BLO & CA

[mdwilliams999]

I have made about 10 pens using the alternate BLO, CA (medium) approach - about 5 layers on a medium speed. I move quickly so not to have any buildup. I don't have any cloudiness and the pen has a nice shine to it. I also finish it with either Rennaissance wax. The problem (or concern) is that the pen has shine but doesn't really seem to have any depth to the finish. Also, after a day of handling the pen it seems to loose some of its shine. Looks more like Semi-gloss/satin than gloss or high-gloss. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[thewishman]

You may be sanding through the CA.

 

[KenV]

Depth of the light reflection (chatoyant) starts with a good surface on the wood and builds with the finish.

You can over work/polish the surface of the wood and loose depth. 600 grit to 1000 grit abrasives seem to be about optimal. Back lighting to assure the surface is smooth helps.

I often use a "scratch remover" too.

Note that you can develop the premium finishes with lacquer, Enduro etc also --

 

[mdwilliams999]

Ken, do you feel that using the micro-mesh is overkill. Currently I use MM in order to 12,000 and then apply the BLO and CA. Maybe I should try a pen stopping at 600 grit and then apply BLO and CA to compare the differences.

Chris, I'm not sanding between each application of BLO and CA.

 

[G1Pens]

I sand to 600. Apply CA/BLO THEN...if I want high gloss with lots of depth, I MM to 12000. If I want it to look more natural I leave it as is or only partially go through the MM.

 

[Craftdiggity]

Even if you build up several layers of CA, it is not hard to sand through it. What I do is apply 6-10 coats of CA, then sand from 400 up to 1200. I then apply 3-6 more coats and lightly sand again up to 1200 just smoothing the bumps. After that I buff with the Beall system and...viola! This ought to give you a nice finish with some depth.

 

[Whaler]

I sand the blank to 600, apply 6 to 8 coats of med CA/BLO and go straight to the Beale wheels. I never sand after the finish is applied.

 

[Rangertrek]

So many methods and finishing techniques! Nice to see the options used by our many members to get a nice finish.
I sand to 600 grit, apply 2-4 coats of thin CA, then 4-6 coats of med. CA, maybe a scratch cover and then plastic polish. No sanding after the ca is applied.

 

[rsulli16]

ca and blo have gone good for me the last few times, soo, here's another 2 cents worth. i sand to 600, wet with blo. then a drop of blo on the towel, a drop of med. ca on the oil, rub fast and lightly. 10 coats. then "eee" and plastic polish. (fingers crossed) i hope i got it this time, worked real well. i gave up sanding ca, it dulls it never takes it evenly, or it sands thru in places.
hope this helps
sulli

 

[babyblues]

It may be that the surface of the CA isn't glassy smooth and the shine you're seeing is from the BLO, which would wear off quickly after handling.

 

[Woodchuck]

What I do is 5-10 coats of med ca and then sand lightly with 1000 grit to remove bumps then use Mylands high build friction polish and seems to come out a high glossy finish. Just my 2 cents.