CA glue has to be the most versatile and easiest finish that we can use on a pen. It is almost impossible to do anything wrong. No matter what we do, the glue cures, we sand it, and if we sand it with a fine enough grit we will get a high gloss on the final finish.
There is a question almost every day about using CA glue as a finish or the problems that someone is having with it. The variety of answers could only further confuse the first time user. These many different answers and my own experience with CA glue proves my point.
We live in hot climates, cold climates, wet or dry climates, and some of us live in a combination of all of the above. Some work in a basement, others in a garage, and some have a dedicated shop building. Some have HVAC, while other don't.
Some sand the wood to a high polish before applying the glue, while other only sand to 320 grit. Some clean the bare wood with Denatured Alcohol, others use an air hose, while others use the CA Accelerator; some just use a piece of paper towel, while still others do nothing at all. Some use a sanding sealer on the wood, while others don't. Some use thin CA glue, others use the medium, while still others use the thick. Some use a specific brand name, while others use whatever was the cheapest at the time. Some insist on using glue that is so fresh that it had to be manufactured yesterday, while others use glue so old it will barely come out of the bottle. Some apply it with a "baggie", some use some type of synthetic batting or cloth, others a piece harder plastic, while there are many who use a paper towel and some go so far as to specify that one brand of paper towel is better than the others. Some apply the CA glue by itself, while others use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) over the glue, and some even use the BLO under the glue. Some can just slop on a coat of glue and get a smooth surface that can be sanded smooth with 400 grit, while others get a rough surface that requires starting with 150-grit: and I have had CA finishes that needed 60-grit to remove the rough bark. Some run the lathe so fast that it slings the glue from the surface, while others are more comfortable with slower speeds. Some use an accelerator, while others claim an accelerator is the surest way to ruin a CA glue finish. Some sand the final finish to 12,000-MicroMesh, while others still use conventional sandpaper to 2000-grit. Some buff, some don't. Some use a plastic polish, and some don't. I am sure I left out a few variables.
There are at least 460,800 different finishing schedules that can be concocted from all of these many variables that I have listed, and I believe that an advocate can be found for every one of them. Many of them are posted on this site.
The amazing thing is that they all work. All started with the same pen blank, and all ended with the same high gloss. The only difference is that some paths from start to finish will take longer than others. Some of these paths are relatively straight forward, while others have more twists and turns than the highway between Wolf Creek Pass and downtown Pagosa Springs.
Many look at these many variables and see a finish that that is difficult and complex. I look at these many variables and see a finish where is almost impossible to do anything wrong.
To the 1st time user of a CA finish - In all of these various methods there is one common element. If the surface isn't smooth, you haven't done anything wrong, just use more sandpaper before going on to finer abrasive grits. The goal is a smooth glossy surface, and not how you got there.
[revised to correct spelling errorsonly]
There is a question almost every day about using CA glue as a finish or the problems that someone is having with it. The variety of answers could only further confuse the first time user. These many different answers and my own experience with CA glue proves my point.
We live in hot climates, cold climates, wet or dry climates, and some of us live in a combination of all of the above. Some work in a basement, others in a garage, and some have a dedicated shop building. Some have HVAC, while other don't.
Some sand the wood to a high polish before applying the glue, while other only sand to 320 grit. Some clean the bare wood with Denatured Alcohol, others use an air hose, while others use the CA Accelerator; some just use a piece of paper towel, while still others do nothing at all. Some use a sanding sealer on the wood, while others don't. Some use thin CA glue, others use the medium, while still others use the thick. Some use a specific brand name, while others use whatever was the cheapest at the time. Some insist on using glue that is so fresh that it had to be manufactured yesterday, while others use glue so old it will barely come out of the bottle. Some apply it with a "baggie", some use some type of synthetic batting or cloth, others a piece harder plastic, while there are many who use a paper towel and some go so far as to specify that one brand of paper towel is better than the others. Some apply the CA glue by itself, while others use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) over the glue, and some even use the BLO under the glue. Some can just slop on a coat of glue and get a smooth surface that can be sanded smooth with 400 grit, while others get a rough surface that requires starting with 150-grit: and I have had CA finishes that needed 60-grit to remove the rough bark. Some run the lathe so fast that it slings the glue from the surface, while others are more comfortable with slower speeds. Some use an accelerator, while others claim an accelerator is the surest way to ruin a CA glue finish. Some sand the final finish to 12,000-MicroMesh, while others still use conventional sandpaper to 2000-grit. Some buff, some don't. Some use a plastic polish, and some don't. I am sure I left out a few variables.
There are at least 460,800 different finishing schedules that can be concocted from all of these many variables that I have listed, and I believe that an advocate can be found for every one of them. Many of them are posted on this site.
The amazing thing is that they all work. All started with the same pen blank, and all ended with the same high gloss. The only difference is that some paths from start to finish will take longer than others. Some of these paths are relatively straight forward, while others have more twists and turns than the highway between Wolf Creek Pass and downtown Pagosa Springs.
Many look at these many variables and see a finish that that is difficult and complex. I look at these many variables and see a finish where is almost impossible to do anything wrong.
To the 1st time user of a CA finish - In all of these various methods there is one common element. If the surface isn't smooth, you haven't done anything wrong, just use more sandpaper before going on to finer abrasive grits. The goal is a smooth glossy surface, and not how you got there.
[revised to correct spelling errorsonly]
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