Pros and Cons of each finish

[HSTurning]

I have a general idea of the pros and cons of a few finishes. I have not seen or been able to find a thread about the pros and cons of all the finishes that we can use on wood pens. I know some put a finish on the plastics but most don't. Many threads have been started about individual finishes or comparing 2 or 3. I was wondering if people with experience with the different finishes could weigh in on this topic. If you have experience with any of the following finishes or if you use/used something else please let me know what you think of it.
Friction Polish, CA, CA-BLO, Enduro, Wood-Write/PSI gloss or super gloss friction sealer, Plexi-tone, Spray lacquer and any others that I didn't mention.
The reason I ask is to figure out if I want to try something else. (Enduro mainly)
I also think having a single thread would help many people figure out what finish may be best for the shop that have or the effort they may want or not want to put into the finish.
This is what kind of info I am looking to put together.
Friction polish:
Pros: Quick to apply, Inexpensive, No noticeable buildup (can sand to bushing and apply), Non toxic, Finish don't crack, application temp don't matter
Cons: Heat buildup can crack blank, Wears off in a day or 2, Dull look, Leaves wood grain open, wax can build up in deep grain,
CA:
Pros: Quick to apply (once you find a way that works for you), Durable, Seals wood grain, High Gloss finish possible
Cons: Moisture in the air can affect finishing, Toxic (need to use respirator and/or good ventilation), Need to sand below bushings and build up layers, Can Crack, Cold room temp extends the drying time (use accelerator), Takes a good amount of practice to get it down, feels like a plastic pen, CA goes bad if you don't use it within a year
Any input you have about any finish is appreciated.

 

[mranum]

As someone new to this I am very interested to see the responces.

 

[Gary Max]

This really gets into the Ford Chevy type of thing. Most of us have our own way finishing a pen and that is subject to change. There really ain't now rules and one persons pro's may be the next guys con's.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Best advice I can offer. Check out Russ Fairfield's site on this subject matter. You won't go wrong with his "secrets"


http://www.woodturner-russ.com/Pen10.html

 

[HSTurning]

The point of the question in the first place was to get an idea of the different styles of finish. Having only been making pens for 2 years I wanted to get a list of all the finishes that are possible for pens and I has hopping to get an idea of how the finish holds up, the final look (gloss/satin/dull) and how the finish feels.
When putting the thread together I thought I would expand to prod and cons. I took a few hours to write it having to stop and come back a few times. I seem to have lost my way a bit. I was thinking that pulling all the info together would help people like me that have not had a chance to try the different methods or to see finish pens first hand with the different finishes. Possible make and atricle out of it.
Getting a consensus of the benefits and short falls or the finishes that have been tried. New methods are always coming along but whats to say that any of the old methods are not as good or better.

 

[mrcook4570]

The best teacher is experience. I have experimented extensively with most finishes. I can offer my views of each finish, but the next person will disagree. As Gary said, one person's pro is the next person's con.

 

[HSTurning]

I think the point of the thread has been lost. I would like peoples opinions on the finish that you have used. How does the finish feel, how long does it take and how durable is it. All finishes that you have used or handled.

 

[jeffnreno]

For wooden pens I prefer to use behlen's woodturners polish. This provides a nice coating until the pen can reach a nice patina from use. I prefer this to ca because I like the feel of the wood in my pen. I do some ca finish on request but not my prefered method. For acrylics I like to buff on the beal buff system.

 

[snyiper]

Well my limited experience is: Plexi/acetone cant get it to act right takes a long time to dry/cure easy to polish through. CA with and without BLO is hit and miss as I search for a technique that works all the time but it is mostly hit. Wipe on poly does not seem to have the depth of CA seems to take forever to build coats. Dipping seems to leave a uneaven finish may need to work a little harder on this one to get it to work right. I use CA finish now but still play with other finishes.

 

[HSTurning]

I agree that the feel is so much better. Olive and other oily woods I like to just MM to 4000 and leave as is. I dont notice the oil on my hand but some do.

For wooden pens I prefer to use behlen's woodturners polish. This provides a nice coating until the pen can reach a nice patina from use. I prefer this to ca because I like the feel of the wood in my pen. I do some ca finish on request but not my prefered method. For acrylics I like to buff on the beal buff system.

 

[writestuff]

In my expierence!

