Cigar pen finishing (not the kit but the kind you smoke)

[Parson]

I'm making double-closed ended pens that look like cigars with cigar bands. I have a couple of questions for those of you who've nailed this down....

1. I'm doing my normal CA finish to get a durable finish on the burled wood. I guess I could hit it with 400 sand paper dry and see if that's dull enough but I thought I'd ask you guys what you do.

2. I was given some nice cuban cigar bands to glue onto the pens. Wondered a couple of things about this too:

a. Do you use spray adhesive or something else to put then on the pen?
b. Do you put anything over the top of them to protect them or leave the band exposed?

Thanks in advance for anyone responding who has made these and can give me some help.

 

[Parson]

BUMP!!!

 

[aggromere]

this is what I do for finishing.

I sand to 600 grit. Buff the wood up with a paper towel with a little BLO on it to make the grain pop.

I then put 2 or 3 coats of thin CA finish on them. I glue the label on with regular elmers glue (a thinner glue might be better, i just don't have any and am too lazy to go to the store). I let it dry. When putting the label on I use a popscicle stick to press out all the unused glue and wipe it off with a damp paper towel. I cover the label with a thin coat of Hard Pouge (it's a decoupauge coating from Michaels). Let it dry over night. Put it back on the lathe and finish with CA as usual.

I do it that way for a couple of reasons. I found that when I did not finish the barrel that was going to have the label it sometimes would come out lighter in color than the other barrel and they would not match. I use the Hard Pouge because sometimes if I don't, applying the CA finish would ruin the edges of the cigar label.

Hope that helps.

 

[Parson]

So Peter, the cigar label and the pen is covered with 3 coats of thin CA... so is it shiny or dull when it's finished?

 

[aggromere]

It can stay shiny or if you want to make a dull or matte finish use some 0000 steel wool by hand, not with the lathe turning.

 

[aggromere]

Your pens in the photo album are really really nice. I would like to see a post or two of pictures of your cigar pens when you finish.

 

[aggromere]

When you are finishing them, it takes a lot more than 3 coats over the label to make it look and feel right. Probably at least 10.

 

[Pen&FishingCT]

what do you use to glue the cigar Label.,thin ca?love this kind of pen.

 

[Parson]

I use medium CA to glue down the band to the wood so I'll have a couple of seconds to move it or remove it if necessary. Frankly, I think I should go to a thin layer of thick because medium still dries instantly on the paper.