Hitting the Finish!

I'm working on a batch of hammer handles from my stash of wonderfully rippled ash. When all the sanding is done it comes to my favourite part, the first coat of finish.

The olive coloured wood comes from the centre of the tree and it's rare for the ripple to go that far in.

The white ash is from the outer part or from younger trees where the wood is all white. The figure really pops but you have to see the wood as it moves to really appreciate it's depth.

Here's my favourite, where the handle has a combination of both white and olive. The line between the two is quite distinct which makes it all the more stunning.

The finish I'm using here is melamine lacquer, I hand rub on two coats and then cut back with 600 grit before a thinned finish coat. This much harder and more durable than French polish and is more durable and quicker drying than oil.

A box of 59 handles, to match all the heads I have left.  I've had quite a run on these lately.