A wooden pen needs some kind of durable finish to hold down the effects of weathering, IE skin oils, oxidation, etc. I have jet to find a wax that is durable. I have tried wipeon poly, Result is too long application time, Too soft the sheen. This is also true of most of the oil based finishes that I have tried. I have had great sucess with Russ Fairfield's CA application, followed by MM to 12,00, and auto polish buff. ANy of the oills take several days to apply what with curing time. As I have already stated, the wax finishes are just not durable. I have not expierenced any of the problems with CA that I have read about on this forum. I hope this is some help. One final obsevation if you will; The ladies love the high shine on thier baubles.
WS (Bob)

 

[Daniel]

Nice question, And I for one would like to see such questions stay on track.
For the most part I use CA on all woods or at least I have in the past. Recently that has changed in a drastic way when I discovered that CA finishes will fail drastically over time. I am talking fail to the point the pen either needs to be scrapped or completely stripped down and refinished. I notice this for the most part on oily woods such as Cocobolo and suspect it has something to do with the ability of the CA to adhere to the wood in the first place. and this is even with having cleaned the wood with alcohol before applying the CA.
Other finishes I have used are Shellawax and Hut crystal coat. Both are immediate failures on bare wood. I still use Crystal Coat as the final finish on Acrylics. I also use Enduro and although it requires finishing in steps it is near the top of my list as an alternative go to finish other than CA.
I have not used polyurethane or Lacquer on pens but I have used them in other applications. I have more experience with poly and it is my choice for finishing furniture. It is my opinion that furniture is likely to see far more abuse than any pen i make and suspect it woudl work very well. I also want to experiment with Laqcuer on pens. to ignore it is basically ignoring centuries of experience that has gone before us.

I do not agree that this is a decision of Ford and Chevy, but more of car, truck SUV or Motorhome. It is my beliefe that every singel material we use to make a pen has it's own best finish. That these best finishes have not been discovered is a product of a one size fits all and presuit of speed and ease mentality. I do not know of any other area of woodworking that the masters of their craft would consider any such idea. In fact they already know perfectly well that no one size fits all finish exists.
The best finish depends on the desired outcome, is a matter of pesonal opinon, expectations and preferences.
A list of various finishes and the results that shoudl be expected from them would be valuable to this end.
Not only could it list the various finishes. It woudl also need to list the various methods of applying each finish. CA is a very good example of this. Lacquer can be wiped on, dipped or sprayed. I see comments that Poly is dipped frequently but that is not the only method for applying it. different application will yield different results. that is exactly how painters cause paint to look like a picture. it is all in the color and how it is applied to the canvas. what brush, rag, sponge, hand, arm or big stick is used. each will result in a distinct look.
This needs to not be approached from a better or worse mind set, but a selections available mind set. let the end user decide for themselves what is better or worse. some things are only learned by trying them out for yourself, maybe it will cause some to waste material and money. maybe that is what it takes to get the experience as well.

 

[JimB]

Daniel - what is the failure you have experienced with CA?

I have only used 3 finishes. Friction Polish (Mylands) was my first and still use it on some other things but not pens. I actually like the way it looks but know it doesn't last long and have seen some of the pens I finished with this after months of use. I do use it still on some bottle stoppers and bowls.

CA/BLO is my second finish and I do this on about half my pens. I like the way it looks and have finally gotten pretty consistent with the application.

I also use Poly. I like the way it looks and feels. I have even had some pens come out better than with CA. Aromatic Cedar is a good example. I did 2 pens and I thought the one with Poly looked much better than the CA/BLO pen. The down side is Poly takes longer to apply due to cure times but for me that isn't a problem since I am rarely in a rush to finish a pen.

 

[chrisk]

My prefered (by habit maybe?) finishing method is: cellulosic sealer + one to three coats with a stick of pure carnauba wax.

It's the best natural and durable method I experienced so far. Carnauba wax is especially interesting because its melting point is at +/-85°C (+/-185°F). Some years ago, I experienced myself the tarnish of some kits platings while the carnauba's satin finish was still present. After a daily and intensive use, some mechanical pencils I offered to a professional inlayer friend of mine keeped their finish intact but gave up as far as their mechanisms were concerned.

