Finishing with no ventilation

Anyone have any idea what I can use as a finish? The only work area I have has no ventilation whatsoever.

You can use Tru-oil with really good results, or do a french polishing. I'd vote for Tru-oil though for the mere ease of it. Of course, I'm not a professional, and others on this board will give you much better tried and true ideas.

Dan

A good shellac will have only an alcohol smell , which I like.

If "no ventilation whatsoever" means exactly that, I'd pick french polish over tru-oil. But there might be some kind of finish with even less odor. French polishing is something that takes a bit of practice, and some woods are easier than others.

Sven

dhoenisch said:

You can use Tru-oil with really good results, or do a french polishing. I'd vote for Tru-oil though for the mere ease of it. Of course, I'm not a professional, and others on this board will give you much better tried and true ideas.

Dan

Click to expand...

I'm a little hesitant to do a French polish - it seems rather involved. Also, there are no good supplies of Tru-oil in Canada other than Cabelas, and they're out of stock...

insersot close

JamieFromOntario said:

I'm a little hesitant to do a French polish - it seems rather involved. Also, there are no good supplies of Tru-oil in Canada other than Cabelas, and they're out of stock...

Click to expand...

Have you tried looking for a gun smith? They might have it in good quantity. Conversely if you're near the border you can pop down to the States and pick some up.

Sven said:

If "no ventilation whatsoever" means exactly that, I'd pick french polish over tru-oil. But there might be some kind of finish with even less odor. French polishing is something that takes a bit of practice, and some woods are easier than others.

Sven

Click to expand...

You got it - my workshop space is in a concrete box (i.e.: basement with no windows). My house has no duct work, and I'd rather not open all the windows - it's a little chilly here right now.

Anyone ever use walnut oil as a finish? I know that it's used for kitchen tools/bowls?

To date, have only used Tru Oil on gun stocks. It has an odor, but have never found it to be a "problem."

Out source the finishing. You could go so far as to send it to a company that specializes in complete instrument finishing or find a local cabinet shop that will hang it in their booth and spray lacquer on it as they spray cabinets. Once its dried for a couple days then you can bring it back and do the final sanding and buffing.

thistle3585 said:

Out source the finishing. You could go so far as to send it to a company that specializes in complete instrument finishing or find a local cabinet shop that will hang it in their booth and spray lacquer on it as they spray cabinets. Once its dried for a couple days then you can bring it back and do the final sanding and buffing.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I do know that this is an option. However, i'm just a hobby builder and don't really need any sort of particularly fancy finish. Plus, I don't have the cash to out-source; i'd rather buy more materials/tools for the next build. Lastly, I like to be able to do touch ups myself, should I need to.

Do you have Dicks sporting goods in Canada? We have them all over the place down here, and they stock it in store.

Edit, Tru Oil that is.

Here's a really good tutorial on french polish http://www.milburnguitars.com/fpbannerframes.html

mrhandy -

We don't have Dick's Sporting Goods in Canada, though apparently there are lots of Dicks in the US

I can get it shipped up here from various places in the states but i'm not keen on waiting nor paying the shipping.


resoman -

Thanks for that, looks super detailed and helpful. I think, perhaps, I'll think about giving it a try on my next build.

You used to be able to get TrueOil at most gun dealers

resoman said:

You used to be able to get TrueOil at most gun dealers

Click to expand...

I don't think there are quite as many gun dealers here... In fact, I would be hard-pressed to tell someone where to go to buy a gun.

LMI and Amazon both carry it.
Birchwood Casey has it on their website too.

Boy, you are unbelievably resistant to good suggestions; you are impatient; you are looking for something that doesn't exist; and you are completely unrealistic about building and finishing ukes if you have no ventilation in your workshop.

Rick Turner said:

Boy, you are unbelievably resistant to good suggestions; you are impatient; you are looking for something that doesn't exist; and you are completely unrealistic about building and finishing ukes if you have no ventilation in your workshop.

Click to expand...

Mr Turner,

I do appreciate and consider all of the feedback given by responders to my original post. Perhaps, I should have been clearer as to what my goals and restrictions are so that I can elicit the best and most helpful responses.
I am aiming to build ukes for fun and in such a way as to not break the bank. My goal is not to produce perfect, flawless instruments. For me, good enough is good enough. I have done only a few from-kit builds so far. With each new build, I try to stretch myself a little and add on something new. In my current build, these new techniques have included: thicknessing a sound board by hand, cutting a sound-hole and using a router to cut away the over-hang.
I am a beginner and have made lots of mistakes but continue to learn from them.

The finish of this particular instrument is not a priority. I am simply looking for something that I can accomplish myself in the space I have available. French polish sounds intriguing, but the time and learning involved are not in the cards for this build. As for Tru-oil, I am concerned about the lack of ventilation.
Perhaps you are right, and I am being impatient. But, I am excited with how well the rest of the instrument is turning out and would like to string it up as soon as I can.

I appreciate the fact that you are a premier builder. Clearly, you do not subscribe to the "good enough is good enough" philosophy of building; everyone can see this by looking at any of your instruments. They tend toward perfection. I also appreciate that this is the Luthier's Lounge, though my understanding was that this forum was for all ukulele builders, both green and experienced.

Aside from your suggestion of simply giving up on building entirely since I do not have a suitable space, do you have any thoughts on a finish that does not require ventilation nor a great deal of time and practice (i.e.: french polish)? or does this simply not exist?

~Jamie

Good enough is good enough...but that means something like TruOil or French polish or brushed on varnish. All have fume issues to a certain extent, but really not what you are imagining. Those simply are the best finishes for low-tech shop setups. Unless you want to go through the pain of trying to deal with water borne lacquers or urethanes, which are best sprayed.

My dad used to use TruOil on his gunstocks, and the fumes really are no big deal.

I forgot to mention that you could use Minwax Wipe On Poly (in the silver can). I've used this regularly over a spit coat of shellac and it works quite well. You don't really need much ventilation with this product as you're only applying a little at a time. I use the Zinser Shellac that you get a Home Depot. Make sure you get the clear, and that the label says dewaxed.

LINK - Minwax

LINK- Zinsser