dachshund1
Member
After having initial success producing a smooth, professional CA finish on my pens, I've been recently plagued with issues of "waviness" - sometimes ever so slightly discernible to the touch, but often not. As a result, simple projects that used to take 45 minutes have become marathon sessions in futility. :frown:
There's nothing special or proprietary to my technique: I apply the finish at slow speed (~600 rpm) on a pen mandrel between Stick Fast Non-Stick synthetic bushings. I use only thin CA, applied sparingly using craft foam, with a short spritz of aerosol accelerator from approximately 12" away. I wet sand with MicroMesh and finish with PlastiX. This part of my process has not varied - which is why I'm baffled.
I realize there's a boatload of potential factors, but I'd like to think most of those environmental or technique-related are relatively controlled. Moreover, I've tried sanding lightly every 2-3 coats (I generally put on 8-10) - which seems to help - but nothing completely corrects the problem. For whatever reason, I suspect the problem lies in the application of the CA - not the finish sanding.
Then it struck me: While I've been using the Stick-Fast bushings throughout, I had to replace the first set due to CA buildup from extended use (even with a coat of paste wax, they're not entirely non-stick). :wink:
So, wanting to keep this new set a bit longer, I peel off what CA I can after each use - and promptly plop them into a shallow cup of acetone. Then, prior to use, I take them out and thoroughly wipe of the thin layer of CA (evidently, acetone does not really dissolve CA; it merely makes it pliable).
Hence, my hypothesis: It is possible that some residual acetone (or the resulting fumes) on the synthetic bushings could be having this rippling effect on the CA finish? Or, conversely, the acetone that I wipe on the sanded blank prior to finishing? I know it dries immediately; does it also completely evaporate - or is a residue left behind?
When it works, there's nothing (IMHO) classier than a deep CA finish. However, the lack of consistent results about has me ready to look for another option.
Any thoughts? Recommendations? Alternatives? Anyone have other experiences - similar or different?
There's nothing special or proprietary to my technique: I apply the finish at slow speed (~600 rpm) on a pen mandrel between Stick Fast Non-Stick synthetic bushings. I use only thin CA, applied sparingly using craft foam, with a short spritz of aerosol accelerator from approximately 12" away. I wet sand with MicroMesh and finish with PlastiX. This part of my process has not varied - which is why I'm baffled.
I realize there's a boatload of potential factors, but I'd like to think most of those environmental or technique-related are relatively controlled. Moreover, I've tried sanding lightly every 2-3 coats (I generally put on 8-10) - which seems to help - but nothing completely corrects the problem. For whatever reason, I suspect the problem lies in the application of the CA - not the finish sanding.
Then it struck me: While I've been using the Stick-Fast bushings throughout, I had to replace the first set due to CA buildup from extended use (even with a coat of paste wax, they're not entirely non-stick). :wink:
So, wanting to keep this new set a bit longer, I peel off what CA I can after each use - and promptly plop them into a shallow cup of acetone. Then, prior to use, I take them out and thoroughly wipe of the thin layer of CA (evidently, acetone does not really dissolve CA; it merely makes it pliable).
Hence, my hypothesis: It is possible that some residual acetone (or the resulting fumes) on the synthetic bushings could be having this rippling effect on the CA finish? Or, conversely, the acetone that I wipe on the sanded blank prior to finishing? I know it dries immediately; does it also completely evaporate - or is a residue left behind?
When it works, there's nothing (IMHO) classier than a deep CA finish. However, the lack of consistent results about has me ready to look for another option.
Any thoughts? Recommendations? Alternatives? Anyone have other experiences - similar or different?