Finish

Finish

Finish is applied:

Shellac is applied as the pen is slowly turning. You need to keep moving because as you hold the rag against the surface it will heat up and begin to dry. After two or three coats of shellac, I apply two coats of a hard carnauba wax.

To apply the wax, run the lathe at high speed and hold the wax against the pen until the wax starts to transfer to the pen. Move slowly across the pen until the wax has deposited over the entire length. Then hold a clean cloth against the pen until the friction has heated the wax to a liquid. move the cloth from one end to the other until all the wax has melted and the excess has collected on the rag.

Here are the completed pen sections ready to assemble.