How to finish grass tree bowl?

[driftit]

hi everyone,
first post yeeeeeeeeeeeeew:U, just wondering what would be the best way to finish a grass tree root bowl that i am currently turning. Any ideas and tips would be appreciated
cheers,
Toby

[Cliff Rogers]

Tip number one.... DO NOT BREATH THE DUST.

Other than that, I can't add much more.

Is it stable? IE uniform density or does it have soft & hard spots.

Are you aiming for a gloss or satin finish?

[driftit]

yeh a few people have already warned me about the dust, will definitely be wearing a good mask. it is quite uniform although it does have some borer holes and i would most probarbly be looking for a gloss finish, thanks again.

[Cliff Rogers]

I guessing that NC lacquar would be an option but you may be able to get a semigloss with several coats of Danish Oil.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

You can get a very nice gloss on it with DO, but you need to build up/seal the surface so it's fairly smooth. I dislike sanding sealer 'cos IMHO it changes the appearance, so instead I apply a heavy coat of DO and leave it for around 30-60 mins before wiping down (if there's any excess left on the surface... I find grass tree sucks the stuff up like mad!) and putting aside for a week or so to dry.

A light sand, then repeated as necessary until the surface is suitable for building up coats of DO as per normal.

Sanding sealer is by far the quicker option - days instead of weeks - but as I said... :yuk:

[driftit]

ok cool i think i'll go for the danish oil. Thanks for your help guys...

[Paddy]

Turned up a 280mm salad bowl , about three years ago and has been in daily use since then. Finished it with 3 coats of polyurethane yacht varnish, well rubbed between each finish , gave it a final rub down with 1500 grit. Brought the grain and colour up realy well.