CA/Blo Issues

[programmergeek]

Ok I watched the video and did several pens using the ca/blo. But all seem to have issue here is the issues I am having is it bad CA or bad tequnique or am I just to picky.

CA fogs in areas I get little foggy marks now and the on my last ebony one I got a big hazy mark had to strip and redo the whole thing but still got little hazy areas, on light wood you do not notice it but on black wood not so nice. Looks like little bubbles only in a small area not the whole pen.

Some swirl marks, finish is not perfectly flat.

Most concerning I got a light ring on one ebony pen, I think it was because the blo hit the real wood first than the ca but there is a lighter ring about 1/2 wide in one area where I first touched the wood.

Tequnique:
Basically I take a paper towel first put on BLO in an area them some med CA about 7 drops and applied to pen fast wiping back and forth. This dries very fast within seconds I keep moving the paper towel back and forth till it gets a little shiny. I couldn't imagine using accelerator. Anyhow at the end I use some plastic polish and maybe even sand with micromesh a bit to remove some swirl marks. They come out ok but definaly not perfect and the light spots abd hazy areas are just unacceptable.

What is going wrong is my ca bad? is it drying to quick with the blo and fogging a little?

 

[Manny]

In oily wood I found that wiping acetone on the blank prior top finishing helps me get a uniform finish.

What temp is your shop. humidity? Just curious

Manny

 

[programmergeek]

Should be pretty dry it is still cold here in NJ and the heat is on I would guess about 30-40% tops.

Funny thing is this pen had one coat of ca/blo on it and it had a big fog mark so I sanded it off the whole finish. re finished and that is when I got the ring in the wood.

 

[leehljp]

For me, below 65°s F causes CA to be a royal pain to get a good finish. It is achievable but I have to work at it considerably. Even if my shop is heated to 70°, I have to wait until the CA, and blanks are also at least at those temps before the finish works OK. This is my own observations and - work habits derived from those observations.

On ebonies, as mentioned wipe it down with acetone. However, for me, I do NOT use BLO on top of ebonies as it prevents good adhesion in spots, since ebonies are already oily.

Cloudy is often the result of moisture that comes from rubbing down with alcohol or other. Another aspect rarely mentioned is that the catalyzing/curing effect from heating absorbs what moisture is available in the atmosphere or from the wood itself. This gets drawn into the finish and results in the cloudiness. A few people have said that this will go away after a couple of days in many cases.

The white spots are a result of a couple of things IMO. Orange peel finish due to a heavy layer of CA or uneven/rough applications. the next layer of CA traps air. Sanding between layers, but not all the way smooth, traps sanding dust. IMO, the dust will turn clear while wet with another layer of CA, but show up as white when cured. I don't know if this is correct or not, but I keep trying to figure out exactly/precisely what is happening. My deductions are based on my personal observations and experiences, - and my deductions can be wrong. But I am looking for answers at least.

I know all of this does not help you with a definitive answer but I hope it helps some. Keep us posted on what you find.

 

[Tn-Steve]

I had a devil of a time when I first started doing a CA finish with certain woods, Rosewood being one of them. (again, a dense oily wood). What worked for me was to sand out to 600 grit or so, wipe it down WELL with DNA or Acetone, get all the sanding dust off. Let it spin on the lathe for a minute or 3 to really dry out. Then I did the "Slurry Sanding" technique, but I use Sanding Sealer rather than the thin CA. (I just have better luck at it). Then I sand it out like usual and do my finish. What this help do is put a layer between the oily wood that CA doesn't want to work with and my finish. The sanding sealer is a shellac based product, so it sticks to almost anything with no problems.

This elimininated a LOT of my problems with CA ghosting. If you do a search for it, you will find that there are as any opinions as to what causes it and how to prevent it as there are hopes and dreams at the start of Baseball Season. (Go Cards!!!!)

Hope this Helps,

Steve