Is CA supposed to turn white?

[angboy]

I made a pen out of a pink twine awhile back, copying someone else's rope pen. When I amde this first one, I ust layered CA glue over the pen tube, after I glued the twine around the blank one time. It worked well for me, except that there were some bubbles in the CA b/c I used accelerant on it, and didn't know any better. So I've been trying to duplicate this, without using the accelerant, b/c I really like how it turned out. I'm using the same twine, but this time I keep running into problems with the layers of CA turning white on me! This wasn't happening on the first blank that I made this way. I've tried different materials and the same thing happens each time- with the first coat of CA that I apply, the outer surface of it is white. Anybody know what I might be doing wrong?

 

[TomServo]

I have the same problem with CA - If i'm lucky I can get a thin layer of thin CA to set clear-ish, but medium turns white instantly. I think it's gotta be the high humidity here in ND. You could try 'casting' it in epoxy glue?

 

[Randy_]

Having never used CA, I can't offer a definitive answer; but I seem to remember a post about white "blooms" with CA finishes and discussion about the possibility it was cause by moisture under the CA. Try doing a "search" and see what you come up with. I'm sure someone will come along before long who will have better information for you!![]

 

[gerryr]

If you want to go the route of casting it in epoxy, you cannot use epoxy glue, you need epoxy resin and they are not the same. Any epoxy you buy at someplace like Home Depot or Wal-Mart will be an adhesive. The only places I know that sell the resin are places that cater to people who build fishing rods because that's what's used to coat the threads that hold the guides on. You might try Sally Hansen Hard as Nails clear nail polish as a first coat. Might work.

 

[KenV]

The epony resin readily available here is west marine. It has a slightly amber cast. I use it as a coating on wood for the ocean environment here. Durable stuff!!! comes in two parts and uses plunger pumps for measurements. West Marine is one web source. Jamestown Distributers on the east coast also sells the stuff.


Clear polyester resin that the caster use may be your best bet if you cannot handle the amber cast for epoxy.

There is a resin/epoxy sold in the hardware stores for a thick coating. Have never used it, but throw it out as an idea.

I get the surface white on med CA when I am using it for filler w/o accelerant. It does turn away.

 

[chigdon]

It usually only turns white when it dries too fast. I have tried to put it too thick to fill large holes and it did not cure right so that may not have been it. As a rule CA works fine in humidity as I finish all of my pens with it and I live in Georgia.

 

[Dario]

You already know why it is turning white...the question is which is it?

As stated, moisture acts as accelerant. Other contaminants can too, especially wood sanding dust. The twine could be a suspect too...I know wood acts as accelerant especially spalted ones.

Thin CA will cure faster than thick...so you may want to try using thick. Temperature also plays a role. Warmer area will induce faster curing. So many factors...which ones you have I don't know...just throwing leads.

 

[jrc]

Belive me I have been thru this before. I have been buying all CA and accelerator from my woodturning group. A few orders ago I ordered a 8OZ bottle of accelerator and it looked different, clear plastic bottle, the others bottles were whitish. There are different accelerator. Got the right accelerator and the CA has never turned white.

 

[alamocdc]

Angela, how fresh is your CA? That "may" have an effect on what you are attempting.

 

[angboy]

Originally posted by alamocdc
<br />Angela, how fresh is your CA? That "may" have an effect on what you are attempting.

It's probably about 6 months or so old. It's definitely not too new, and it's been several months since I amde the twine blank before that did work. I should probably just buy some new and start over again! Thanks everyone for the ideas and input.

 

[jrc]

What does the container look like your accelerator came in? Age has nothing to do with it. There are more than one accelerator types.

 

[angboy]

Originally posted by jrc
<br />What does the container look like your accelerator came in? Age has nothing to do with it. There are more than one accelerator types.

Actually this time I wasn't using accelerator. I had used it the first time, and that pen seemed to have bubbles in it (but no white). I had been told that using the accelerator, especially if not held far enough away from the CA (which I'm sure I didn't do), could result in the bubbles. That's why I decided to not use it this time and just go slower and let each coat dry on it's own. So now, the only thing I've put on it is the thick CA and very first layer has almost nothing but white flaky sort of looking stuff on the outer portion.

I'll include a picture of what it looked like after the first coat. This one actually wasn't the twine- I had given up on that and decided to try some fabric. But even if the fabric is the problem in this case, the pink twine one I tried to make ended up looking the same way. And that same twine was the one that had definitely worked before, without turning white like this!

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[jrc]

I think it was a reaction with something in the twine. Try the thin CA while not running and use accelerator untill you have enought coats on it and then use thicker AC

 

[alamocdc]

Angela, I think Jim may be right. You'll get better results from using a natural (read organinc) material rather than synthetic. I had similar results with some acrylic sweater material that I tried to do this way. Turned it anyway and it just wanted to blow apart every 30 seconds or so.

 

[Monty]

Angela,
The only time I've seen this type of reaction is when the CA cures too fast. As suggested previously, it may be a reaction with your material. Try placing some CA on a scrap piece of wood. If you don't get this reaction, than it is your material reactin g with the CA. If you do, than I would suspect your CA has somehow become contaminated.