Thank you for taking the time to test these variables. I appreciate your effort and sharing with the rest of us!

Rick, I’m new to turning and what I really like about this video is the scientific approach to the testing and not just your opinion. So glad I found your channel

You put a lot of work into these. Your videos are often chock full of great research. Thanks for what you do! Subscribed.

Thanks for all the GOOD info. You really went all out to do this. Thanks again. Merry Christmas.

thank you for spending the time going through all that info, I'm sure it took quite a while

Thanks for running these tests. Well worth it!

Thank you so much for putting this together for us. Great editing too.

That pretty much matches my experience - learned from trial and error. I do apply a sanding sealer first. Thanks for running all these tests and sharing the results. Great info.

I think this was by far the most thoroughly covered test video I have ever watched out of all the test videos I have ever watched. Thank you for taking the time to perform and record the tests for us to watch.

Awesome! Thanks for teaching me how to get a great, fast, and inexpensive finish on my projects with "Low friction polishing"!

Thank you Rick. I’m new to using the OBShine juice. Really didn’t know how to apply and make it “pop”. You covered it all. Awesome.

Thank you so much Rick for sharing your valuable experiences with us. I love your down to earth approach and your always honest comments. You are a giant among turners brother. Many more happy turns in life. :-)

Thanks for taking the time to do this, some really good info here. One other test I'd like to see regarding sanding is if it makes much difference for being super methodical about sanding with the grain (lathe off, obviously), after sanding with the lathe spinning. During the process, it looks to me like sanding with the grain brings out the detail better, but I haven't tested it methodically. I usually sand up to 1500. Also, regarding heat, I thought that the heat made for better penetration and durability, more than shine. So, it's possible that it makes sense to get the first few coats hot and let the last coat be cooler. Also, I add a layer of wax at the end, theoretically, for a bit of water protection, as the shellac soaks up water, in time.

This was a lot of work, and I’ve noticed many things I’ve been doing wrong- based on the results of your trials. THANK YOU, GOOD SIR!

Very interesting results Rick. Thank you for sharing.

Your a real asset to the wood turning community. Thank you.

Very instructive. Really do appreciate the methodical approach

Great video Rick! Learned quite a bit by the video. I now know what I have been doing wrong in attempting a good finish. Thanks!

Great video Rick, very informative. Cheers, Jim

Thanks again Rick. This comparison of application techniques was very informative and helpful. I recently started using car wax over friction and over CA finishes and really like the finished product. What are your thoughts with this final coat except taking more time?

Thanks Rick for demystifying the polishing process, it was very helpful for me so I will be using your final analyses for my woodturning polishing.

Great video, thanks for the testing. I've been wondering these same questions, as in different applicators, speed, etc., but never wanted to take the time to test them out. Question: Is that silver backdrop for dust/sound, or for camera purposes? By the way, I use the same rocker apron. Always like your videos and happy holidays.

Thanks for sharing all the good info.

Interesting results Thanks James

Really informative. As a newbie it sure helped me.

Great detail. I ha e learned alot. Thank you for the quality content!

tl;dr: "so uh... you could probably put it on any old way you want to and it'll still look pretty good" All jokes aside I'm impressed at this man's level of commitment and appreciate the video.

Hi Rick. Great video. I see in your videos you use carnuba wax + friction polish. I have mixed results. Sometimes I “buff” the wax right off of use a paper towel too long. I also notice even minor handling removes the wax. Any suggestions?

Well done. Just started turning myself so I learned plenty. What's your polish made of? I heard shellac and oil, but looking for something more specific so I can give it a try.

Very helpful!! Thanks for the knowledge!

so mush information exactly what I was searching for thx U for Ure work on this experience

