NEw to finishing

[rhansen309]

Hi all,
I am new to pen turning and I have made two so far. I put on three coast of CA and one coat of a liquid wax that came with a starter kit I got. I am putting the CA on with a folded paper towel and the wax with an old white T-shirt. My question is what should I be using to apply the finishes and how many coats should I be putting on. I understand there are many different views on this I am asking just in general for a beginner. Thanks for any information.

 

[leehljp]

You will get dozens of different recommendations on this. My advice is for those new to this to get some plain pine blanks and turn them to practice for a day getting the shape and semi-master the finish. 3 coats applied with CA will not do in the long run. A full 90% of the CA will soak into the paper towel and not get on the pen. Yes, some will get on the pen. If you were more experienced in pen turning you would be having a set of calipers. With the calipers, you would find that 3 coats of CA from paper towel would be adding approximately .001 0r .002 thickness of CA. Not enough.

When new at this, it would take about 10 to 15 coats of CA with paper towel (PT) to appreciatively build up a protective layer and make it beautifully smooth. For now, use PT but think about using medium to build up some thickness. Later you might think of using an applicator that does not soak up 90% of the CA.

Wax will fool you early on. If you put 3 light coats on the pen and then add wax, it will look shiny. However more times than not, there will be a follow up question two weeks later - "Why is there a dull spot on my pen now?" 2 reasons - too thin of a build up of CA and the wax wears off.

 

[rhansen309]

You will get dozens of different recommendations on this. My advice is for those new to this to get some plain pine blanks and turn them to practice for a day getting the shape and semi-master the finish. 3 coats applied with CA will not do in the long run. A full 90% of the CA will soak into the paper towel and not get on the pen. Yes, some will get on the pen. If you were more experienced in pen turning you would be having a set of calipers. With the calipers, you would find that 3 coats of CA from paper towel would be adding approximately .001 0r .002 thickness of CA. Not enough.

When new at this, it would take about 10 to 15 coats of CA with paper towel (PT) to appreciatively build up a protective layer and make it beautifully smooth. For now, use PT but think about using medium to build up some thickness. Later you might think of using an applicator that does not soak up 90% of the CA.

Wax will fool you early on. If you put 3 light coats on the pen and then add wax, it will look shiny. However more times than not, there will be a follow up question two weeks later - "Why is there a dull spot on my pen now?" 2 reasons - too thin of a build up of CA and the wax wears off.

Thanks for the information. I guess it is time to practice!!

 

[Pens By Scott]

Another source of information for you, YouTube... I'm proudly a YouTube trained turner... aside from a few classes in grade 7 Shop, i've learned by watching the videos on YouTube, then practice, practice, practice... but, the demos on Youtube don't always tell you everything... great place to start, then read the forums here, ask questions and experiment...

Once you have your own finish, guard your little secrets... but pass not the base knowledge to future turners...

I've experimented with the three viscosities of GA glue... Hank is right, PT will soak up much of your CA... many coats are good, if you over coat, it's not too bad.. oh, and depending on the PT you use, be very careful, i've had a few types start to smoke after use... and they were very hot... dispose of them carefully... oh, and use a mask... CA sensitivity is a common problem... there are odourless varieties of CA Glue you can find... it may help

 

[jttheclockman]

I agree with the Utube suggestion. There are so many videos today that show various methods but there is always some similarities in them so pick what you think will work and yes practice and you can adjust as you go. Nothing is written in stone and who knows you may come up with a method you would like to share with us all. We all are always looking for that perfect finishing product and technique. Good luck and happy turning.

 

[rhansen309]

Another source of information for you, YouTube... I'm proudly a YouTube trained turner... aside from a few classes in grade 7 Shop, i've learned by watching the videos on YouTube, then practice, practice, practice... but, the demos on Youtube don't always tell you everything... great place to start, then read the forums here, ask questions and experiment...

Once you have your own finish, guard your little secrets... but pass not the base knowledge to future turners...

I've experimented with the three viscosities of GA glue... Hank is right, PT will soak up much of your CA... many coats are good, if you over coat, it's not too bad.. oh, and depending on the PT you use, be very careful, i've had a few types start to smoke after use... and they were very hot... dispose of them carefully... oh, and use a mask... CA sensitivity is a common problem... there are odourless varieties of CA Glue you can find... it may help

Thank you very much for the information.

 

[rhansen309]

I agree with the Utube suggestion. There are so many videos today that show various methods but there is always some similarities in them so pick what you think will work and yes practice and you can adjust as you go. Nothing is written in stone and who knows you may come up with a method you would like to share with us all. We all are always looking for that perfect finishing product and technique. Good luck and happy turning.

Thank you for the information.