Newbie Question

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Status
Not open for further replies.

usfwood

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
27
Location
Kissimmee, Florida, USA.
Greetings,
First off let me thank all of you for all the information and inspiration you put out on this site. I enjoy seeing all the differences in design and details everyone puts into their creations.

I am quite inexperienced and have only made a handful of basic slimlines using the "bag-o-blanks" from woodcraft.

This weekend I went and turned a couple at the woodcraft for the freedom pen turn. With this weekend came my first piece of unstabilzed buckeye burl. I had to keep adding thin CA to keep it from chipping, and in the end it was by far the prettiest pen I have turned (only because of the wood pattern).

Well now for the question; I am making a pen for my dad. I ordered a gentlemen's pen kit from Woodturnerscatalog.com and also ordered the amboyna burl along with a few extra tubes (cheap insurance). The blank is not stabilized, and doesn't feel as hard as some of the woods I have turned. Do I need to use the thin CA as I go to keep the burl from blowing out, or do I just go for it.

Also, I have not done a CA finish yet. I could practice that on a couple of other blanks if it would be better than the friction polish I usually use. I know the finish type preference is a personal thing but would the CA/BLO finish be longer lasting/more durable than the friction polish.

Thanks for any responses and advice,
Darin
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

JimGo

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2005
Messages
6,498
Location
North Wales, PA
Darin,
I haven't done any amboyna burl, but unstabilized burls generally benefit from periodic applications of CA. As for the CA/BLO versus friction polish, yes, CA should be a more durable/longer lasting finish than FP.
 

gerryr

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2005
Messages
5,353
Location
Billings, MT, USA.
First of all , WELCOME TO THE LUNACY and addiction. Amboyna burl is actually pretty easy to turn. I've never turned any that was stabilized and have never had a problem, just don't be aggressive with the cuts. You can harden it as you got with thin CA and it certainly won't hurt. Regarding the finish, friction polish is only a tiny step up from no finish in terms of durability. CA is basically plastic, so a CA finish is just coating the wood with plastic. Some people like the feel and some don't. If you don't like the slippery feel, you can cut it back with 0000 steel wool which will give you a hard satin finish. I would definitely recommend practising a bit on some scrap wood before possibly making yourself nuts on the Amboyna. Good luck with it and post a picture in SOYP when you finish it.
 

Dario

Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
8,222
Location
Austin, TX, USA.
WELCOME!!!

I am amazed that your amboyna burl is not hard. I have yet to see a soft amboyna and I had quite a few.

Anyway, CA is your friend if you need an "on the spot" fix as well as wood stabilizer. CA finish (with or w/o BLO) is much better than friction polish. I won't recommend you trying to learn it on an amboyna and Gentleman though.
 

kent4Him

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
1,654
Location
Paddock Lake, WI USA.
O boy, gentleman's and amboyna so early. I would practice a bit more first. I would also practice the CA/BLO 4 or 5 times before moving to something special.

It is especially important not to get the Amboyna too heated up. Don't sand too heavily, or a few days or a few weeks down the road, you might see some cracks appear. I love amboyna burl, but it can be temperamental.
 

pssherman

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2006
Messages
839
Location
Paragould, Arkansas, USA.
For any wood that is soft you can drizzle thin CA inside the hole of the blank then redrill after the CA has cured. This will strengthen the wood from the inside and reduce the chance of a blowout.

Paul in AR
 

Scott

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
2,689
Location
Blackfoot Idaho
Hi Darin!

Welcome to the group! The Gentleman's Pen is pretty easy to make - you should have no problems with it. Drilling the blanks for those big tubes is more of a risk to the blank than your turning. Just use sharp tools and make light cuts, and you should be fine. Amboyna is beautiful, and should make an outstanding pen!

Scott.
 

Ptolemy

Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2006
Messages
94
Location
Billerica, Massachusetts, USA.
Hi Darin!

Welcome. The people in this forum are amazing. Their advice has advanced my skills 10 times faster then I could have on my own.

One suggestion I read a while back for practicing CA finish was to turn the wood oversized and finish it as you normally would. When complete you can just turn off the finish and continue. It was a great way to get experience on a specific type of wood without ruining the piece.
 

twoofakind

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
606
Location
Kennesaw, GA, USA.
Hi Darin,
Be careful when drilling the blanks. I have had more blowouts on the drill press than on the lathe, especially with the larger tubes. Just make sure you have a nice sharp drill bit. I have only done a few CA/BLO finishes so I cannot help too much, but keep in mind what king of "feel" you want for the pen. The CA finish looks amazing when done right, but feels a little like plastic as opposed to the friction polish. In short the CA will last longer and look better down the road, but you lose the wood "feel".
Andy
 

GBusardo

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
1,240
Location
Beachwood, NJ, USA.
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the asylum!!! I am sure no matter how your dad's gift turns out, he will love it. I would practice a little before you attempt a CA finish on that pen though. I am sure it's going to be a beauty.
Good luck and just try to stay sane
 

ctEaglesc

Passed Away Jul 4, 2008
In Memoriam
Joined
Jul 5, 2004
Messages
3,238
Location
Camden, S.C., USA.
Let me add a comment or two.I believe most of the replies you have gotten are all good ones but no one has mentioned much about the gentlemens pen itself.
I have only turned one and to look at it you may not realize it is basically a Gentlements pen


20061116131914_herringbone%20finished%20009.jpg
<br />
The customer selected this style of kit because of the richness and simplicity in the nib holder.Like myself she thought the other high end kits gaudy looking.Since the pen was to be modified, I want what little of the original components that remained visible to have a quality plating .
That being said.
If you selected that particular kit based on its' tasteful appearance did you realize it is 3/4's of an inch in diameter at the center band?It is a VERY LARGE pen.Some prefer larger pens some don't.I just thought I would bring this to your attention because it was selected with a special recipient in mind.
As previously stated the Gent is pretty straight forward and not difficult to turn/assemble.
AS far as a finish is concerned I would opt for a lacquer rather than a CA finish.It is more forgiving if you mess up, multiple coats show the grain better than the topical shine/gloss of a CA finish.
If you haven't done so already take a look at Russ Fairfields site making a wooden pen.Russ explains the pros and con of most of the finishes and reading every word he has to say on pens from start to finish is time well spent.
CA is a great finish but I wish I had discovered lacquer when I first started making pens, my first pens were finished with CA and as I look back on them lacquer finish is far easier and is a better way to show of a spectacular piece of wood.
I have never been one to agree with the crowd and since you are new I thought I would give you the straight scoop as I see it.
Ultimately the choice is yours.
What ever you make I know your father will love his pen.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom