CA problems - old glue?

[maxwell_smart007]

I was trying to make a wooden pen last night - first in a very very long time, as I've been busy with a new job...

Long story short, the Medium CA I put on for a finish took a ton of time to cure - perhaps five minutes or more. After that, when I began to sand it down, it is very 'splotchy' for lack of a better word...

Could the CA be the culprit, or is it a technique issue?

Andrew

 

[Marc Phillips]

How old is the CA? .... how was it stored?

 

[maxwell_smart007]

It's about two months old, stored in a sealed container out of the sun in the coldroom...

BUT, I think maybe I'm just putting too much on?

 

[Marc Phillips]

That definitely isn't too old....

I guess you'd have to describe in some detail the process you use to apply the CA....

Here's what I do.... maybe you could compare your technique... or?

http://www.woodhelp.com/Tips.htm#PenFinishing

 

[Randy_]

What kind of wood are you using, Andrew? I seem to remember some comments that CA can be a problem when used with very oily woods?

 

[maxwell_smart007]

I used the fresh glue, and it worked out really well this time...definitely odd!

It was on a birdseye maple pen blank, so not an oily wood, I wouldn't think!

I sanded to 400, wiping down after each grit. I then wet a paper towel with BLO and rubbed it on the blank...added thin to the top of the blank while moving the towel from one side to another, and then moved it back and forth while touching ery lightly...

I then did hte same thing with the medium CA, using BLO again...

I'm wondering if maybe I was using too much BLO? I would have thought that would speed up the curing process, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Regardless, I got a decent finish out of it with the fresher CA - but I don't know if it was a fluke or not!

Can too much BLO mess up the mix?

Andrew

 

[MesquiteMan]

Just becasue you have only had it for 2 months does not mean it is not old! Who know how long it sat on the shelf of the vendor or even the vendor's wholesaler. Sounds like old glue to me.

 

[Marc Phillips]

Originally posted by MesquiteMan

Just becasue you have only had it for 2 months does not mean it is not old! Who know how long it sat on the shelf of the vendor or even the vendor's wholesaler. Sounds like old glue to me.

Good point.... didn't think of that!

I wonder if there are dates on the bottles somewhere... maybe in code or something... gonna go look though!

 

[loglugger]

If the glue is put on to thick will sometimes do that.

 

[mitchm]

I was told to keep CA in the refrigerator by a prof turner in the UK and this seems to work very well. The bottle I am currnetly using is about 10 months old. Have I just been lucky??

 

[MesquiteMan]

I use a lot of CA for things other than pens. I buy a bunch at one time in 16 oz bottles and transfer to 2 oz bottles as needed. I keep all of it in the freezer until I am ready to use it. I have never had a problem with any going bad.

 

[mitchm]

Thanks Curtis, I'm doing something right!

 

[monkeynutz]

Dating CA bottles would do no good, as the conditions under which it is kept matter more than the chronological age. Cold storage lengthens life, and not every shipper/distributor/dealer goes to the trouble. Best to know where your glue comes from, and ask that they do the same for their source.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

I don't think it's the glue that's the problem, as this batch is from Monty - I trust him without reservation as far as glue goes...

I'm thinking that it was the fact that I put it on too thick...maybe too much BLO...might have gummed up the CA too much...

Andrew

 

[Monty]

Andrew,
2 months should not present a problem. I've started using thin for my finish because if you use a tad too much of the medium or thick, it cane take several minutes for it to dry before you sand and MM.
When I use BLO with my CA, I only use a couple of drops on a towel and wipe the blank down until it starts to tack.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Thanks Monty - I think you solved it for me. Thin and less BLO sounds like the winner...