IMHO a real flaw of the sealer/carnauba finish is that it generally requires closed grain woods. Consequently, my favorites were the dalbergias like kingwood, rosewood and cocobolo and some others like olivewood, almond tree...
But after reading a lot of tutorials here (notably Russ Fairfield's) I've enriched my finish method by CA-filling in the beginning of the sanding process. The rest remains unchanged and... quicker. This really enlarged my horizons and so I could renew with some burl blanks that I abandoned some years ago.

As for the CA finish, a serious flaw (this is my opinion) is the high gloss plastic like finish. Anyway, while I personnaly prefer a satin finish, I really want to give CA finish a try, for the pens seen on this forum are oustanding.

 

[fishlux]

One that I don't see listed is no-finish.
No Finish
Pros: will develop patina with use, no application, feels like wood
Cons: will develop patina with use, may stain(ink,etc), not shiny

 

[Texatdurango]

I think the point of the thread has been lost.
I would like peoples opinions on the finish that you have used. How does the finish feel, how long does it take and how durable is it. All finishes that you have used or handled.

That's because most people won't see any "cons" to their favorite finish.

My opinion on finishes I have used....

Friction polish - Pros - none, Cons - cheap look and feel that wears off quickly, I don't make cheap pens so don't want them looking cheap just to save a few minutes time in putting on a decent finish!

Enduro - Pros - none, Cons - for what you get, it takes entirely way too long to apply... then wait... then apply... then wait...

CA - Pros- Well, it' the finish I use 99.9% of the time on wood pens so obviously I see all the pros. I can apply it in any weather in a matter of minutes. Can finish to either a satin or super gloss finish. Durable as proven by pens I use daily for going on three years with no signs of wear. Cons - none!

 

[Texatdurango]

One that I don't see listed is no-finish.
No Finish
Pros: will develop patina with use, no application, feels like wood
Cons: will develop patina with use, may stain(ink,etc), not shiny

Not to put too fine a point on it but the term "patina" in this case is just a fancy way of describing grimy oily finger and handling smudges.

 

[lwalden]

Still, I think I'd prefer to tell my wife she's developed a nice patina over the years.....

Not to put too fine a point on it but the term "patina" in this case is just a fancy way of describing grimy oily finger and handling smudges.

 

[bitshird]

I use CA on most of my pens, there are some woods like IBO that I prefer a softer finish so I give them a coat of BLO let it set and then Clear Delft Lacquer or Minwax Wipe on Poly, It does take longer, but Poly is a pretty durable finish, I've usedc just plain Delft gloss lacquer on some pens, it doesn't leave a plasticky feel to the pen, On Oily wood like Brazilian Ebony, Cocobolo and a few others I've had the finish fog after 5 or six months, I've used Russ Fairfields and William Youngs methods for applying BLO/CA, I needed to do a bunch of pens for demos at craft shows , which were just given away and I used Mylands, they looked OK when they left, and I saw one that had been used about two months, you could see where the finish had begun to wear off.
The only finishes I haven't tried are Urishi,(probably never will) Plexitone, and dipped precat lacquer, I do like the look of wipe on Poly though it looks far more natural, and if your not in a hurry and have a clean drying box, I honestly think it's a durable and good finish.

 

[tweetfaip]

My 2 cents: I use CA on almost all of my wood pens plus on the alumite blanks that I occasionally use. IMHO the CA gives a greater depth to the finish as well as being fast, easy, and consistent. The only exceptions are that I rarely finish Cocobolo since I can get a pretty good shine from the wood itself and that makes it unique. The other exception is that most of the time I don't finish bamboo, because, well because. I don't like wax or friction polish because they wear too quickly and I don't personally like the depth of finish that is apparent.

Works for me...

 

[fishlux]

Not to put too fine a point on it but the term "patina" in this case is just a fancy way of describing grimy oily finger and handling smudges.

Well, yes. But it develops a feel that can't be beat. It feels like wood.

 

[Texatdurango]

Well, yes. But it develops a feel that can't be beat. It feels like wood.

Not wanting to argue but don't clump all ca finishes together as thick mirror like, glassy finishes that look an inch thick.

Last year a member here, William Young, did a youtube video that in my opinion was the best video pertaining to a ca finish that I have ever seen!

If you haven't seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to at least watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc

This isn't just another one of 7,368 methods, this is a PERFECT way of applying ca to a wooden pen if you want the look and feel of the natural wood afterwards.

This is very fast, requires NO sanding and can produce a low sheen finish that will last for years so in my opinion it far exceeds any friction polish, with or without the dull oily grime (patina).

