Buffing Wheel Finish

[HHouck]

I am having a hard time getting the finish that I want on this Brair wood and I would like some suggestions.

I have no trouble on other woods, acrylics, plastics etc. just this particular type of wood. I have tried to skip the wax and finish with White Diamond, I have tried to turn the speed down, tried less pressure, less loading of buff on the wheels, more loading of buff on the wheels, everything I can think of it just does not pop.

Wood:
Greek Briar wood sanded to 600 grit, contrast dyed with black and re-sanded to 600.

System:
Beall 8" 3 wheel - # 1 Tripoli buff (linen wheel), #2 White Diamond buff (linen/flannel wheel), #3 Carnuba wax (flannel wheel) running at 1600 rpm

The first pic is what it looks like after the wheel.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4KDkP ... sp=sharing

Someone on another forum suggested that I try a lacquer finish -
I bought some Deft clear high gloss brush lacquer - a really good brush for lacquer according to the gal at the store and some lacquer thinner - don't recall the name of the thinner, all from my local ACE hardware.

Lacquer Application Steps
1. Sand off any of the Carnuba, wax that is on the wood from the original 3 wheel buffing, clear the wood of all residue from the wax and sand paper.
2. Wet the brush in some of the thinner, dip into the lacquer and apply with even coats slight overlap in one stroke of the brush.
3. Let dry 24 hrs.
4. Sand with a wet grit 1200, clean all residue.
5. Repeat steps 2,3 and 4 until I get the results and thickness I want.
6. Buff

Second pic is after trying the lacquer finish.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4KDkP ... sp=sharing

Still not getting the results I want, there are dull spots, grainy spots all kinds of issues.

I am really at the end here, any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[RickB]

You might still be buffing too fast? When I went from 6" wheels at an ill-advised 3500 to 6" at 1200-1700, it made a world of difference. That being said, even at too high a speed, briar should be pretty shiny all on its own after even the tripoli buffing in my (admittedly limited) experience...

[HHouck]

Sorry I was not 100% correct on my statement - the last pic is the pipe all completed accept the buff with tripoli. The lacquer finish is still so bad I did not even buff it, shinny but lots of bad spots.

[PremalChheda]

For buffing, around 1800 rpm with the linen/flannel wheel for all three compounds. Practice and technique. Keep at it. Buffing can have a high learning curve if you do not have prior experience with something similar.

[DocAitch]

Definitely a learning curve. I am not aware that lacquer is a good pipe finish. Most folks use shellac to set the stain with wax over or an "oil" ( the composition of which is closely guarded, but there are hints in various threads on this forum).
A properly prepared surface of briar ( with sanding up to 600) should polish very well. The fault may be your equipment ( too high a surface speed), or the fact that the lacquer was applied unevenly then allowed to dry. OOOO steel wool may be helpful in smoothing the lumpy surface of the lacquer.

Some times in addition to the surface speed of the buffing wheel ( which is dependent on motor speed and wheel diameter) the width also comes into play. You can make a narrower wheel by removing layers from what you have or search the web for narrower wheels. You can also use felt bobs and hand buffing to reach inside curves and tough to reach areas.
DocAitch

[sandahlpipe]

Bob Flexner's book "Understanding Wood Finishes" is worth reading. Each type of finish has different pros and cons. Oil-based, shellac, and wax-based finishes are most common, but others can be used if you understand what's happening. The book will help you understand.

[jthomas]

I'll second Bob Flexner's " Understanding Wood Finishes". It dispels a lot of the mystery to finishing and lays out some solid information to work with. Granted, repetition and practice is where you'll start seeing the results your after.