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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Brisbane
    Age
    54
    Posts
    85

    Default Mirror finish over cracked burl

    I have a piece of burl that I want a mirror finish on. I was considering a polished poly finish, but perhaps I'm better off getting some of that 'Liquid Glass' stuff? The burl has lots of little cracks in it - will I need to fill these cracks separately first, or will the Liquid Glass fill them for me? The cracks are much less than 1mm wide, and I think not likely to go all the way through. I just don't want to pour on the liquid glass only to have the cracks stand out as little reflective bubbles in the finish, and I don't want to have to get a syringe and manually suck out the air from each crack or anything like that. Now, here's the real rub - I'm not sure I like many of the Liquid Glass finishes that I've seen. With such a thick syrupy finish, it just looks a bit too plastic, and I'd rather keep more of a natural wood look to the item, albeit with a mirror finish gloss. Is it possible to put Liquid Glass on a bit more thinly?

    Alternatively, I could poly finish it, and then hand-polish it. I'm happy to do the polishing work, but I'm not sure how the poly will go with the cracks either. It could take a lot of poly before the cracks are filled.

    Any thoughts or suggestions?
    Good things come to those who wait, and sail right past those who don't reach out and grab them.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Oberon, NSW
    Age
    64
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by surfdabbler View Post
    I have a piece of burl that I want a mirror finish on. I was considering a polished poly finish, but perhaps I'm better off getting some of that 'Liquid Glass' stuff?
    [...]
    Alternatively, I could poly finish it, and then hand-polish it. I'm happy to do the polishing work, but I'm not sure how the poly will go with the cracks either. It could take a lot of poly before the cracks are filled.

    Any thoughts or suggestions?
    I think that you're right to be concerned about the Liquid Glass & the cracks; in a similar situation in the past I've used a very thin variation that was almost the consistency of water... but that stuff was expen$$$ive. (And 'twas so far in the past that I've forgotten the brand name! )

    As a completely different alternative, have you considered Shellac?
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Perth WA
    Posts
    355

    Default

    In order to achive the finish on this burl bowl I had to inject/drip feed into each crack, it was very time consuming. I used Watson Feast Tung Oil. Initially I brushed and then finished by spraying.
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    Experienced in removing the tree from the furniture

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Brisbane
    Age
    54
    Posts
    85

    Default

    Hey Rod, that's a nice looking shine for oil. I've not used Tung Oil before, but used Danish Oil a bit. I wonder if I could use Danish Oil, and polish it up with a buffing wheel. Gotta try that!
    Good things come to those who wait, and sail right past those who don't reach out and grab them.

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