New members owe it to themselves to watch this video!


On Edit: I just watched his video again and forgot to mention that the last step William does is to polish the ca. When I want a satin or natural looking finish, I omit this step and while you have the protection of the ca, you don't have the shine if you don't want it and are going for the natural look. With a few thin coats you still have the feel of the wood.

 

[ossaguy]

For wooden pens I prefer to use behlen's woodturners polish. This provides a nice coating until the pen can reach a nice patina from use. I prefer this to ca because I like the feel of the wood in my pen. I do some ca finish on request but not my prefered method. For acrylics I like to buff on the beal buff system.

I just got a bottle,and the 1st time I used it,I got tiny pieces of paper towel stuck in the finish,when I tried it,applying like a friction polish.

So now I want to try it like it says on the bottle,where you wipe it on,then the next day to buff it out.Do you use a buffing wheel?

Can I ask how you use it? I've had more failures than successes using CA,so I'm trying to find something else that works for me.

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,
Steve
San Diego

 

[PenMan1]

I use CA on everything also. That means wood, acrylic, pr... everything. Then, I usually buff the CA with tripoli, white diamond and then wax with either renwax or TSW.

I find the CA finish easy now that I have found JohnnyCNC's finish eliminator finish bushings. I have to agree with George. I have CA pens that are used daily (which sometimes means rolling around in the floor of the truck) and they still look great.

 

[PenMan1]

I think there is a very nice "cottage industry" out there for someone who is willing figure out how to melt down plexiglass with acetone, stabalize it, package it and ship it (probabally a haz-mat?).

The Plexi finish that I have tried is as nice and seems as durable as CA, and it is much easier to get perfect results every time with plexi. The problem is that it is really time consuming to have to melt the plexi, etc., etc, etc.

The person who figures out how to package and ship plexi, IMHO, will make a big fist full of cash.

 

[Done]

I get really good results on certain woods with Tru oil. It was made for gun stocks. Very durable. Done

 

[Gordon]

Tru-Oil

I get really good results on certain woods with Tru oil. It was made for gun stocks. Very durable. Done

I've also been using Tru-Oil - very satisfied with results.

Have not yet tried the Tru-Oil "Gun Stock Sealer & Filler" before applying the "Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish". Done - have you ?

Gordon

 

[barrysj]

If you haven't seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to at least watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc

This isn't just another one of 7,368 methods, this is a PERFECT way of applying ca to a wooden pen if you want the look and feel of the natural wood afterwards.

This is very fast, requires NO sanding and can produce a low sheen finish that will last for years so in my opinion it far exceeds any friction polish, with or without the dull oily grime (patina).

New members owe it to themselves to watch this video!


On Edit: I just watched his video again and forgot to mention that the last step William does is to polish the ca. When I want a satin or natural looking finish, I omit this step and while you have the protection of the ca, you don't have the shine if you don't want it and are going for the natural look. With a few thin coats you still have the feel of the wood.

George,
Is that the method you use for allumite swirl and wood blanks? I can't get a high enough shine with the CA/BLO method as I can with just 7 coats of CA and MM then buffing.

 

[Texatdurango]

George,
Is that the method you use for allumite swirl and wood blanks? I can't get a high enough shine with the CA/BLO method as I can with just 7 coats of CA and MM then buffing.

No. I apply it this way when I want to protect a solid wood pen where the goal is to leave the look and feel of the wood as close to natural as possible without adding a smooth gloss. I never apply this way when I want a high "deep looking" gloss such as with the "land/water" blanks. I still owe you a reply to your PM and will do so as soon as I can, lots of remodling around the house right now and am only popping in on the forum now and then when I take a break.

 

[jocat54]

I can't seem to get the CA finish down--every time I have tried end up sanding it off. I have used poly but takes too long between coats. I have been using wipe on (brushing) lacquer and really like it. It dries fast so multiple coats goes pretty fast and it buffs to a nice gloss with Nu Finish polish or you can use wax over it to get a satin.

I will keep trying the CA and maybe I will get it right.

John

 

[jeffnreno]

I just got a bottle,and the 1st time I used it,I got tiny pieces of paper towel stuck in the finish,when I tried it,applying like a friction polish.

So now I want to try it like it says on the bottle,where you wipe it on,then the next day to buff it out.Do you use a buffing wheel?

