Thanks everyone for the feedback.
I guess I need to stop using the BLO that i have. . . . Guess if I want to use it to bring our the grains, I need to find me a new (small) bottle, apply and let dry for a few days before finishing.
I use BLO sparingly - to pop the grain on a few woods but not all. If the wood has a beautiful grain pattern that is barely discernible, I put a little on a sample piece to see if it brings out the grain. On many woods, this is not necessary. So the wood itself determines if I am going to "try using" BLO or other oil.
Thanks for the info on Purpleheart. Next one i do, I will turn to shape then leave out in the open for a week before finishing. Well see if that gives me the result I am looking for.
When I do use BLO to bring out the grain, I use some paper towel and "burn" the BLO in by turning the blank while squeezing the PT on it for about 30 seconds to a minute, and then let it cool down. The heat from this will help cure it quickly.
And thanks for all the ideas on how to apply CA.
After a year of frustration on trying to get consistent finishes, I determined that I was going to learn how to apply a CA finish consistently and here is what I did: I made the "finish" my target for the week, not a finished pen. I took some plain blanks and practiced, practiced, practiced. I was NOT interested in a few finished pens in the process, but learning what I could about CA, wood, sanding, techniques, and my own reactions to certain circumstances.
When a "finished pen" is the target, each step is "pushed" to the next. "Learning" is not the point, but a "finished pen" IS. This is also why we get frustrated over several finished pens and then two or three that are not.
Since "Finish" is usually the most frustrating, that stage should dictate that we spend more time there learning the intricacies of it.
External factors determine the results as much as technique with CA! Dry weather and dry climates affect CA finishes differently than humid. Temperature changes affect finishes, and then temp and humidity variables affect it also. Throw in wood chemistry (oils/mositure) affect it also. These are very very minor differences but require a change and adaption of the finishing process.
Practice helps identify the differences and helps one make adjustments. AND it also teaches that on occasion, frustration still happens no matter what. It is somewhat like a golf swing - the harder you try the more mistakes you will make! :wink:
BLO is a mild accelerant and is helpful (for me) when temps drop below 60°F. High humidity (as in the Southeast, USA) speed up the process, unless it is cold. Higher temps (85°+) do also. Some paper towels affect the curing more than others. Spray accelerants are fairly consistent but even then, the temp and thickness of the CA determines how effective it will be. Medium and thick CA will cure fairly quick at temps of around 80°+, while at 60°, the med and thick CA will be hard on the surface but not underneath.
All of this is learnable with practice and VERY helpful as a skill set - and will vary with geographic location, and also somewhat from person to person.
I spent most of my early learning in Japan and am adjusting to these processes in the southeast of the US now.
