The Club Tool Bank Members are reminded that the club has a selection of tools available in the "Tool Bank". These items are available to borrow in order to try out more unusual tools at home before perhaps contemplating an expensive purchase.

The cost is only £5 for the loan, but a £15 refundable deposit will be required. (£50 deposit for the Roly Munro Hollowing Tool).

Tools Available:

• The Allen Beecham 'Skewigouge'
• A Henry Taylor large bowl gouge with interchangeable ends(x4), inc. hollowing bit.
• A selection of thread chasing tools 18 & 20 TPI + recess cutter.
• A Robert Sorby texturing tool with selection of cutters.
• A Robert Sorby hollowing tool.
• A large Roly Munro hollowing tool.
• An arm rest for supporting various gouges and thread chasers.

Sanding Sealers (Cellulose)

• After sanding apply 2 thin coats with a brush or cloth.
• Lightly rub down between coats with fine abrasive 0000 grade wire wool or Webrax.
• Can be used prior to friction polish or melamine lacquer depending on wood type.
• For matt finish continue with wax polish, paste & buff.
• Cellulose sealer is more popular with wood turners due to its quick drying properties. Ideally it should be thinned with cellulose thinners to assist better penetration.

Melamine Lacquer

• Several thin coats will give best results.
• Apply with soft cloth when lathe is stationary. Work into the grain & buff with soft cloth.
• Apply subsequent coats flattening lightly with a fine abrasive.
• Can be used with or without sanding sealer depending on the porosity of the wood used.
• Can be finished with a wax polish & buffed to give gloss finish.
• Finished items will withstand regular handling even wiping with a damp cloth but is not waterproof.

Friction Polish

• Shake the bottle well before use.
• When the desired smooth finish has been achieved on the turned object, stop the lathe & apply friction polish to the whole piece with lint free cloth.
• Whilst polish is drying, start the lathe & apply further polish with increasing pressure & friction to generate a smooth sheen.
• Not all that easy to apply since coats can seem uneven.
• It works best over some sort of sealer & then flattened thoroughly.
• Best suited to small objects which can be coated quickly & evenly before the polish dries.
• Although resistant to moisture, it will quickly dull if handled a lot.

Finishing Oils

• Surfaces need to be clean & free from dust etc.
• Apply 1st coat with a cloth & allow 5-10 minutes to penetrate, then remove surplus with a clean cloth.
• Allow 4-5 hours to dry then build up further coats as required. i.e. 2-3 coats semi-matt; 4-5 coats gloss…depending on type of wood.
• Cut back between coats with wire wool 0000 grade or better still Webrax 1500 grit.
• Most oils are heat, alcohol & water resistant.
• Some are toy safe

Mylands Wax

• Polish Soft paste waxes can be applied easily on spinning work using a pad or fine wire wool & the buffed with a soft cloth to shine and bring out the beauty of the wood.
• Also suitable for uneven surfaces such as burr which are impossible to access with a cloth.

Solid waxes

• These are also popular, the most popular probably being Carnuba wax.
• This is capable of producing a really high gloss finish when applied to revolving timber.
• Care should be taken to avoid scratching the work surface.