Irish Trinity

[StephenM]

3 new pens. From left to right - Wych Elm Burl (gold), Figured Irish Yew (gold), Spalted Irish Beech (gun metal) Finish is multiple coats of shellwax followed by 3 - 6 coats of CA/BLO followed by Hut wax to knock down the "plastic" look.

Next on tap - my first fountain pen in 3000 year old Irish Bog Oak with black titanium hardware.

Any comments or critiques would be appreciated. Thanks for looking.

 

[ed4copies]

Hi Stephan!

Your pens LOOK great, but I would rethink using Shellwax BEFORE BLO. I believe you are protecting the wood with the wax, so the Linseed Oil will not penetrate it.

I'm afraid, long term, this will lead to the finish breaking down.

If you disagree and have already considered this---more power to you and I hope it WORKS!!!!

Ed

 

[bobjackson]

Good looking pens. Nice job. I agree with Ed regarding using shellwax before the ca/blo. Sand thru 600 grit, ca/blo/ then wax.

 

[rskelly]

Looks great... do i see a theme?

 

[StephenM]

The reason I use the CA/BLO after the Mylands is to get rid of swirls. I sand through to 600 with the lathe off and then turn the lathe back on and put on the friction polish until I get a nice build. The spalted beech absorbed so much that it probably took 30 or 40 applications until I got any sort of build at all. I then finish up with the CA/BLO to get rid of the rings.

I've tried turning off the lathe and running a few coats of Mylands with the grain but there are still rings in the finish to where it looks like I was sanding with the lathe turned on. However, when I follow up with a few coats of CA/BLO, the finish looks fine (if not a little plasticy so I put a little Hut on to tone things down).

Do you think there will be a problem in the future with the bond between the CA and the Mylands?

 

[ed4copies]

If I recall correctly, Mylands is shellac-based. And, I understand, I had the same problem with it building into "rings".

But I think Mylands is different from Shellawax.

I'd say there is a better chance of the CA building over shellac than wax.

(I am NOT a finishing expert, if someone knows better, listen to THEM!!)

 

[boxerman]

Very nice looking pens.

 

[StephenM]

Sorry - I though shellawax was a generic shellac/wax build finish - I am using Mylands.

 

[ed4copies]

Sorry - I though shellawax was a generic shellac/wax build finish - I am using Mylands.

No need to be sorry, I'm really not trying to nitpick, just guessing at the chance of CA sticking to it.

There is a product from Australia called shellawax--I am quite confident. For many years I struggled to find a product for wood pens--I own one bottle or can of nearly any product known to penturners---I never solved the problem

 

[dmott]

Kind of surprised nobody said... "sand with the grain between sandpaper grits."

Even if "side to side" is not "with the grain", it will still remove all the "tool" marks you left while the lathe was running.

 

[rizaydog]

Nice looking pens. Great work.

 

[StephenM]

Kind of surprised nobody said... "sand with the grain between sandpaper grits."

Even if "side to side" is not "with the grain", it will still remove all the "tool" marks you left while the lathe was running.

After I turn it, I knock down everything with 150 while the lathe is still running. Then I turn off the lathe and sand with 150 again with the grain this time. Then I go through the entire sanding regimen - 240, 320, 400 and 600 all with the lathe turned off and with the grain. After that I turn the lathe back on and either do a CA/BLO finish, or a Mylands friction build that's followed by CA/BLO to get rid of the rings left by the Mylands.

Thanks for all the input everyone (and sorry if my posts haven't been clear - been remodeling peoples houses during the day and doing aquatics design work at night - 15-18 hour days for the last couple weeks sometimes) and any further advice would be appreciated.

BTW, I'm not flooding with BLO - just using it as a lubricant for the CA.