Hi Rick, thanks for taking the time and making the effort to video this and share.. I have a couple of observations.. if you put the towel against the rotating work, then slowly apply the F.P.onto to the towel you get little or virtually no spatter.. I apply A variable pressure to the towel.. as in when it is starting warm up or getting very warm I back of the pressure a little. however please consider also that the diameter of the work piece also has some relevance .. think about it.. The Spindle RPM is not the same as miles per hour.. and pen blanks or even 2" diameter spindle blanks will be travelling faster past your paper towel then a 10" bowl at its perimeter .. i.e. if you ( put some larger wheels on to your car it will travel slower at a GIVEN or FIXED RPM than with it would with the normal wheels.) therefore less miles per hour at said (given/fixed RPM). Also.. sanding speeds will also vary between different wood types and different work piece sizes.. sometimes if you try to sand to fast... it seems to just burnish the sandpaper rather than smoothing out the work surface .. great videos thank you.... oh.. one or two more thoughts.. in the automotive industry they fine sand between multiple coats of lacquer to achieve the high gloss.... Surely friction polish is just french polishing on the lathe... :-) except that the french polishing is a lot more time consuming.. he he.... is the secret ingredient of Yorkshire grit just ... superfine pumice, a crushed volcanic glass ? take a look at this video.. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g96CfLOc3825hIE.html

Hello, thank you for conducting these tests. This has been very helpful. Ben

An actual scientific experiment. Wonderful! Nice to know this stuff is not too picky. If light pressure works so well, maybe a leather pad (a bit of chamois) could be used for a long time (put in a zip lock bag between uses).

thank you for your testing, from a novice turner... i am learning something new every day... not bad for an old guy...

Thanks Rick. Have been learning by watching you. Question: My finish does not appear as shiny as yours. Any suggestions?

educatioal, thanks for videoing the experiment.

I sometimes use a walnut oil finish. I have heard that heat caused by friction in applying the oil will cause the oil to polymerize drying and hardening quicker. You might consider using high speed and pressure causing heat for the early coats and do the last coat at low speed and low pressure.

Good looking finish! I usually just burnish with wood shavings and call it good. I'll have to look into this stuff and try it out. good looking results!

Thanks Rick good test well explained. Have you done a similar one on lathe speed sanding?

You’re original method looks better to me. I could see the ring around the spindle where you put the tip of the bottle. Great video, thanks for the info!

Rick great video thanks a bunch. Just two questions someone commented on using a sanding sealer I have heard that before what does it do? also to get a brighter shine I have seen Cap'n Eddie use something like Renaissance wax would that help with a better shine as well as add more protection

Thanks Rick! Great info!!

Hi Rick...just watched this video again as I just tried friction polish for the first time on my first lidded box...was finding at low speed I kept getting bad streaks...watched this and tried at high speed after getting the streaks out by using steel wool...high speed here resulted in a great finish on oak...I was using Mylands and will be making Cap'n Eddie's OB juice next...do you think thinning the Mylands a bit with DNA could help?...thanks for all your videos..learning lots!..

Thank you for your time and sharing. Your conclusions are about the same as the ones I've determined from my experiments. I'm glad to have my conclusions validated. If you don't mind me asking, what is the silver backing you have on the wall of your shop? Again, thank you.

helped me a lot .. thank you

Awesome video. Thank you. Maybe you can answer this question. I hand chisel bowls, so don’t own a lathe. I made the 1:1:1 shine juice. I am thinking I can use my handheld small car polisher as it produces heat as it applies it, essentially becoming my “lathe”. My question is what head should I use? It comes with two different sponges (they create the most friction heat) and a big fluffy lambs wool applicator heads all interchangeable on Velcro. Should I use the sponge head? Or fabricate something with a chamois or cloth onto Velcro and use that since I can’t use paper towel. Thank you.

where do u get ur container for the polish i havent been able to find any like it i no container doesnt matter just looks handy

nice job! thank you for the video!

Thanks for this video and for all the time you spent preparing. I am trying OB shine juice for the first time and am having some trouble. I double checked and I do have the correct ingredients and mixture. I can't get to shine and it dries with streaks. I am coating some spalted maple that was sanded to 600 grit. It always dries with a flat sheen or streaky. Any ideas? Thanks.

@ RickTurns : What kind of a chuck are you using to hold that wood? ... seems to hold quite a narrow tenon.

Rick, my workshop is cold in the winter. Will I get better results if I warm the friction polish before I apply it?

Very thorough tests, thank you for taking the time to do this video. I use FP when turning pens when using some darker woods like Padauk or Babinga and it typically looks great, not so much on lighter woods like Tamarind or Maple. This helps, I have been thinking of trying sanding sealer after a 600 grit final sanding and then removing excess with 0000 steel wool and then applying the FP, to see if I can get a higher gloss deeper finish, have you had any experience with this method? Thanks!! Again great video!

