Thread: Wilson with Bocote

Originally Posted by 32t

I love the process of learning. If I get good at something then it tends to get boring.
Tim

Just create new problems as you go. It's easy

Nice job. Congrats

That's a good first restore. What did you use to seal the bocote?

Originally Posted by Salsa

That's a good first restore. What did you use to seal the bocote?

I used a wipe on Poly. I had read that the oil in the Bocote might effect it and it was slow in drying. I am not an experienced wood worker so I had not much to base it on. I noticed it was slower to dry than the instructions said and I hung it by a light bulb in my cool basement to help. Of course every time that I go into my basement someone leaves the lights on until I want to dry the poly and my wife noticed five minutes later and said that I left the light on in the shop! I put on 7 or 8 coats and then went deer hunting for a week. When I came back it was good. I tend to hurry things and that was good. I have since done one from Staghorn Sumac and I noticed a definite difference in the drying. The Sumac was much quicker drying. As I mentioned before I am not good at pictures and I was waiting to get a good one before posting it but will add one now. It has a beautiful green gold color that shimmers like Tiger Eye stone that I can't capture with a camera. Along with it is one out of clear plastic that I did in between the wood ones. The plastic is much easier to work with. I like the looks but am afraid that it will show the soap scum etc. to easily. I got some scrap aluminium today that I am thinking of trying tommorrow as it is suppose to snow and it will be a good day to stay inside.

Tim

Originally Posted by 32t

I used a wipe on Poly. I had read that the oil in the Bocote might effect it and it was slow in drying. I am not an experienced wood worker so I had not much to base it on. I noticed it was slower to dry than the instructions said and I hung it by a light bulb in my cool basement to help. Of course every time that I go into my basement someone leaves the lights on until I want to dry the poly and my wife noticed five minutes later and said that I left the light on in the shop! I put on 7 or 8 coats and then went deer hunting for a week. When I came back it was good. I tend to hurry things and that was good. I have since done one from Staghorn Sumac and I noticed a definite difference in the drying. The Sumac was much quicker drying. As I mentioned before I am not good at pictures and I was waiting to get a good one before posting it but will add one now. It has a beautiful green gold color that shimmers like Tiger Eye stone that I can't capture with a camera. Along with it is one out of clear plastic that I did in between the wood ones. The plastic is much easier to work with. I like the looks but am afraid that it will show the soap scum etc. to easily. I got some scrap aluminium today that I am thinking of trying tommorrow as it is suppose to snow and it will be a good day to stay inside.

Tim

I've never used wipe on poly but I've heard of it. I've got brush on poly if that's considered to be the same. I've also tried a CA finish on a set of bocote scales but I was too successful so I stripped it and bought Conservator's wax from Lee Valley. The wax us used just like car wax - wipe on, wait to dry, then wipe off. It's much easier to use but it's not as durable as CA or poly.