Jr George Antique Brass Amboyna

[TonyL]

I have been experimenting with a new finish process (new to me, and with the help of some selfless IAP members) in my quest to eliminate wet sanding and MM (just because I find it boring to wet sand and I don't like introducing water to a CA finish).

So here is the process:

1. Skew turned
2. Dry sanded 400 to 600 (at 700 RPM in reverse), Abranet
3. Clean with a squirt/short spray of CA accel on a ppr towel or cotton tshirt material, then apply to forward, and slowly rotating barrels.
4. Apply 10 coats of thin CA, no accelerator between coats, and one or two coats of medium, with short spray of accelerator after each medium coat only. Let sit for a few hours (like 3).
5. Sand from 400 to 600 dry, same as before CA finish was applied as in Step 2..
6. Cotton Flannel buffing wheels at 1,000 rpms, Caswell's white diamond (or any WD), ultra fine compound, then fine compound (No, you read that correctly. Caswell's ultra-fine is more course than their fine. I guess their product naming isn't hurting sales..so they keep the names ).
7. Lastly, as always and not really necessary, Meguiars 105, 205, and Rejex (and yes, I am sure there's water in all of them..unless Meguiar's invented a new form of matter than can be poured and assumes the shape of its container).

I have no scientific theories behind - this is just bits and pieces of my experience and that of others. For all I know, the finish my fall-off tomorrow and can be used to cure poison ivy! I have finished 3 in three days and they still look good. However, "Three days does not a good finish make." - something Yoda or Shakespeare would say.

Comments, questions, platitudes, criticisms, and good ol' fashioned negativity, just for the heck of it all welcomed.

Thanks for looking and hopefully, laughing!

 

[mark james]

Shoot Tony!

The pic was fine... Just need one with the cap removed.. One from a pretty angle. One with the post out... Yea, that's it!

 

[socdad]

Good looking finish on a very nice piece of wood. One question ... Why sand in reverse?

 

[TonyL]

I need to buy a stand that allows me to set the cap down. I will buy tomorrow at a wood store. I have been intended to buy one for a long time. Thanks.

Why reverse sand? Some told me to do that when I first started (March 2014). I never questioned it, and now I am used to doing t that way. So...no real good reason.

Thanks for the advice and question.

 

[liljohn1368]

That's a really nice looking pen.. Good job....

 

[Tom T]

Great looking pen.

 

[ladycop322]

Nice pen Tony

 

[Wct3]

That's a top notch pen. I can't find any negativity for you at all!

 

[TonyL]

The pen kit was from Signature, and the blank from another member.

 

[TwinkE]

Hello Tony, I have been following your finishing methods with great results so far. Looks like I need to buy some new wheels and white diamond. Thanks for sharing your experiments! Oh yeah, that pen looks great, keep them coming.

 

[vakmere]

Hard to tell in the photo but would you say that is a shiny glass like finish or a matte finish look?

 

[thewishman]

Looks good, Tony! Congrats on the new technique.

 

[TonyL]

Thank you.

In person, the finish appears high-gloss. I still don't know what I am doing with a camera.

However, that is very good feedback in terms of how the image appears.

Thank you.

 

[jsolie]

Tony, that's a great looking pen, and your procedure seems effective. I'm sure your finish will still be on the pen in three days. At least most of it. :biggrin:

What are you using to apply the CA? Paper towel, blue shop towel, one of those little resealable bags pen components come in, craft foam?

One observation: if you're cross sanding, you probably don't need to have a session of reverse direction sanding. Reverse direction is something I want to try with some of my bowls--once I get a lathe that can spin the other way under power.

 

[TonyL]

Thanks...paper towel, sometimes plastic bag. I may try that craft foam.