Can I ask how you use it? I've had more failures than successes using CA,so I'm trying to find something else that works for me.

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,
Steve
San Diego

I'm not sure why your getting paper towel stuck in the finish. Maybe the brand of paper towel.
I apply eee with paper towel at around 2500 rpm then with a clean paper towel buff at same speed.
Then I apply behlens with paper towel at 2500 rpm then ramp up to 3500 and buff with clean paper towel.

Hope this helps
Jeff

 

[RussFairfield]

There are 2 universal truths with the finishes -

1- Quick and durable are not mutually inclusive properties. There is no way you can have quick and easy and hard and durable at the same time. Time can be saved by dipping, but there will always be an overnight wait fot the harder finishes to dry.

2- "FEEL" has more to do with gloss than what finish is on the wood. When people see a high gloss, they think plastic. Try it. You can polish a piece of bare wood to a high gloss, and buff back one the is coated with Plexiglass to a matte surface; and people will prefer the plastic because it looks and "feels" like wood.

I have a set of pen barrels that I use for finishing demonstrations. They are all the same species, and they run from bare wood to a Plexiglass coating. I buff all of them the day before. Nobody has yet been able to tell which is the bare wood or which is the plexiglass when they all have the same high gloss, even those who claim they prefer bare wood.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the finishes can be listed by their hardness, and their ease of application follows the same scale. We can argue whether an individual finish or product will be below or or above another on my listing, but those I have tested for hardness generally follow the following order - - - -

0- Bare wood that has been sanded to 12,000 MicroMesh or equivalent
1- Bare wood that has been burnished to case-harden the surface.
2- Carnauba, microcrystalline, montan, or similar hard waxes

There is a gap here because there is a big step between numbers 2 and 3

3- Shellac as a Friction polish
4- Lacquer,
5- Oil varnishes such as Waterlox and all polyurethane oil finishes
6- Waterborne polyurethanes
7- Enduro, separated from the other poly finishes because it is different.
8- CA glue
9- Plexiglass, either solid or as a finish on wood
10- There is nothing available to us that is harder than Plexiglass. That may change.

I have said nothing about appearance, color, or whether there is any accenting of the wood grain and figuring. Those properties may determine which finish we use. Most oil finishes do accent the wood, as does Lacquer. Waterborne finishes do not generally do anythis to accent the wood because they impart no more color than plain water. Enduro is listed seoarately from the other waterborne polys because it does have a coloring similar to an oil finish, it does accent the grain, and it is harder than any of the other waterborne finishes.

It takes all types when we are selling pens. There will always be those who prefer that the pen be finished with their own dirt. Most of them are men. And, there will always be those who prefer the highest and most durable gloss possible; and most of them are women. Since women buy 90% of the pens, and their purses are the worst environment possible, I use the finishes that are the hardest and have the highest gloss, and that means CA glue or Enduro. I use the Enduro as a dipping finish. There is still the long drying time, but the application is easy and quick.

 

[frankhp]

I'd have to agree with George on the Ca finish. I have also had beautiful results with sprayed lacquer but it is a time killer. When I first started turning pens and was looking for a finish I admit to trying some of the friction polishes. They look great till you take them off the lathe and start using them. They are probably meant for trophy pens that stay in a display.

 

[PaulDoug]

Not wanting to argue but don't clump all ca finishes together as thick mirror like, glassy finishes that look an inch thick.

Last year a member here, William Young, did a youtube video that in my opinion was the best video pertaining to a ca finish that I have ever seen!

If you haven't seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to at least watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc

This isn't just another one of 7,368 methods, this is a PERFECT way of applying ca to a wooden pen if you want the look and feel of the natural wood afterwards.

This is very fast, requires NO sanding and can produce a low sheen finish that will last for years so in my opinion it far exceeds any friction polish, with or without the dull oily grime (patina).

New members owe it to themselves to watch this video!


On Edit: I just watched his video again and forgot to mention that the last step William does is to polish the ca. When I want a satin or natural looking finish, I omit this step and while you have the protection of the ca, you don't have the shine if you don't want it and are going for the natural look. With a few thin coats you still have the feel of the wood.

I watched, I tried, I love it. Got a real nice finish, very easy. Thanks for posting.

