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#26 2010-05-10 10:44:37

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Cashew Laquer

Itamar Foguel wrote:

Toby wrote:

I doubt that the amount of bamboo you would have to take off to get rid of the stains would affect anything.

The makers at Meijiro said that Cashew is totally OK for the bore, but a bit too weak for the joint.

So what do you think could be a good available alternative to Urushi for the joint?

Itamar,
If you can not use urushi, the best way is to make sure you have a great fit between the mortise and tenon. Then just lightly coat the raw bamboo with a penetrating sealant like pure tung oil. With a little bees wax based grease, your joint connection should remain snug and last a very longtime. 

http://yungflutes.com/logphotos/nakaurushi.jpg
Refitting or refurbishing the joint is one of the most popular repairs in my shop.
http://yungflutes.com/logphotos/nakaurushi2.jpg
Using a weak paint on the joint will require a repair shortly down the road.

Good Luck.
-Perry


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

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#27 2010-05-13 19:10:54

Itamar Foguel
Member
From: Israel
Registered: 2009-09-13
Posts: 120
Website

Re: Cashew Laquer

Hi Perry,
So there is no artificial lacquer or varnish that can do the job other then urushi?

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#28 2010-05-13 19:37:51

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Cashew Laquer

Itamar Foguel wrote:

Hi Perry,
So there is no artificial lacquer or varnish that can do the job other then urushi?

Hi Itmar,

Well, I'm sure there is. I haven't experimented with everything smile

Urushi will eventually cure to a glass-like hardness when used properly. Other, softer lacquers will eventually chip, peel or gum up, like the joint in the photo from the previous post. I think that was cashew. Urushi would not deteriorate like that.
- Perry


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

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#29 2010-10-20 10:25:11

Kevin Jones
Member
From: Derbyshire UK
Registered: 2010-10-20
Posts: 1
Website

Re: Cashew Laquer

Having used cashew, it does eventually cure to a glass-like hardness. It reacts with moisture in the air in the same way that compounds in urushi do. It can however be a bit gummy/spongy if it hasn't been allowed to completely cure before being pressed into service. That tends to happen when folks think of it as paint and apply it too thickly, too quickly, or both. It is a common error. The thicker it goes on, the longer it will take to cure. If it is too thick, it may take months, hence the sponginess; a thick layer slows up the water vapour reaching the bottom of the layer. Some folks may exacerbate this by trying to use heat to dry out a thick layer, not realising that it is not paint and that it hardens by reacting with water vapour, not by solvent loss. Then it can get really spongy. sad

Thin layers are best, as well as not using it until it has properly hardened.

After cashew lacquer has cured properly, it shouldn't break down in a hurry. As I said, chemically it behaves like urushi. You can however get it to crack or chip by mishandling the finished product or problems with the underlying material, but that's true of urushi as well. I've seen urushi flake after a chip allowed water vapour between the lacquer and the wood. So part of using cashew lacquer properly is getting an excellent finish on the wood first, same as it is with urushi.

Oh, and you can thin cashew with a standard xylene based universal thinner.

However, there is now a problem with getting hold of cashew lacquer. According to our Japanese supplier, new shipping legislation means that it can't legally be exported from Japan by either air or sea. sad Our supplier is a bit fed up with this, but they have stopped exporting it. Since they appear to have been the ultimate source of all the cashew lacquer in the West, this is going to leave a lot of folk with a big headache. sad The company that makes it isn't going to ship it either. They're adamant on that. sad

There is one small ray of sunshine in this news. Not being the sort of folk who just give up, we've been trying to get the stuff made under licence in the UK. At present it is looking optimistic, but there are still hoops to jump through. Well, the alternative was not having access to the stuff at all. sad Keep your fingers crossed and we may be able to get the supply renewed.

Kevin

Last edited by Kevin Jones (2010-10-20 10:28:23)

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