I know this relates to a chip amp but for some reason, I felt that I would reach more people that have experience in wood finish in this forum. So here we go ! I am putting the last touches on my GC amp. The face plate of my amp will be made of solid curly maple that is 17.5" long X 3" wide and 0.75" thick. 
I want to finish the wood so that people can appreciate it's rich texture to the fullest. I've got a beautiful piece of lumber and I'd really like to show it off. What product should I use ? Polyurethane, shellac, wax, oil ?
I want to finish the wood so that people can appreciate it's rich texture to the fullest. I've got a beautiful piece of lumber and I'd really like to show it off. What product should I use ? Polyurethane, shellac, wax, oil ?
I like french polish for lots of things. I use Moser's Garnet lac - dark but clear and with low wax content. I use grain alchohol as the solvent which I prefer over rubbing or denatured by far. It makes a very user-friendly finish. Though I have french polished large case pieces like chest-on-chests and chests of drawers, it also excels on small pieces. I've used it on antique string instruments and speaker cabinets and stands as well. Shellac is really nice on figured maple. If you prefer less color use super-blonde. You can either bring up a high polish straight off the pad or rub it out with compound or even steel wool. Just take the gloss off evenly, then wax with a good carnauba based wax of some kind for a mellower luster. Not as tough as eurathane, but very easy to repair scratches.
I second the vote for Tung Oil. Put on properly it gives a perfectly smooth finish with a depth that is hard to match with other finishes.
There are a few things to remember about using Tung Oil that help get a really nice finish:
* Tung Oil takes time and it can't be rushed. Figure a minimum of three days. If you don't have that much time consider using something else.
* To get a good finish with Tung Oil you must apply at least two coats and you must wait 24 hours between coats and 24 hours after the last coat before putting the item to use.
* Tung Oil can be brushed on or wiped on with a lint-free cloth. I prefer the cloth. Apply it generously and then let it sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes buff it with a clean lint-free cloth (not the same one you used to apply it). Buff it vigorously in the direction of the grain until it is no longer tacky or sticky. Put it aside for 24 hours and repeat.
* If you have the time apply three coats.
* Tung Oil can be applied over most stains or on bare wood.
There are a few things to remember about using Tung Oil that help get a really nice finish:
* Tung Oil takes time and it can't be rushed. Figure a minimum of three days. If you don't have that much time consider using something else.
* To get a good finish with Tung Oil you must apply at least two coats and you must wait 24 hours between coats and 24 hours after the last coat before putting the item to use.
* Tung Oil can be brushed on or wiped on with a lint-free cloth. I prefer the cloth. Apply it generously and then let it sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes buff it with a clean lint-free cloth (not the same one you used to apply it). Buff it vigorously in the direction of the grain until it is no longer tacky or sticky. Put it aside for 24 hours and repeat.
* If you have the time apply three coats.
* Tung Oil can be applied over most stains or on bare wood.
Jean said:
I just posted a pic of my first project Here
I used three coats of rubbed tung oil over cherry.
The nice thing about tung oil (and other finishes) is that you can easily knockdown the gloss by hitting it with some 400+ grit sandpaper once it is completely dry and you can always bring the gloss back by applying another coat.
A nice coat of amber shellac is always great, and really brings out the depth of the figure in wood, like in curly maple. A base coat of shellac followed by a coat of a paste finishing wax, progessively wet-sanded up to about 800+ grit makes for a impressive finish. The shellac base coat brings out the depth really well, and the sanded/buffed paste wax makes for a finish as smooth as glass but without a lot of shine.
There are many great solutions listed here. I must make a suggestion of my own. I used to hand rub and wax my finished pieces until about a year ago. I saw the most luxurious finish on a rocking chair that was priced at $10,000. I asked the guy who made the chair what kind of finish he used and he said it was "sam maloof". While shopping at my local Rockler, I found sam maloof on the shelf, it's a poly/oil finish that couldn't be easier to use. It's satin-like sheen makes your wood come to life. It has poly in it so that you should also be protected from dampness and weather. I have pieces that were finished with only one coat of sam maloof and still look great a year later and I usually use 4 coats. All the boxes and things that were hand rubbed and waxed or oiled need attention every so often which gets old. I'm slowly re-finishing everything with sam maloof. It works great!
Danish oil! Here's 'one I did earlier'!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Jean said:
Keep in mind that stain and finish are two different things. Stain changes the color of the wood but doesn't give any sheen. Stain is either a dye or a pigment that is applied to add or change the color of the wood. It is applied after the project is complete and sanded.
Finish is applied after stain to give the final luster to the wood (though in some cases after a finish is applied wax is also applied over the finish). Finish is usually clear but there are exceptions such as amber or honey colored shellac. Even clear it can slightly change the color of the wood.
Very, very nice, Jean-Pierre. The indicator lights are way cool too.
Are you using the second box? I just wanted to mention some small suggestions.
The heatsinks mounted this way trap heat. One method to alleviate this is to mount everything the same way, but take the box and turn it upside down. You could cut out a section and replace it with hardware cloth, or drill some holes in it for venting. You might then even box the top and sides of the case with wood or veneered ply, leaving an air space above the heatsink vents, exiting the back.
You then have a removable bottom or just leave it open for tweaking. The little feet peel off with care and reattach nicely.
One recommendation for me was to twist the power wires tightly and tho it's supposed to have a beneficial interference effect, it def cleaned it up visually.
Once again, well done. And if anyone's interested, I still have more of these cases, can provide wood fronts or box covers.
Are you using the second box? I just wanted to mention some small suggestions.
The heatsinks mounted this way trap heat. One method to alleviate this is to mount everything the same way, but take the box and turn it upside down. You could cut out a section and replace it with hardware cloth, or drill some holes in it for venting. You might then even box the top and sides of the case with wood or veneered ply, leaving an air space above the heatsink vents, exiting the back.
You then have a removable bottom or just leave it open for tweaking. The little feet peel off with care and reattach nicely.
One recommendation for me was to twist the power wires tightly and tho it's supposed to have a beneficial interference effect, it def cleaned it up visually.
Once again, well done. And if anyone's interested, I still have more of these cases, can provide wood fronts or box covers.
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