How to Novus...don't want to screw up!

[Chris Bar]

Finishing a pen that must be sent to daughter tomorrow. Using Novus #2 for the first time and directions say to polish until dry. When polishing on the lathe, the heat can build up until the plastic finish starts to melt. Should I really polish until dry? Have polished some with the Novus #2 and shine is really coming out, but it seems there is still some overall dinginess to the finish. Perhaps this should be posted in finishing...but might not get a "quick read and response"
Tnx
Chris

 

[ed4copies]

Don't run too fast and use the Novus 2 wet. IF it dries, just use a little more. Put it on with a soft rag, and don't use a lot of pressure. Apply light coats, until you have the shine you want.

Yes, avoid HIGH heat. If you can touch the blank without smelling burning flesh, you're pretty much OK>

 

[Chris Bar]

Thanks Ed...will do. Think I was probably doing it wrong.
Chris

 

[johnnycnc]

Try moistening the rag or paper towel also, it keeps the Novus
working smoothly longer for me. Dry novus was never good on my lathe,
only when ready to buff off maybe, but not while working it.

 

[bruce119]

I use Novus 2 on every thing. I run the lathe at full speed. DO NOT let it get dry heat is your enemy. If you build too much heat you will scorch your blank and ruin your finish. So keep it wet not too much pressure then slow it down and wipe it clean.

That's what I do.

 

[Chris Bar]

I definately was doing it wrong. Would let the polish work until dry then try to polish like a dry rub...oh, wait....thats BBQ...now I know where I was going wrong. Thanks a lot....hope I can recover the finish. Its on an Amalgumutt of Rosewood (sap and heartwood) and blue stuff. I might need to back up to the CA and reapply.

 

[bruce119]

I definately was doing it wrong. Would let the polish work until dry then try to polish like a dry rub...oh, wait....thats BBQ...now I know where I was going wrong. Thanks a lot....hope I can recover the finish. Its on an Amalgumutt of Rosewood (sap and heartwood) and blue stuff. I might need to back up to the CA and reapply.

If you did what I think you did scorched it. Then you will most likely need to refinish it. No big deal easy to do just lightly sand the whole blank with some 400 or 600 till the bad spot is gone. Then reapply your CA and sand it back up through the micro mesh numbers. I wet sand on CA and only go to 6000. Then use a strip of soft cloth put a dab of Novus 2 on the cloth work it in so the cloth is wet. Then polish at full speed with light pressure. If it starts to get hot or dry STOP re wet your cloth. You want to keep your cloth wet it will get gooey. Then slow your lathe down or stop it and hand buff it.

 

[tdibiasio]

Now I have a completely opposite way of using Novus #2, not having read anything on how to use it, I came up with my own procedure that seems to work great.

On Wood blanks

Finish with CA and let it cure over night
MM from 3600 to 12000 wiping between with DNA
Turn lathe down to 250 rpm
Apply a small amount of Novus #2 to the spinning blank with a small square of cotton T-Shirt (I go up and down the blank maybe 2-3 times no more - really just to coat the blank)
I then turn the lathe to 2200 rpm to dry or haze the compound and then with a longer piece of Cotton T-shirt I wrap it around the blank and hold the very ends of the cloth and buff the compound off by going back and forth maybe 10-15 times.

The result is a very very shiny surface with no scratches left at all.

Top off with a heavy coat of Renn wax and then buff it off the same way and I get a very nice shiny durable finish.


On Acrylics

MM through 1200 and follow the same Novus procedure as above.

Just wanted to share my way of using Novus #2

 

[Chris Bar]

Well, finished the pen. It did not finish as shiny as I had anticipated as areas were blochy, but will continue to develop the process. One additional thought, after each reapplication of CA the surface seems to be a bit pitted and rough, thinking the solvents in the new coat might be reacting with the previous coat. The blank was polished from 1500 to 6000 mm, then NOvus 2. What CA is normally used; I might have obtained a bottle that was rather old on the store shelf and now need to buy more since the bottle is empty. Thin fast, average or thick slow setting. All three are available from the suggested source, plus one with rubber-like additive which I assume might be to attach waste blocks to turnings. Which CA is normally used for finishing the pen. I am ok on the tube stuff; in a test, without scuffing could not remove the tube even with pliers.
BTW thanks a lot for your help. Attached the pic to show finish problem. My first pens without all the mm and NOvus were better but forgot how I did it.