CREID
Member
For those of you that use a CA finish (no BLO), (no accelerator), how long do you wait for the CA to cure? Both between coats and after you are finished? I guess you may want to add what brand CA you use.
Thanx
Thanx
I use the stuff Manny (Monty) use to sell, now carried by Exotics. I don't use BLO. Usually I do 3 coats of thin first. It sets up very quickly. Then I do several coats of Med. I have strips of paper towels cut and ready, in the time it takes to grab one, fold it over itself a few times, hum to the music and go again. If I feel it isn't setting up well I will give it a blast of accelerator or give it a little longer. It usually dries in a matter of seconds. If it's not setting up in a minute or so, something is up.
I did a considerable amount of experimentation and have settled (so far) on Stick Fast thin, no BLO. Currently starting an experiment with a new CA (E-Z Bond). I do use an occasional accelerator. Normally 8-10 coats. I'll do a quick sanding to even out the surface and then (if time permits) I will set the blank aside at least overnight, preferably a couple days. After that I'll remount and finish sand/polish/buff.
It is certainly possible to CA finish a pen in one day , but if you look at that pen 2 weeks later , you may well see defects that were not there when it was finished . Cured well enough to allow finish sanding and polishing is not the same as fully cured , which may take a week or more , depending on the CA thickness . Defects are most apt to show where CA thickness varies over the blank , such as a small knot hole that was CA filled . I think a pretty good general rule is , if you can smell CA when sanding , it isn`t fully cured .
I use a heat gun when I don't have accelerator. I made a setup and set my heat gun about 20 inches from the lathe spinning on low for a few minutes, Remember the rise in temp makes the CA dry.(or at least helps)