AboutRenee Aun Expertise I know a little bit about cordage and basic basket weaves. My knowledge of cordage also includes how to make natural cordage.
Since no expert is here, I'll try to help until someone wiser than myself comes along.
I have been doing BasketWeaving for only the past year, so I am still a novice! I have completed the reed weaving & rims of many baskets. Some with handles & some not. I read that one person used Scott's LiquidGold to complete their baskets, so I tried that on couple of mine. I do not like it due to its continual smell. Today I tried WeaversStain on a basket of SmokedReed & am pleased with the results. However I do wish that I knew how to get rid of the hairs, etc on the basket to make it be smoother & have a more polished look.
I would like next to try Helmsman Spar Varnish. It was advised on www.allexperts.com to be used as a spray.
I would appreciate any words of finishing advice of any sort!
Kristy
Answer Hi Kristy,
The Helmsman Spar Varnish sounds like the way to go. You may want to take four or five lengths of reed and tie them together firmly at one end, hang them and apply the varnish. When it dries you can gently smooth the finish with emery paper or No. 00 sandpaper before you weave them.
If the varnish is too thick, some weavers will dilute it with turpentine, but that's probably too smelly.
