Ca finish cure?

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Dan Masshardt

Dan Masshardt

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Those who use ca finish: do you polish right away or let cure overnight?

I've done both ways with success and trying to decide if the longer cure holds a slight edge or not.
 
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Dan Masshardt said:
Those who use ca finish: do you polish right away or let cure overnight?

I've done both ways with success and trying to decide if the longer cure holds a slight edge or not.
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All I do is use spray can accelerator and after my last coat I wait about 5 min or so before I start with the water polishing. This is just the way I do it and have had no problems with the finishes yet. But remember CA likes it humid if it is dry in your shop it will take longer for the CA to dry. And from what I understand about CA it really doesn't need a "curing" time, as it is considered instant glue, so once its dry it is ready to go. But that is just my opinion.
 
After my last coat I usually let it sit for about 5 minutes then sand, if needed, and MM. Then polish right away. I do agree with you that it doesn't seem to matter. I think, like most things, it a personal preference.
 
Dan,

I usually let mine sit overnight. I haven't done enough high quality finishes to determine it provides a better finish, but I try to convince myself that if the CA is still off-gassing (if that truly does occur) after you have polished then I would think that could affect the finish.

Dave
 
Now i let it sit overnight to off gas, i used to do it right away and found that once in awhile I would get a white powdery substance on the components, So I started letting my CA finish sit over night and then i sand and polish, I have not seen the powdery substance since.
 
Overnight, but then my CA finishes are pretty thick. I've noticed that CA continues to cure - and shrink - for some time. If I sand and polish right away, then I tend to see surface irregularities show up the next day. If I wait, that doesn't happen.

Regards,
Eric
 
I generally only apply 6 - 8 coats of thin CA, then let the finished pen sit overnight. Next day I sand back very gently with used 600 grit AO sandpaper to remove any CA rings that might be present.


Then it's on to the buffing wheels that have been loaded with Caswell's Formax Buffing compound.

1st 515-6163 P22 Plastic Glo (Ultra-Fine, Dry)
2nd 515-6165 P112 Plastic Compound Extra- Fine.

I may or may not buff with LV's Carnuba or Liberon wax, depending on my mood, as well as if I think my finished pen needs it!

P.S. I used to buff almost immediately after applying the CA, but my finishing results have much improved by waiting overnight for the CA to cure!
 
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Im still learning a lot. With that said, I use to wet sand right away although I have noticed that at times the finish would finger nail when I go to press the components in. So now I give it 5 mins then sand then wait a few hours before pressing in the components. No issues now. As far as the overall look of the finish I can't tell any difference.
 
I usually use 6-8 coats of CA w/accelerator after each coat. I let it sit for a couple minutes and then wet sand with the MM pads designed for acrylics, followed by Barry Gross' buffing system. I tried waiting overnight and I couldn't tell any difference.
 
3 coats of thin CA with lathe at 400 rpm, 4 coats of medium at 400 rpm. Accelerant after each coat. I give it a minute or two and then into the micro mesh. Works good for me.
 
My question to you is why chance it??? Unlesss you have to get a pen out in a hurry for some reason then why not let it outgas overnight at least????? I never finish a pen until it has cured at least overnight. Then I MM and polish and never had a bad finish. I do not use accelorators when finishing. Just an opinion.
 
jttheclockman said:
My question to you is why chance it??? Unlesss you have to get a pen out in a hurry for some reason then why not let it outgas overnight at least????? I never finish a pen until it has cured at least overnight. Then I MM and polish and never had a bad finish. I do not use accelorators when finishing. Just an opinion.
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My question doesn't really involve chancing anything. I've had no problems with sanding right away. I was just wondering if anyone saw an advantage in the quality of their finish by waiting.

I've had zero probs with accelerator and love it.

Everyone's experiences with finishing seem to be widely different.

The 'why chance it argument is a valid one to consider though.

Thanks for the input.
 
Dan , I think the basic rule of nose that needs to be considered in CA finishes , is that if you can smell it while sanding or Micromeshing , it definitely isn`t fully cured . If it isn`t fully cured , the potential for development of an orange peel appearance days or weeks after sanding exists . I think there are two reasons for this - the first is that the finish is never totally uniform in thickness on the pen and thicker areas will cure slower , and second , nucleation of the x-linking reaction is never totally uniform , whether accelerated or not .

So I guess the bottom line is , if you are doing thin finishes , you can probably get away with nearly immediate Micromeshing . If you deliberately or accidentally over turned by several thou and are building back up with CA , or are doing something like a corn cob where the thickness varies around the kernels , it is probably best to wait several days before final sanding . Of course any finish , regardless of technique used , will be good if it is never looked at in the cold light of day several weeks down the road .
 
rherrell said:
I use two coats of medium and I let it cure overnight before buffing. It seems like it's harder and takes a polish better.
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This gets at what I had in mind. I did one that 'seemed' harder the day later and that is very subjective to me.

Other comments about the thickness of the finish being a factor are interesting considerations as well.
 
I am stationed overseas I don't have the luxury of CA accelerator. I use a drying rack so I can work on multiple pens at once. I apply a coat and let it dry for a few hours. I apply glue CA with the fingertip from a nitrile glove, so it is a little thicker than with a paper towel method. Before I would let them dry overnight and sand and polish the next day, then throw them in a pen case. After a few days I would notice that the finish no longer had a smooth polished appearance. Only conclusion was the glue shrinked as it dried causing the change in the finish. So now I wait a few days sometimes a week, no more problems. And yes a longer drying time gives you a harder finish.
 
Dan, I have noticed that as CA gets older, it does require additional time. I store mine in the fridge at all times and usually have a 2.5oz bottle open no more than a week. After that, it gets a little funny and I let it rest.
 
Unless you are facing a deadline why rush the finish? This is the first thing most people notice. It attracts the eye. Very upsetting to have people notice all the little flaws in the finish. Finish at a slow pace and get it perfect. It seems like people are looking for a finish system that can be done in five minutes, mask minor flaws, is easy to do, cheap to do, must be hard as nails and last a lifetime. Too many request for any finish to cover. Like the fellow who placed an add looking for a perfect wife. She had to be rich, good looking, have land to hunt, a truck to drive, good dog to hunt over and know how to clean and prepare fish and game. Then he asked for location of land and pictures of the dog and truck.

I let it, CA, cure several days before finial sanding and buffing. Then I let it cure another couple of weeks before assembly. Perhaps the occasional flaws I see at assembly time were always there and I just missed them earlier. If any are found I will then go back and touch up the finish and repeat the steps. Pens made for stock or sale later are always checked under magnification for finish defects and cracks that may develop over time before selling. Wood shrinks and moves so cracks in the wood or finish sometime do happen even when you do everything perfectly. And if you are not cleaning out the insides of the tubes after finishing, then you will get cracks for sure. Take your time and get it right the first time.
 
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