Ash Calabash bowl

For this piece, it was my goal to keep the lovely Ash wood as white as possible, hopefully near as white as just prior to finishing, perfectly sanded and perfectly clean. (Most finishes darken and yellow the wood fibers)

The plan was to use a two part wood bleach prior to finishing. It worked well, especially considering this was my first use of the product.

It really was a bit brighter, even if the camera didn't show it well.

After sanding the bowl again, just a bit as the bleach raised the grain, I began my finish of super blond shellac. Three coats were brushed on, and sanded back each time.

I'm undecided at this point if I'll do a finish coat of something harder than the shellac, or leave as is.