Have you tried scotch bright pads between each application. It smooths the layers out. After three applications the finish is very smooth and shinny deep

How long does it take for the heat. I just made my first pen. Using Sheila wax and it never really got hot. Warm but not hot

you can use a piece of leather as a pad between your hand and the paper towel?

Three thoughts - one advantage of putting the FP on with the lathe not running is that there is less splatter that has to be cleaned off the bed ways. Of course, you could always lay the other half of that piece of paper towel to catch the splatter. Or another approach is to leave a thick layer of sawdust on the bed ways to catch the splatter. Second, I have one of those rubber pads with velcro on one side that I use to hold hook/loop sanding discs. I am going to try flipping it over to use as a pad to minimum finger burning. Third, one of the things that I read somewhere is that the effect of heat is to melt the shellac. Seems to me that melting the shellac might be more helpful in producing a smooth, polished surface if there is more shellac on the surface (ie, with many more coats of FP). But one of the objectives of FP is to be able to quickly finish a piece, which means achieving the desired result with fewer applications rather than more. So achieving a really high gloss seems to be inconsistent with the objective of using FP to begin with, and it might make more sense to use some other form of finish (eg, sprayed lacquer) if high gloss is the objective. Or saying it differently, FP gives a nice medium gloss with relatively few applications and in a short period of time, but may not be the best choice for situations that call for a truly high gloss finish.

I have tried the OB shine juice on a couple of bowls and I am real happy with the results. I only problem I am having is at the center of the inside of the bowl where I get rings/ridges. I have tried ramping up the speed (a lot) and I can't seem to get a smooth finish in the center. Any suggestions?

Thank you Rick.

By chance, could you do that with shellawax AFTER the EEE-Ultra Shine? Thank you for the video. It was exactly what I was looking for.

Would'nt an aerated pad under the paper do a better job? I'm just wondering, I have no experience. Thanks, Paul

Years ago Russ Fairfield posted many tips on his web site. He has, unfortunately, since passed and is greatly missed and his tips site appears to be gone. However, I still remember many of his words. He said the very best applicator for a friction polish is a small piece of terrycloth towel. I began using that as my applicator and have tried many others. The terrycloth gives me the best result. He also said, if it doesn't get hot, you aren't doing it right. Just food for thought. Billy B.

obrigado pelo seu trabalho voces sao pessoas diferenciadas Deus te abençoe sempre um abraço carlos.

@rickturns, Hi Rick, I've just discovered this polish, I have a piece I'd like to use this on but it already has danish oil on it, is it okay to apply this over danish oil finish? thanks

I've often wondered, Rick, why the paper towel doesn't ignite with all the heat and the inflammability of the alcohol. Have you ever had one light up?

I have had great luck using the orange Super Chamois. It is soft and thick. I reuse the same pad until it starts breaking down. This is usually several applications.

I use the blue shop towels, they are like regular paper towels, but a little thicker and more durable.

I have been using mylands friction polish but have been having issues with stealing on my finished piece. I’m running the lathe at 1200 and using a good amount of pressure with an old undershirt as an applicator. Any idea where I’m going wrong?

How well does friction polish work on tool handles such as lathe tool handle?

I wonder how hitting the piece with bees-wax first (saw on old "wortheffort" video, then using the faster speed along with the friction polish to melt the wax into the wood along with the polish would come out.

I just finished watching this video which is a very good video!!!! First I would like to say that you may want to rethink your reply to Rick's comment because wearing a glove at the lathe can be a safety hazard like you mentioned at the end of the video about paper towels and cloth towels. My second comment is that I am by no means an expert on friction polish but it is my understanding that basically the only thing the DNA does is thins out the polish and acts as drying agent, so wouldn't mixing up a small bit of polish without DNA give you what you are looking for for your test?

I did something wrong. It got gummy on me. Maybe not enough friction or too soon for second coat. New to turning, great channel!

GREAT VIDEO LESSON RICK REALY NICE THANK YOU.FROM DOUG

rick great tip.

