With my veneer sanded on
the random orbital sander to 320 grit, I have a very smooth piece. Yes, it is getting
smaller, but plenty enough to make a nice chest.
I want the veneered panel to have a super finish. I want it clear so that the
veneer detail shows through, and I want it to be a high gloss — sort of like the
beautiful veneered dashboards of old Jaguars — if any of you remember what that is
like.
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I am using a product that is brand new to me but comes to me from a
woodworker I have learned to respect highly. It is called "Velvit
Oil". [To their website.]
I have used oil finishes before and know that oil is the right finish for this burl
project. I am using 600 grit wet/dry paper to rub the Velvit Oil into the veneer. The
veneer is so smooth, I do not need to do this sanding step for long — maybe 10
minutes. After setting it aside for 30 minutes or so, I wipe off any oil residue and put
the piece aside to dry overnight.
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Following two coats and two
days of the Velvit Oil treatment, I am ready to buff the piece to a high gloss. I am using
the Beall Wood Buff system. [Click here to go
to their site.] It consists of three linen and flannel combination wheels and three
bars of polishing compounds — tripoli, white diamond, and carnauba wax (seen here.) I
am adding the carnauba to the spinning, all flannel wheel. [Each wheel is clearly marked
so it isn't used with the wrong compound.]
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A very light touch is
prescribed. This wheel is spinning and polishing very fast. If you have too hard a touch,
it is possible to "burn" the surface. I keep the piece in motion and just barely
touch it to the wheel. You can start to see just a bit of the shine.
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This piece is finished, but I find that it is very hard to shoot a
photograph that gives any sense of the polished surface. I did leave a little glare from
the shop lights to give some idea of the finish. But take my word for it, this piece is as
polished as a Jaguar's dashboard — and is just missing the car.
Now it is time to make the walnut boxes.
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