What is your favorite sealant on pearwood combs?
I have been asked numerous times over the years for my recommendations on the best sealant to use on pearwood combs (MB1896). Not including my fooling around period using bees wax (what a mess that was!), my response was always "Flecto's Diamond Sheen" in the spray can. Last year, however, Teri D. from my HMW '09 workshop found the ZINSSER Bulls Eye Shellac, also in a spray can -- recommended for Hobbies, Crafts, Toys, etc. This appears to be a safer replacement ...
What are some of your favorite concoctions?
“Play the notes people want to hear” © 2008
Kinya Pollard,
The Harpsmith
What does Seydel use on their 1847 Classics? That's the one that has MY vote (not that I know what I'm talking about here).
Hey Jon,
Can you help us out here ... what does Seydel use for their sealant?
Kinya
you can also use salad bowl oil from generals finishes can be found from www.woodcraft.com although i would let it sit for a while to get the taste out
Hi guys
i had some harps sealed etc by a customizer using salad bowl sealant
when i opened the package and tried them out i thought they had been sprayed with insect repellent it was truly awful taste and smell.
I took them apart,washed and dried in sun and still too stinky for me to be comfortable with
Sent them back to be cleaned up and they have just arrived.. not as bad but still have a chemical smell.. so am interested in what these other products taste and smell like given my expensive experience
well as a wood worker the salad bowl finish is "the most non toxic " although i have used the zinsser amber shellac and im still kicking but i didnt use the spray just dipped it wiped it with a clean lint free rag let it sit a day and repeated
Rupert responded to the "what sealant" question:
Hey Jon,
I don't know a brand name (probably would be lost in translation anyway...) but it is some kind of food safe/non-toxic sealant (I think it is acylic type, not oil based). JFYI, Europe in general and Germany in specific are more conscious about health concerns/natural/etc. than US in general (like they refuse to do sell genetically altered food, won't take hormone laced meat etc.)
Rupert Oysler
Whatever it is, it's great. It seems like they might even use a couple of compounds. The top, bottom, rear, and sides of the comb are of a satin finish material. The face of the harp, though, is of a high-gloss, almost plastic compound. It makes playing the harp feel very similar to a plastic comb. I don't know how durable the stuff is, but it sure is nice to play on when it's new.
Richard Sleigh told me to use Zinsser Amber Shellac and that's what I've been using.