I am trying to find the secret to getting a highly smooth, highly shiny finish on a cedar fence post that I have turned on a lathe. Please see the photo, below, for the kind of finish I want to achieve on my workpiece. Got any ideas? I cannot find an answer to this anywhere on the Internet. – Mark Dickerson
Tim Inman: I’m going to assume that because you have lathe-turned the post, you are making something that is intended to come indoors for its final usefulness. Also, I’m going to assume you are making something that is more ornamental than useful. If my assumptions are right, and you are just wanting something really smooth and shiny, then here is my suggestion: Sand your project smooth as a hound’s tooth. Finish with something that will stay clear and get hard. Shellac works for this in a traditional approach; acrylic finishes are great in a more modern-day setting. Then, once hard, use a soft flannel buffing wheel with a little wax applied sparingly. You can mount the buff in a work arbor on your lathe. The buff should NOT be sewn. It should just be layers and layers of flannel fabric. Loose and floppy. Turn the buff pretty slowly – by buffing standards – so the wheel will not get hot and melt the finish. I like mine to turn at about 750 to 1,250 rpm. You will be amazed at the polish you can get. A word to the wise: You will also be amazed at what happens if you get heavy-handed and overheat the finish…
