The Case Of The Vanishing Finish

[William Young]

I made a slimline yew wood pen last week and I applied a tripple application of Hut satin finish. (brown stick) It was all I had because my high gloss white stick had not arrived in the mail yet.
I just noticed that the finish has all but vanished today but the other dozen or so of different woods using the same finish still have a nice shine to them. It this customary for yew wood.? It is a pretty wood and turns very nicely. I want to make more of them but I would like the finish to not do a dissapearing act. Should I have used a base of CA before the Hut? Or should I scrap the Hut altogether as a finish and try using something else.
Also, I guess it's too late to revive the finish on this one now that it it is all assembled.?? I have a dissassembly tool on back order so I have yet to find out how that will work. When I get that tool, would it be possible to put those two barrels back on the lathe and try to restore the finish or would it just not be worth the bother.
W.Y.

 

[tipusnr]

Unless you have another way to buff the wood parts of the pen, you will have to disassemble the pen to renew the finish. I'm not an expert on wood types but some due absorb finishes better than others and this sounds like a case of absorption to me.

I don't use CA finishes myself but the CA would act as a sealer and, if applied first, would not have allowed the HUT finish to soak into the wood.

As far as having to wait for your dissambling tool to work on the pen...look through the archives here and, I beleive, you will find a couple of references to the size wire and bolts you can use to dissamble a 7mm pen. But be gentle.

Look around you first, and see if you don't have something around that spins (speed better than power) to use as a buffing wheel. Tape off the metal parts of the pen (the clip is going to be the hard part) and apply more finish. Or save the pen for personal use.

Either way, Yew wood can be used to make nice pens...don't give up.

 

[Paul Downes]

Bill, I have been using CA with BLO, then several coats of CA, then brown HUT wax, white HUT wax, last, crystal coat. That final crystal coat buffed out really glosses up the finish.....Maybe this method is overkill, but I'm still learning..... Paul

 

[William Young]

Thanks Bill and Paul.
Bill. I think I can rig up a buffer wheeel and try that. Is carefully covering the metal parts to protect the gold plating ? Even if using only the white Hut wax? How little buffing will that plating handle before it wears off?

Paul,, I too am learning and I'm willing to try most anything. I don't mind the extra steps you are taking if it works good. I have everything you mentioned except the Crystal Coat product. Where do you get that? I didn't notice it in the PSI catalog.
W.Y.

 

[tipusnr]

The wear on the plating depends on the kit. I have a pen that I carry with me everywhere (usually clipped to my shirt)and, after about 10 months the plating on the tip (nearest the wood) is wearing off and the grain in the zebrawood can be felt more. The good news is the wear is gradual and the gold transitions to silver giving it an "aged" look.

I was more concerned with scratches in the finish as there isn't a sealer coat on them as there will be on the wood. I've never heard of anyone putting a friction finish on the metal parts either. Somehow I don't think that's a good idea.

 

[William Young]

OK thanks. If I decide to try buffing it without disassembling it, I will "carefully" tape the metal parts and give it a try.
W.Y.

 

[Charlie in Garfield]

Hi Bill;
No need to waite for the tool to get there.Look around your shop,
find a STIFF peice of 1/8 rod that will just go through the turn thing and all the way to the point. Put it in and Gently bump off the point. Now look and find a rod that will JUST go into the barel of the pen,put it in and again Gently bump out the turn thing,
use the same to remove the cap and clip. Now refinish on lathe.
Just Charlie

 

[William Young]

Thanks Charlie. Sounds good.
W.Y.