How Far

[jleiwig]

Do you turn under the kit diameter before applying your CA finish?

The reason I ask is because I turned to the diameter on my pen I finished last night and finish sticks out around all the findiings about 1/32" of an inch.

You can tell that it is just pure finish sticking out past the findings, as in one spot under the clip where I chipped the finish it is flush with the findings.

 

[rjwolfe3]

I don't at all but I believe others do.

 

[Rollerbob]

Justin, I pretty much turn to the diameter of the bushings, as well!

 

[dntrost]

I also go to bushing and don't seem to have an issue. Although I don't put under microscope

 

[jleiwig]

I also go to bushing and don't seem to have an issue. Although I don't put under microscope

Ok..so maybe I'm being a bit anal, but I like to try for perfection whenever I can.

 

[RDH79]

Hi Justin, I guess it depends on how thick and how much sanding you do on the finish. When I done friction polish turning to the bushings was ok. I didnt get that ridge. But now that I have figured out the CA finish I was getting that ridge. I thought I might be putting on too much CA. So now I turn down to the bushings, remove the bushings and use a old dead center and live center. I sand to 600 then apply CA. (Make sure that you get CA on the ends of the blanks so when you wet sand water does not get under the finish )The sanding takes it down to where the build up of CA then is right with the bushings. Then I wet MM from 1500 to 12000.Be careful with the first 3 grits They remove the CA qiuckly and you end up sanding to the wood. Hope you can understand what I am trying to say here. It works for me,so thats what I do.

 

[KenV]

It does sound like you are trying to do a "cast" instead of a protective finish -- I am seeking about .005 to .008 finish -- Yours is about 6 times that

 

[leehljp]

I often go .003 - .005 under the bushing size in order to build up a good finish - Particularly on softer woods that are not stabilized. Makes them tougher. I also do this on a few other pens when I want a thicker finish.

OTOH, I believe it was Russ (but not totally sure) who said that it is OK to be oversized on the finish by a few 1000s and round the end edge off.

 

[chriselle]

Like RDH79, I turn to bushings and then sand and finish between centers.

 

[jleiwig]

It does sound like you are trying to do a "cast" instead of a protective finish -- I am seeking about .005 to .008 finish -- Yours is about 6 times that

Yup. It's nice and shiney! That's the way I want it too for what in my mind is a high class finish.

I'm not saying anyone else's finish isn't high class, but of the pens I've seen, I like the high build finish the best.

That being said, I think I'll turn undersize by a bit next time and go from there.