Colin Watson

The pictures show a bowl that Colin coloured in the demonstration, alongside finished work of a similar nature. Colouring a bowl Colin likes to shape outside with a pull cut first then a push cut. Then a negative rake scraper Sand to 400 grit for colouring 600 too much . Colours don't sink in as well 240 grit - colour soaks in more rapidly Sands at 600rpm. Sands in forward and reverse on drill 120-400 Tool marks often appear at 240-320 grit as dust comes out of marks Spend most time on first 120 grit. Get that right. Tack cloth Colouring- protect the lathe bed You can mix water based Hampshire Sheen colours with chestnut spirit stains Start with darker colours and work up to lighter ones. Dab on with kitchen roll (uncoloured) & use gloves. It looks rubbish till the end Cplours used: Earth, Forest Green, Pear, Green, Honey Then recoat over using same colours working from centre to edges Blend edges Hand sand at 320 grit to highlight grain patterns and inclusions. Put honey colour over sanded areas (two coats) Then honey over the whole piece Then seal with undiluted cellulose sanding sealer (shaken) Gives a better finish than thinning It will smudge colours. To avoid smudging, use a spray sanding sealer Best to do one coat. If you try another coat it can affect the surface Usually, leave it to dry overnight If grain raised burnish with nyweb pad Apply lacquer on lathe. Mask lathe with masking tape and boards Spray chestnut acrylic gloss lacquer 3-4 coats. Evaporative carrier solvent. Dries quickly. Do a second coat after a few minutes. (Melamine spray uses a chemical cure that takes weeks to reach full hardness) Lacquer - 4 sprays at each 90 degree turn. Worse finishes if very hot- dries too quick to bond - and very cold – water gets trapped in lacquer. Leave till dry before over-coating Don't spray rotating on lathe or you can get centrifugal streaks Can Lacquer on bench if you lift edges off surface You may get pitted orange peel effect - runs - dust. So use a nyweb pad (or similar) to cut back, lightly rotating on lathe. This removes the shine. Hand Polish off local marks if needed. Clean with tack cloth Mask lathe Recoat with lacquer Inspect. Starts to look glossy because already sealed 4th coat when dry Polishing Step 1 Microfine Yorkshire grit. On the workpiece. (Not the standard Yorkshire grit). Lathe speed 500 Light pressure Avoid heating lacquer (can de-bond) Clean remaining grit with meths on paper Dry with Safety cloth Step 2 repeat Step 3 chestnut burnishing cream or T-cut on a cloth. Light pressure. Clean residue with meths. Buff with Safety cloth at 1000 rpm