Originally Posted by
thepolyparrot
Ah, so it's my technique that's wanting. It was
so pleasant to blame it on the heat, but I suspected it was my lack of practice!
I just bought another red eye, today, and the decals are in even better shape than the first, even though it's twenty years older. So now I have three 66 treadles - I'm thinking I might bolt a motor on this one at least long enough to grind and polish the plated part of the handwheel.
The Tiffany 27 is still being cleaned and the 15 needs many more coats of shellac; since it' s my main machine,
I want it protected and shiny.
In roughly 3 - 4 years, I've only seen one red eye in person in this conglomeration of cities/towns around me. They just weren't common here as best I can tell. The one I did see was "auctioned" at a local thrift shop. I also had a gozilla 66 of my own for a bit but I think those 2 are the extent of the 66s I've met in person here.
When I had trouble with the swirls, it was too thick application combined with too quick drying. (Which I suppose could be made worse by heat...
) I think what I did - and it was months ago now and I barely remember lunch yesterday... - was a little more linseed oil and possibly to thin the shellac a tiny bit because I found leaving my little jar open caused the alcohol to evaporate and cause the shellac to thicken on me.