Shellawax cream-hand application

[Yeebla]

Hello everybody. I would like some advice on using Shellawax Cream without a lathe. Has anyone figured out a way to increase the shine with hand only application?

I have used Western red cedar. It's just what I'm using for now until I buy something else. I also did a test patch of Shellawax Cream on something that might be Silky Oak. I get a nice silky finish, but only what I could describe as a sheen rather than a shine. I have used sandpaper grits 120 180 240 320 360 400 800 1200. I used a white singlet to apply the cream. I tried to pretend I was a lathe and rubbed the cream in as hard as I could (REALLY HARD). Didn't see any haze or feel dragging to tell me to stop. Further buffing did not affect it.



The photo was taken in the sunshine. The 'silky oak' is at the top. The darker section in the middle is where I put on a second coat of cream. The bottom piece is Western red cedar. I know that this is a spongy type of wood and may be one of those ones that will never take a shine without some super duper gloss system. Have I stumbled across another unshinable piece of wood in the silky oak? Or is it me? Or is it that I will never achieve more than this without a lathe?

I'm not looking for a high gloss finish, just something that reflects a bit of light.

Thanks,
Yeebla

[wheelinround]

let it dry a few day's then apply a few more coats

If you have a palm sander fit a cloth to it and duff away

[Yeebla]

Hello

Wheelin: I don't have a palm sander if that means an electric gadget. I did put more shellawax cream on like you said, but it didn't increase the shine. I have buffed it with a cloth. If your recommendation of further buffing would help, then how much buffing to people do by hand to achieve a good result?

To sum up:

Will I ever get a shine by using Shellawax cream that is applied by hand only with no lathe involved?

[Jim Carroll]

It all depends on what you call a shine.

Do you want a soft looking finish or a high gloss

The Shellawax cream is a friction polish for use on the lathe which even then does not give you a high gloss.

Traditional wax is more usefull of the lathe but even then it will give you a nice soft sheen not a high gloss.

[Rattrap]

I've been applying a finish to a document box that i made for my brother & i was after a nice mirror finish to the sasafras top. I started with shelac, about 5 coats then finished it off with good ole canuba wax. It came up with a really nice deep glossy finish.

[Yeebla]

Thanks Jim

The Shellawax cream is a friction polish for use on the lathe which even then does not give you a high gloss.

I guess I expected too much when I looked at the photos on the Shellawax Cream page- http://www.ubeaut.com.au/cream.html
The items on that page do have what I would call a high gloss. I didn't expect to achieve that degree of shininess without a lathe, but was hoping for half of it.