Best Finish So Far

[timdaleiden]

I think I have tried every finish out there so far (aside from PPP, and have not been pleased with any of them completely. CA comes out pretty nice, but it is a lot of work to get just right (and yes, I tried the BLO method).

Today I completed my second CA/Laquer pen, and I love it. This pen looks like it was dipped in liquid glass, and I have almost no doubts that it is a durable finish.

In brief, I used thin CA to seal, slurry/grain fill, and harden the outside of the wood. I used 400 wet/dry sand paper for this. I followed with 600 grit, going back down to grain filled wood. I sanded while the wood was spinning, and longitudinally, with the lathe off. I took the mandrel off the lathe, and applied 3 coats of Deft gloss spray laquer, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. It took about fifteen minutes for all 3 coats to dry. I put the mandrel back on the lathe and used 400, followed by 600 grit. I stopped sanding after I saw I had an even layer of deft of the blanks. No low spots. I then took the mandrel back off the lathe, and applied a final coat of Deft, making sure that I had an even coat. I applied it under a bright light. I let it dry and harden over night. Today I assembled the pen, and it is the best finish I have ever seen on a pen. It is super shiny, and smooth, and yet it is not at all slippery to hold. I didn't need any friction polish, or MM, Ren Wax, or buffing.

If this finish lasts, and I see no reason why it won't, I will clean off my finish shelf...finally.

 

[Scott]

Hi Tim,

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't last! I have been using lacquer finish on some of my bowls lately, and it is great!

Which spray lacquer have you been using? I'll be looking forward to seeing some pictures!

Scott.

 

[jeff]

Tim - I tried an almost identical method last night. I took the blanks off the mandrel and slipped them on a dowel. The only reason being that I did not want to get lacquer on the bushings. I think next time I'll leave them on and just soak the bushings in lacquer thinner if needed. I also used three coats, but then I started at 800 and wet-sanded with a little liquid wax and I did not apply a final coat. I think I'll not bother with the wax, then apply the final coat as you did. I was pretty happy, but I think the final coat will be the key.

I think that with some tweaking, lacquer might be the ultimate finish if you have the time to do it right.

 

[timdaleiden]

Originally posted by Scott
<br />Hi Tim,

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't last! I have been using lacquer finish on some of my bowls lately, and it is great!

Which spray lacquer have you been using? I'll be looking forward to seeing some pictures!

Scott.

I used Deft Gloss, clear spray laquer. I did take some pictures right away, but they fail to show just how nice this finish is. Part of the reason why I am so impressed is the feel of the pen. It is just so smooth, and yet not slippery.

I did notice on the back of the spray can that it resists stains, alcohol, and tarnish. Not only that, but when you buy it, they donate money to the 4-H for planting trees. How perfect is that? If you try it, let me know what you think.

 

[timdaleiden]

Originally posted by jeff
<br />Tim - I tried an almost identical method last night. I took the blanks off the mandrel and slipped them on a dowel. The only reason being that I did not want to get lacquer on the bushings. I think next time I'll leave them on and just soak the bushings in lacquer thinner if needed.
I think that with some tweaking, lacquer might be the ultimate finish if you have the time to do it right.

I left them on the mandrel for two reasons. Number one, shear laziness, and number two, my mandrel was bent a while back, and I am not convinced I got it back to 100% true. If I would have removed them, and didn't put them on exactly the same way that they were, it may have made sanding more difficult.

 

[Paul Russell]

Tim, you stated it took about 15 minutes for the 3 coats Deft laquer to dry. Just to clarify for us slow types, is that 5 minutes per coat or 15 minutes per coat? And did you put it back on the lathe immediately after the 15 minutes or sometime later?

 

[timdaleiden]

Originally posted by Paul Russell
<br />Tim, you stated it took about 15 minutes for the 3 coats Deft laquer to dry. Just to clarify for us slow types, is that 5 minutes per coat or 15 minutes per coat? And did you put it back on the lathe immediately after the 15 minutes or sometime later?

I didn't actually time the drying, but it was about 15 minutes <b>total</b> drying time. I put three light coats, letting it get dry to the touch each time. I then put it back on the lathe and lightly sanded with 400 and 600 grit. The laquer is somewhat soft at this point, so it doesn't take much to sand it. This gave me an even surface. I made sure that any dust was removed from the surface. I then took it back off the lathe and applied the final coat. After I was satified it was a pretty even coat, I planted the mandrel upright in a board to cure. Deft seems to have some very nice leveling qualities, and the next day the finish was just awesome. I did another pen that way today, with the same results. If you try this finish, let me know how it goes. For me, I want to go back and take some of my pens apart, and redo them. My finishes were pretty darn good, but this is just the best I have ever done.

 

[Daniel]

Tim,
I woudl suspect this is actually a better and more durable finish. You fall into the catagory of those looking for the best regardless of the time involved. I believe that CA has become such a popular finish due to the time vs results equation. I see many post reflecting that some turners don't want to wait overnight for the tubes to dry in the blanks. so spending overnight to get a better finish would not set well with them either.
I need to work out this or a simular finish for myself for those extra fine pens.

 

[timdaleiden]

Originally posted by Daniel
<br />Tim,
I woudl suspect this is actually a better and more durable finish. You fall into the catagory of those looking for the best regardless of the time involved. I believe that CA has become such a popular finish due to the time vs results equation. I see many post reflecting that some turners don't want to wait overnight for the tubes to dry in the blanks. so spending overnight to get a better finish would not set well with them either.
I need to work out this or a simular finish for myself for those extra fine pens.

I am definitely looking for the holy grail of pen finishes. I was very happy with my finishes when I bought my MM. I was happy when I learned to do a good slurry. Every step improved upon what I had done before. With my first pens, I was just happy it worked for it's intended purpose.

Now I am looking at my CA, MM , or buffed pens, and they pale in comparison.

I agree that this takes a bit more time to finish, and that is why CA is so attractive to many penturners, but for your nicest pens, this may be a good process.