Working on my CA finish.

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Hiramwoodworks

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I recently posted my first CA finished pen that I did for my wife on the forum. I got a lot of great feedback that helped me to see some of the areas I had to work on. I watched some more videos on YouTube and have done a few more pens this week.

Here is my most recent pen. It is a Woodcraft Navigator Gold RB kit. I used a cocobolo blank. Cocobolo is a beautiful wood, but challenging to know what can be underneath as you turn it down.

This pen will be a gift for my Uncle in Norway that I am leaving today to visit for a few weeks.

All feedback and thoughts are welcome!

Thanks!
a99e83744669822f138c564aff6f1447.jpg



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jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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Came out real nice. That wood does not look like Cocobolo to me. It maybe the photo but it usually is more reddish with black streaks.

cocobolo.jpg
 
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Skie_M

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Strange to see a cocobolo without orange-reddish and tan streaks in it ... that looks more like a burmese rosewood or perhaps honduran rosewood. Either of those are still nice woods to work with, and as cocoblo (mexican rosewood) is a related species, they can be a bit difficult to tell apart sometimes.

Kingwood is also another true rosewood, with streaks of purple in it.
 
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farmer

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your photography

Hiramwoodworks said:
I recently posted my first CA finished pen that I did for my wife on the forum. I got a lot of great feedback that helped me to see some of the areas I had to work on. I watched some more videos on YouTube and have done a few more pens this week.

Here is my most recent pen. It is a Woodcraft Navigator Gold RB kit. I used a cocobolo blank. Cocobolo is a beautiful wood, but challenging to know what can be underneath as you turn it down.

This pen will be a gift for my Uncle in Norway that I am leaving today to visit for a few weeks.

All feedback and thoughts are welcome!

Thanks!
a99e83744669822f138c564aff6f1447.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Penturners.org mobile app
Click to expand...

Cool blue color spectrum = fluorescent lighting .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EakvDiH9ST4
 
Ted iin Michigan

Ted iin Michigan

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Chris - Your uncle should be well pleased with your gift. If he acts even a wee bit that he isn't, let me know and I'll set him straight. :eek:

Now, I am a big fan of a high gloss CA finish. And there are those that say I'm a bit of a perfectionist snob when it comes to that part of pen making. It took me the better part of 5 years to get my finishing to the point where I was "tweaking" rather than making drastic changes to get a better finish. Those comments preface the following: Excellent finish!!! It's flat (no ripples or dings), there are no circular sanding marks at all and it looks super clear. Well done.

By the way, that may (or may not) be Cocobolo. When it's freshly turned, it can look a little red/purple. Then with a little exposure to sun, etc, it turns the brown/orange that you see in JT's reply (I love it at that stage). With more time (usually quite a bit more) it matures to what yours looks like. Doesn't really matter, does it? It's a gorgeous pen.
 
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edstreet

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No longer confused....
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Hiramwoodworks

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Ted iin Michigan said:
Chris - Your uncle should be well pleased with your gift. If he acts even a wee bit that he isn't, let me know and I'll set him straight. :eek:

Now, I am a big fan of a high gloss CA finish. And there are those that say I'm a bit of a perfectionist snob when it comes to that part of pen making. It took me the better part of 5 years to get my finishing to the point where I was "tweaking" rather than making drastic changes to get a better finish. Those comments preface the following: Excellent finish!!! It's flat (no ripples or dings), there are no circular sanding marks at all and it looks super clear. Well done.

By the way, that may (or may not) be Cocobolo. When it's freshly turned, it can look a little red/purple. Then with a little exposure to sun, etc, it turns the brown/orange that you see in JT's reply (I love it at that stage). With more time (usually quite a bit more) it matures to what yours looks like. Doesn't really matter, does it? It's a gorgeous pen.
Click to expand...



Ted,

Thank you for your feedback. It is greatly appreciated.

You mentioned that you aren't a fan of the high gloss CA finish. What type of finish do you prefer? I have only done a CA finish and a friction polish finish. I found that doing the friction polish finish was challenging (using Huts friction polish). I do like the more tactile feel of natural wood over the CA finish, but a CA finish can definitely be more durable over time. I had an employee at Woodcraft that turns pens say he started using automotive clear cost finish on his pens and it is easier to apply and less prone to cracking when dropped or goes through drastic temperature changes.

All info and feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!


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jttheclockman

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Chris that clear coat finish is automotive lacquer and is high toxic. nitrocellulose lacquer is just as harmful and dangerous so if you go that route know what you are doing. Waterbased lacquers are just as durable and easier to use.

You can always still do a CA finish but just stop the polishing sequence short of high polish and sand to maybe 2000 wet dry paper. Leaves a nice feel. Stay away from the MM and polishing compounds. Many many many ways of doing finishes. Do some reading in some past threads and you will find all kinds of answers.

By the way there are also many other ways a pen can develop cracks other than a CA finish and just because he used automotive lacquer does not make his pens any less bullet prove.
 
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