Am getting lines in the finish. How can I get the finish without the swirl lines. It looks good and shiny but not a perfect look because of these lines. I've tried using blue shop towels to bounty paper towels. Slow speed Medium speed to High speed. Definitely gets hot. Using Mylands sanding sealer and Mylands Friction polish.Thanks

I find that if the polish is to thick, I get lines in my finish and the shine is not has good. Good test.

i found using a sponge between my hand and the paper (works for sanding too) helps not burn your hand :)

Very thorough comparisons of application techniques of FP Rick. Nice job! But I wonder... if a high gloss finish is what someone is after, doesn't lacquer give a higher gloss and longer lasting, more durable finish? FP is simple to apply and cheap to make, and I can relate to that, but it really doesn't hold a shine well for anything that is handled. I found this out by comparing the finishes on bottle stoppers after minimal use. But I may be wrong. It seems to me that the short term oooh, ahhh, factor of FP does not a legacy piece make ;-) Like anyone else I am always looking for a fast, easy to apply, finishing solution, but for me FP has not been the answer and even EEE (which is very expensive-for what it actually is) has little durability. How about doing a video comparison of lacquer vs FP? Thank you for this detailed video. It was obviously a lot of work and very well done! Merry Christmas!

Nice job Thanks...

If the low speed doesn't get as hot, it probably continues to take on more polish for longer before it cures. It is really obvious to me that the low speed side looks better, and I could see it before you said it.

Rick, have you any idea how abrasive paper towel is? Try what we did in the army - use an old wadded up pantyhose. But wad it up PROPERLY so that there are no loose bits sticking out.

What’s the blue/grey stuff that’s caught in the grain?

What do you do with all of those bowls?

A pad made from, say, an old pair of jeans, and attached to a piece of wood would be as effective, and less dangerous to ones fingers! This would also have the advantage of no possibility of leaving paper particles on the surface.

Could you help me out with this. I’ve followed the recipe and application guidelines but within 2 hours of finishing 4 layers, the glossy shine reduces to a dull sheen.

What applications can you not use friction polish on

You could try holding your paper towel with a piece of carpet under padding to help with the heat from friction

I wouldn't use rag to polish for one simple reason - if a tissue catches it tears and falls apart. A rag won't and if you don't/can't let go...

I love this guy's videos! Even if he was blowing smoke up everybody posterior, he's entertaining. However, Rick's techniques work. My two favorite characteristics? His shirts and the hermetically sealed woodshop...Plus he's a Sci-Fi nut. Beam me up, Rick.

Requirement for friction polish: a good dose of masochism?

So slow to engrain, fast to smooth it (surface looked a lot smoother), and maybe a slow layer to build depth

Use button lac in it's solid form, press against the wood and melt in and into the surface......this is the way it was done hundreds of years ago in India foot lathes.!!

You never mentioned where not to use the finish. i have a ruined project. the finish dissolved the stain on my project.

High speed polishes the rag instead of the wood

I wish I had seen this video years ago! Some thoughts, six years later: Sanding along the axis (with the grain) is really only important with materials that have very fine or no grain, Ebony comes to mind, but acrylic or resin is what I find really benefit from axial sanding, end even then the difference is more how long does it take to get to the gloss. axial and radial sanding seems to be a little faster and more consistent for me, but I hate finishing. If course, I'm not putting friction finish on the man made materials, so it isn't an apples to apples comparison. bottom line is the smoother it is before you start polishing, the better the finish in the end. To that end, if its a coarse to medium grained material I sand up to 320 grit, apply a coat or two of sanding sealer, then work from 320 up to 1500. For some species, oak comes to mind, it helps to give a fine misting of water to raise the grain, let it dry completely, then apply the sanding sealer. I sand down to 1000-1500 before polishing, put on two coats of polish, the first coat goes on with a soft bristled tooth brush scrubbing it in axially, then I buff it in pretty fast, 1700-2000 rpm getting it warm, then slow down for another coat of two. Here is where we differ. after that second coat is good and hard, say 15 or 20 minutes later, I then hit it with 1500-2000 grit paper, or a very fine purple or white Scotch-Brite™ pad, the one or two more coats as 750 (top end of the low speed range on my Rikon 70-220), then polish with either York micro-fine, or more likely these days white automotive polish, then a final buff with a clean cloth. Top it off with two or three coats of hard carnauba wax for depth, and there ya go. I would really love to see you revisit this, and tell us what you've learned since then, what is the difference between friction polish and OB's Shine Juice? Have you tried straight linseed or tung oil? I do use boiled linseed and Tung oil on furniture projects but haven't used it on the lathe. Anyway, great video, thanks for making it!

Believe it or not, friction polish is great for bait in mouse traps...No joke.