Expert: maura macaluso - 10/24/2010

Question
 What do you recommend to put a finish on east indian rosewood? Thank you.

Answer
Hi Alex,

It depends on what the rosewood was used for.  If it is a piece of furniture which needs a good  protective surface, I recommend a natural resin shellac or lacquer. for items that don't need as much protection such as decorative items, beeswax or a good premium commercial wax(again natural ingredients).   a combination of shellac/wax or lacquer/wax will give a medium range of protection. The problem with woods such as rosewood are that they can be extremely oily and that will cause a problem with any substance adhering to its surface. The reason why you use a natural ingredient product with a wood such as rosewood is that the chemicals in standard polyurethanes lead to mixed results when they combine with the woods oils. The best way to pre-treat your rosewood, is to wipe some acetone on to it and rub it in as well as you can. Immediately after it evaporates is the best time to apply your first coat of protect-ant. If you allow the wood to sit too long before applying your finish, the oils will start to seep back up to the surface.  So simply  put,  first sand your wood, in 3 stages working from a low grit roughly 150, then 250 and then up to at least 400 or 600 grit, apply the acetone, then apply a coat of thin coat shellac, allow to dry 2-3 hrs or so, then apply a 2nd coat of shellac and allow it to dry 48 hours or so.  You may after applying the 1st coat of shellac, put a wax finish directly over it if a more durable surface is not needed. Wax can also be directly applied after the acetone step and the wax can be buffed out nicely.

Thanks for the question and good luck with your project.