Hey Gregory,
I'll try to make it short, so concerning the finish...
Basically here is my procedure, when I am done turning, at least when I think I am done, I use a spare pair of new bushings to check the size, the one on the lathe are always a bit worn up. Before finishing I usually go from 240, 400, 600, 1000, 1500 dry sanding at 4000 RPM on johnnycnc's delrin bushings. I highly suggest that you guys get
www.exoticblanks.com sand paper and you cut it in strips. I usually use a 5 inches strip of each grit for a single barrel pen.
When blank is properly sanded, I clean the sanding dust excess by rubbing a shop towel on the blank. I set my lathe to something around 500 RPM, first two coats on rosewoods is thin. I use strips of shop towels as applicator, for the next coats I use medium CA.
I apply my coats of medium CA by rubbing for long enough so the glue is starting to cure like 10-15 secs then I let it turn for 40-50 secs and from 12-15" I spray 2 push of accelerator and I blow at my blank with my other hand behind the hand spinning. Dark woods get cloudy really easily with accelerator (for me) so the less you use the better.
After each coat of CA glue I usually sand with wet sand with black MM of 3000. Make sure you don't have any white fine use in the wood grain or you will be ****ed at the end noticing them, I am a picky bastard.
So I apply usually 10 to 20 coats by sanding in between each coat and at some point you have a nice finish build up. I have good lighting in my shop, when I see no scratches and the ends of my blanks are well coated I proceed to go with the next MM's and I finish with plastic polish. I apply the plastic polish with shop towels and I buff the plastic polish with paper towel.
So that is my not so short answer of how many coats. Oh and thanks for letting me buy those cocobolo blanks from you, I look at the pens I made with them and they make me smile.
Charles
Flawless finish as always Charles.
How many coats of CA do you apply?
