Thread: Finishing scales question...

Originally Posted by Milton Man

Would this be a fair substitute for Renaissance Wax?
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...190,42950&ap=1

Both seem to be microcrystalline waxes?

Mark

Looks pretty much like it. Check out its water resistance and dry time though to make sure. Renaissance dries instantly and is water resistant, which are two great points.

A CA finish is practically like encasing the scales in thin acrylic, and, once polished, looks like glass. I find CA works incredibly well to bring out the irridescent features that a wood may have (ie. yellowheart, purpleheat, amboyna burl). It does take abit of time to build up the requisite number of coats though (10-15). A proper CA finish will also make the scales completely waterproof as well. Any tactile feel of the wood is lost with with a CA finish, but I find a CA finish can add a little extra strength to the scales too.

CA is the only polymer finish I've tried. I haven't tried polyurethane, epoxy, etc. (mostly because I don't know how), so I can't quite say how they compare.

Originally Posted by ToxIk

I find CA works incredibly well to bring out the irridescent features that a wood may have (ie. yellowheart, purpleheat, amboyna burl).

1+

CA does have great optical properties, it accentuates the figure.

Charlie