alright... here goes...
all of this is done at 1800 RPM these days. earlier, i would slow it down to 500 RPM to apply the CA and that helps you figure out how to get the smoothest coats possible. but once you get it, you can speed it up.
so i don't have to type it a bunch of times, i use DNA to wipe after each low grit of sandpaper. i.e. 220, 320 and 400. after applying the coats of CA (not including the sealer coat), i stop using DNA. it seems to fog things up. i just wipe it with a dry paper towel a few times and that seems to clean it fine since i'm not creating a ton of dust at this point. and a little CA dust will fill in any small voids and not cause any major problems.
1) typically, when done turning, i sand with 220.
2) apply a coat of thin CA (grain filler) with the piece of 220.
3) let dry and sand back down to the wood with 220.
4) continue sanding with 320 and 400. always stop lathe and sand with the grain after each grit to ensure that you get the best sanding possible.
5) depending on the wood and scratch marks, i will usually go all the way through micro mesh at this point. sometimes, the wood tells me that it doesn't need anything past 400... not too often though. wipe with DNA after each 3 MM sheets.
6) apply 2 coats of sanding sealer, allowing short drying time between coats.
7) lightly sand with the final 4 sheets of MM. wipe with DNA.
8) apply 3 coats of THIN CA as evenly as possible. i just use whatever paper towel is around folded up a few times. i've found that i've started using really small pieces so it can't absorb too much thin CA. stop the lathe as soon as you get the CA applied to the second blank half and let dry for a minute or two. i don't know why, but the stuff seems to dry more even and quicker with the lathe off.
9) depending on how smooth you get it, either lightly sand with 400 to even it out, or use MM, spending the most time on the first sheet to get it as smooth as possible before moving on. i'll sand with the grain with the 1500 MM sheet after using it, but not the rest. wipe it with a clean, dry paper towel.
10) apply 3 - 6 more coats THIN CA depending on the wood and how much it seems to soak up. some woods finish with CA MUCH easier than others. same thing, stop the lathe to dry between coats.
11) if it's really rough again, start with 400 again, but be light because you can sand through if you're too aggressive. but usually, i'll start with 1500 MM and go all the way up to 12000. you can begin to see a bit of a gloss at this point, but if you have too much gloss, i've found that the final finish won't be as nice than if you had a more satin look... also, don't use too much pressure with MM. it will really make any uneven-ness stand out and drastically affect the final finish. and if there's minor uneven-ness, the plastic polish and white diamond usually take care of it at the end.
12) take the mandrel off the lathe and buff it with white diamond. i just use a harbor freight buffing wheel (like $5) with the mounting point that you can put in a drill press. this works great for me. charge up the wheel and buff it at 45 degrees one way and 45 degrees the opposite way. you'll see a nice satiny, slightly glossy finsh at this point.
13) re-mount the mandrel in the lathe and apply hut ultra gloss plastic polish with a paper towel. do one half of the pen at a time so you don't get confused... [
] and you won't get hurried this way and it only takes a minute or two. once applied, rub the same area of the paper towel back and forth over the blank half for about 25-30 seconds and then rub a clean area of the paper towel over the area and you'll really see the gloss jump out at you... this is when you say, "YES! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!" at least i do... [
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14) apply TSW (with paper towel) per instructions... i'm beginning to question this step though. the end result doesn't look that much better than it does after the HUT PP. perhaps it's a placebo effect or maybe it adds a nice layer of protection... not sure yet.
15) i usually buff it with the lathe running with a polishing cloth just for a final step. not sure that this does anything either, but it makes me feel good!
16) please don't press the wrong parts into the wrong ends at this point, i've done this countless times and ruined a few great blanks because of it! patience is a virtue...
man, this took longer to list than it does to apply.
i know this seems like a lot of work, but after practicing it a few times, it will become second nature. i've forgotten the sanding sealer a few times and it still seems to work OK, but i still like to apply it. as far as how long it takes to do... it really depends on the wood for me. sometimes, i'll do the entire pen, square blank to ca finish in under an hour, other times, it takes 2 or 3 with most of the time dedicated to finishing it right... it just seems like a very dynamic process to me.
thanks to fangar, this is basically his finish with a few modifications.
if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
one last note. i've tried and tried medium and thick ca, but the coats seem way too thick and take forever to dry to a point where you can sand it without pulling your hair out. i don't know how others use that stuff, but it just drives me crazy[8)]... but i'll keep trying and hopefully, someday, i'll get it! but for now, i'm real happy with how the thin comes out.
and as russ says, it's really an easy concept that shouldn't be too complicated... and you'll find your happy medium.