 

[HSTurning]

When I started the thread I was looking for pros and cons because I like to mix things up. I get bored with doing the samething all the time. Having only been making pens for 2 years as of this month all I have done is the fiction finished they show you at demo's in store and the CA I learned at the local chapter. I like the idea of learning other finishes, other things we can turn, other materials we can turn. Make life a little more interesting. The reason for the pros and cons question was to give me and others an idea about the finishes. I know myself and a many others didnt know that CA has the side effects that it does and you really should use a respirator and good venting. With so many people developing an allergy to CA and so many threads with the word finish in them it is very hard look for other styles of finishing. Some people can no longer use CA and need to know other options. This was never ment to be a "This finish is better then that finish" thread. Just want to know the options for finishes that other people are using.
Cons:
If a finish needs to have an open area or extremly vented room along the lines of PR.
If the finish needs a clean area to cure for 1-2 weeks before the next coat is put on.
If the finish chippy.
If the finish is soft and will have lines left on it is you have it in a case with elastic bands.
Pros:
If the finish is ready for use when it comes off the lathe.
If the finish will feel warmer.
If the finish will have a high gloss finish.
If the finish will have a matte finish.
If the finish can have many levels of gloss/matte depending on the time put in.

Its the kind of questions I have asked when trying out something as a hobby. I spent a few years learning about tattooes and body piercing, home aquariums, reptiles, and a few other. I went to school wood working. I just have the interst in learning and trying stuff out. This is also how I have accumulated what I call a wealth of useless knowlege.
Thank you all that have added usefull info to this thread. I hope more people will add to this.

 

[Jordan303]

For any wood I use a ca/blo finish.

My method is after sanding to 600 I clean with acetone, apply blo, then do about 4-6 coats of ca/blo as described in the video but with a twist. I use med ca, after I put a drop of blo and ca on the paper towel I do 2-3 quick sweeps across the blank with the drops of the mixture pressing firm to get an even spread. Then I give it a couple spritz of accelerator and try to bake on the finish. Then I keep rubbing across the blank untill it gets warm. Then do it again several more times. I have always got great results so see no reason to switch it up.

I do not buff, mm, or wet sand anything.

This finish seams very strong and is basically plastic. I can take my nail and try to dig it into the pen with no scratch.

As for acrylic I start at 400grit and work my way up to 12000. I only use 7 grits tho. I wet sand with 400grit sand paper. Then use the 6 colored pads and wet sand with those. The colors are yellow, green, orange, purple, black, and lastly blue. By then I have a nice glass like finish on my pens.

I don't apply anything to acrylic pens. The way I see it why would I put ca on plastic. Ca will dry as platic so i'm sealing plastic with plastic. Dosen't make sence to me.

So how strong is my acrylic finish...well just as strong as the material I turn.

This is my method for both and have had great results.

 

[Bezdomni]

I am enjoying this thread. I have most of the same problems that have been described here. Most of my finishes - mainly friction polish (usually HUT) and a Beale buff, sometimes CA - have been entirely acceptable but I often think "I wonder how this could be better."

A couple of years ago I bought the three-can finishing system "Turner's Magic", from WoodWrite, Ltd. I put them aside and never even opened them until this week, when I decided to re-finish some stoppers that I've always been unhappy with.

I am very happy with Turner's Magic. It is a little expensive, yes, but it's very easy to apply and the results are superb. I am a big fan of the Beale system and I buff just about everything. I anticipate using Turner's Magic and Beale on most of my turnings for quite a while.

All the usual disclaimers, of course.

Chuck

 

[prparry]

I have found that a (shellac) French polish gives a fantastic high gloss and very durable finish. It has worked on wooden furniture for hundreds of years so figured it must be ok on my pens. Once the pen is sealed then I put on at least 4 coats using a linen pad, with a 12000 grit sanding in between.

Only real con is that you MUST leave to dry for at least 4hours between coats.

Please excuse my ignorance but after reading the past posts what is CA?

 

[Bezdomni]

CA is cyanoacrylate glue, often called superglue.

 

[emccarthy]

Earlier in the thread, someone posted they were having to sand off their CA finish and re-apply because it wasn't coming out right. My thoughts on this(due to my first experience atttempting the CA/BLO finish) is instead of starting over, use 400 or 600 grit paper and dry sand to smooth the finish. Once any bumps are removed, sand parallel to the lathe bed to remove radial scratches, then wet sand with MM 1500 to 12000 grit. Not only will you get a nice shine, but it saves material with the CA, time in applying it, and exposure to the fumes.