Rosewood

[harry2]

I have some rosewood and could someone tell me of a good finish to use?I don't want to use a gloss varnish but to keep it as natural as possible.I am sure there are some good ones around

[ubeaut]

Shellac seems to be pretty problem free with rosewoods of all types.

However, I take it you are talking NSW or QLD rosewood. This being the case, I have found that some of that timber has a natural oil that tends to makes many finishes fall off, soften, or stay in a semi sticky state. Not all of the wood but occasional pieces. In some cases it may take 12 months or much longer for this to become apparent. If your piece appears to be particularly oily I would try shellac as this seems to have the ability to seal the oil in without any adverse effect on the finish.

This is just an observation of mine from the past 25 odd years of repairing rosewood finishes for people. (Have come across this problem about 20 times.)

I am sure that others will have had completely different experiences with the timber. Restorers usually only get to see the worst side of a particular timber.

Cheers - Neil

[harry2]

Thanks Neil.It is NSW rosewood and bits of it does feel sticky,either that or it is very green.I have sanded some small bits to test it out and will try out the shellac.I have never used shellac before,any thing I need to know?Thanks again

[Shane Watson]

YEAH, Have FUN with it! enjoy it, it aint that hard to use.

Cheers.