that be mixed with shellac and stain to make a useable finish? 

My initial forays into turning will be small bowls and lamp posts and the like. Maybe later, pens, but I'd like to start on items with some meat to them so these tired old eyes won't have to squint so hard. Sure would hate to have to paint what I make, though...

Thanks for your help!


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

kmpres said:


> Here's my first dumb question for you all.
> 
> My question is, how can I make my own friction polish?


No such thing as dumb questions, only dumb answers. On second thought, the only dumb question is the one not asked.

Isn't French polish boiled linseed oil and shellac? I can't remember. it's been 45 years since I last used it. Boy amd I getting old!

Anyway, I've pushed this back up the stack so maybe someone else can take a crack at it.

You might also try this guy...

[email protected]

HTH.


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## Palo Verde (Jul 12, 2012)

*home made friction polish*

:moil:


allthunbs said:


> No such thing as dumb questions, only dumb answers. On second thought, the only dumb question is the one not asked.
> 
> Isn't French polish boiled linseed oil and shellac? I can't remember. it's been 45 years since I last used it. Boy amd I getting old!
> 
> ...


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## Palo Verde (Jul 12, 2012)

*Homemade friction polish*



kmpres said:


> Hi Guys.
> 
> Here's my first dumb question for you all. Not sure if it should go in Woodturnings and Lathes or The Finishing Touch so I'll start it here in the latter and see what happens.
> 
> ...


This post seems to be a little after the fact but I will post it anyway. It may help someone else. I make my own friction polish. Here is the formula.

In equal amounts mix the following:
DENATURED OR GRAIN ALCOHOL: They are functionally the same. The difference is that denatured has additives that make it undesirable to drink. I use grain alcohol on thing that will come into contact with food if people are finicky.
BOILED LINSEED OR FLAX SEED OIL: Again they are functionally the same. Flaxseed oil is raw linseed oil. Boiled linseed has some kind of metallic something or other added to help in penetration in to the wood.
SHELLAC : I prefer blond because it does not change the appearance of the wood very much.
WAX: Using a quarter or one third cup of each add about a tablespoon of carnauba wax. Here I use Minwax or J&J’s floor wax.
Because I don’t use an emulsifier (I would not even know what to use) it separate’s rather quickly so shake often. I put a screw in the jar so I can hear it rattle when I shake. I use a small jelly jar and dip out a small amount with a rag and apply liberally, turn on the lathe and heat up my finger. I build up three coats buffing between each allow the piece to cool and work in three more. If the grain raises I use one or two thousand grit paper and very lightly sand. I suppose that one could use cerium oxide or pumice dust before applying a light final coat of pure wax and a final buffing with a soft rag or shoe brush.:moil:


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## kmpres (Feb 13, 2010)

Palo Verde said:


> This post seems to be a little after the fact but I will post it anyway. It may help someone else. I make my own friction polish. Here is the formula.
> 
> In equal amounts mix the following:
> DENATURED OR GRAIN ALCOHOL: They are functionally the same. The difference is that denatured has additives that make it undesirable to drink. I use grain alcohol on thing that will come into contact with food if people are finicky.
> ...


Actually, that's very useful info, thanks for the post. All those ingredients should be available to me here in Japan. I have yet to create my first decent turning owing to having no time at all to build my shop, which still lacks a table of any kind. The BBQ and a half dozen boxes need to vacate the premises first, but the lathe has been rebuilt (my trusty Shopsmith) and 240V power has been installed in my 8'x8' space. :moil: The table is next, though I may be the slowest woodworker ever on my side of the Pacific.


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## Palo Verde (Jul 12, 2012)

kmpres said:


> Actually, that's very useful info, thanks for the post. All those ingredients should be available to me here in Japan. I have yet to create my first decent turning owing to having no time at all to build my shop, which still lacks a table of any kind. The BBQ and a half dozen boxes need to vacate the premises first, but the lathe has been rebuilt (my trusty Shopsmith) and 240V power has been installed in my 8'x8' space. :moil: The table is next, though I may be the slowest woodworker ever on my side of the Pacific.


Sorry, I don't think that saki will work :lol:


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

*BernieW* possibly would be able to help you. I noticed you listed you country as USA, but you're speaking of having freight come to Japan?


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## kmpres (Feb 13, 2010)

:fie:


Palo Verde said:


> Sorry, I don't think that saki will work :lol:


Hmmmm, hadn't thought of that. There's a particularly nasty form of sake originating in Okinawa called habu sake (snake sake). It tastes like turpentine so they put a dead snake in the bottom of each bottle to give it more flavor. :fie: It might just work.....


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## kmpres (Feb 13, 2010)

OPG3 said:


> *BernieW* possibly would be able to help you. I noticed you listed you country as USA, but you're speaking of having freight come to Japan?


I'm an American expat living in Japan. Computers, for all their smarts, have a habit of converting to Japanese whenever I tell them I live in Japan, so I tend to tell them I live in America. Beats having to bone up on my Kanji!


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## Palo Verde (Jul 12, 2012)

*Habu Sake*



kmpres said:


> :fie:
> 
> Hmmmm, hadn't thought of that. There's a particularly nasty form of sake originating in Okinawa called habu sake (snake sake). It tastes like turpentine so they put a dead snake in the bottom of each bottle to give it more flavor. :fie: It might just work.....


I know, I was there 1963-1964 at the Chinen Nike site, so long ago. Looking at google earth I can see that the island would be unreconizeable to me.


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## StevePixley (Aug 10, 2012)

kmpres said:


> Hi Guys.
> 
> Here's my first dumb question for you all. Not sure if it should go in Woodturnings and Lathes or The Finishing Touch so I'll start it here in the latter and see what happens.
> 
> ...


here is a homemade friction polish, 
use equal parts of: shellac, denatured alcohol, and boiled 
linseed oil. 
You can cut shellac with amount of BLO.
May be this will work for you.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

StevePixley said:


> here is a homemade friction polish,
> use equal parts of: shellac, denatured alcohol, and boiled
> linseed oil.
> You can cut shellac with amount of BLO.
> May be this will work for you.


This is a variation on French Polish. You can reduce the amount of linseed oil as required. It is the lubricant and should dry off as the shellac hardens. I use virgin olive oil for hand rubbed French polish (not lathe applied) and only the tiniest bit. My gauge is how sticky the shellac is until I get it properly rubbed out and even then, I might not add the oil. It is supposed to percolate above the shellac and then be wiped away.


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