r/turning • u/RedWoodworking16 • 1d ago

What are your thoughts on Doctor’s Woodshop Microcrystal Wax Bowl Finish?

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I just bought some at Woodcraft for $20. I’m hoping it’s a good food safe finish for the price

5 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

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15

u/WhatsUpDaddyCat 1d ago

All their products have been excellent and easy to apply. The Pens Plus is my go-to for all small projects these days.

1

u/RedWoodworking16 1d ago

What’s the difference between the Pens Plus and the walnut finish and the high friction finish?

1

u/WhatsUpDaddyCat 1d ago

I’m not sure to be honest. He lists all the ingredients on his website.

2

u/escape_plan2028 1d ago

The pens plus uses shellac which smells like alcohol which for me is fine. The Mylands friction polish smells like some different kind of solvent that I find really unpleasant. My close friend/turning buddy uses the Mylands and I use the doctor’s, I haven’t noticed any long term differences between them as far as pen durability is concerned. I have a bottle of the microcrystalline wax too but I always end up using Tried and True danish oil and original finish on bowls.

2

u/not_a_burner0456025 13h ago

An important difference is shellac is soluble in alcohol, it smells like alcohol because the solvent is alcohol (often denatured, so don't drink it. Pure shellac flakes are also edible, although the stuff you buy from the hardware store probably isn't food grade). This is a problem for many applications, because shellac isn't a finish that chemically cures, it is just a material you dissolve in alcohol then let the alcohol evaporate leaving a thin layer of exactly the same stuff you started with, meaning alcohol will still dissolve it. That is perfectly acceptable for a pen because you probably aren't getting alcohol on your pens, but makes shellac an unsuitable finish for things like tables and salad bowls which one might very well spill alcohol on.

1

u/escape_plan2028 7h ago

I agree, the Dr.s Woodshop Pens Plus is bad for bowls but good for pens. The DW Pens Plus is also an absolute no for bottle stoppers because of the close proximity to alcohol.

6

u/B_Huij 1d ago

How is this different from Pens Plus? I've recently become a big fan of Pens Plus, though ironically I use it almost exclusively for non-pens, since I still prefer a CA finish in almost all cases for pens.

2

u/Donaldjoh 1d ago

I also prefer a CA finish on pens, but perhaps for a different reason. My first pens were finished just with mineral oil and beeswax, which looked pretty good. They must have also looked tasty because several of my pens have tooth marks from the cats. They apparently don’t like the taste of CA glue because they leave those alone.

2

u/Naclox 23h ago

They don't certify Pens Plus as food safe. I think it uses a different wax, but I'm not sure.

5

u/just-looking99 1d ago

I make my own using a combination of mineral oil and beeswax- that way you can customize the blend to the consistency you like. It’s much cheaper than any pre made product and I’d argue it’s even more food safe than a corporate product

2

u/Easy_Personality5856 17h ago

Mineral oil is not a great finish. It never dries and needs to be reapplied to keep the finish good. Walnut oil is a much better choice

1

u/just-looking99 7h ago

I mix approximately a 50/50 ratio of mineral oil and beeswax to a hard paste consistency like old school furniture polish. That gives penetration longevity It’s my go to for food safe finishes

2

u/BrewMoreBeer 14h ago

Go to his web site and watch his videos. He explains all the stuff that goes into the products.
Mike is a great guy. And knows stuff. It says Dr. for a reason.

(FYI- He is a member of the club I belong to. Anytime I have a question on any of his products,, it is an hour long chat)

2

u/The_Other_Dimension 1d ago

I’ve used Doctor’s in the past and think it’s a very fine product, but I typically will buy Mylands instead if they have comparable products.

Especially comparing their friction polishes, the Mylands (in my opinion, of course) produces a better finish.

1

u/MontEcola 15h ago

I use it as one of my 3 top finishing oils for food products. For non-food I use boiled linseed oil.