CA turning white

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tobor57

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Dec 13, 2018
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Minnisotta
I need some advice. I do not use accelerator on my CA but on some blanks I can be on 3 or 4th coat and start getting white in the finish. I use craft foam and a new piece each coat. Not every blank does this but when it does I have to sand back to bare wood.
What am I doing wrong?
 
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leehljp

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Feb 6, 2005
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That happened to me many times and the consistent factor for me was a combination of temperature and humidity. Anytime I let my show get below 60°, I started getting that. Higher humidity will cause it to happen more.

Warm the room, make sure the blanks and the CA are 70° or higher.

Another factor or maybe the main factor: when the CA begins to cure and get warm, moisture in the colder wood will be drawn outward to the CA and it clouds under the CA. I have had mine cloud in the CA and on the outside. BUT when I warm everything to 70° and above, no problems.

This is my experience and I am not sure if I described everything scientifically accurately but it has been directly related to cooler and colder temps for me.
 

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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NJ, USA.
Welcome to the site and your very first post is a problem that happens more than you think. As Hank said moisture is mainly the cause. But for humoring us tell us the CA you are using and what thickness are you using?? Is the area you are finishing in a damp location or cold location? How many coats did you put on before this is happening?? What is the time frame between coats?? What wood is this?? We need some more info to help better.
 

tobor57

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Dec 13, 2018
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Minnisotta
I use Titebond thin, and typically go to 6 coats. When I do have this issue it is around coat 3. But I think my issue is temperature. I live in Minnesota and one bay of garage is my shop. I heat it but have only set to 58/60 when I plan to work. Will try hair dryer and/or crank up the heat.
 

leehljp

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I use Titebond thin, and typically go to 6 coats. When I do have this issue it is around coat 3. But I think my issue is temperature. I live in Minnesota and one bay of garage is my shop. I heat it but have only set to 58/60 when I plan to work. Will try hair dryer and/or crank up the heat.

Some people have been successful at making a 2 - 4 cubic ft box (wood) or maybe larger and putting a 20 watt bulb in it, storing CA and few blanks so that they are at about in the 80° range. It helps that the CA and wood are warm from the inside out. BTW, temp difference draw moister towards it like a cold glass of water draws condensation in the summer.

I use a hair dryer at times too. Very handy.
 

TonyL

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Mar 9, 2014
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Georgia
I just had this happen last week and it was sometime before that. I think my CA and accelerator were too cold. That is the only variable that I can think of with represent to my environment. (My shop was 60 degrees). I am heating my shop now and I brought my CA in my office. I am about to try it again. This may not be the issue.
 

jcm71

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May 5, 2011
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Chattanooga, TN
Not being a chemist, I do not wish to discount the "moisture is the culprit" opinions put forth above by Hank and John. They are far more experienced, knowledgeable, and no doubt skilled than I. That being said I have CA finished a number of pens in damp and cool conditions, with no adverse affects. Today is a case in point. It has been raining steadily here in Chattanooga for about 7 hours, the temp is 54 degrees and the relative humidity is 87%. I just completed a Perfect Fit Turned with stabilized Box Elder Burl, and finished with EZ Bond CA. I do not use accelerator, and once the CA has cured, I wet MM through 12000. My shop is not environmentally controlled.

For the OP.. how old is your CA, and how much do you have on hand for ready use? I store mine in the fridge, and have less than an ounce of medium and thin at my lathe for use when finishing. Two other possible causes are a damp blank and/or the ends of the blank not sealed with thin CA prior to turning.

John
 

leehljp

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. . . Two other possible causes are a damp blank and/or the ends of the blank not sealed with thin CA prior to turning.

John

John,
- humidity, green blank, damp blank, humidity moisture equalizing in the wood from the ends - is part of what I refer to as "moisture". Your observation - stabilized wood not causing a problem is similar to the ends being sealed with CA. Stabilized wood has very little space for moisture to reside. It has always been part of my "thoughts" that most cloudiness comes from the underside of the CA - out of the wood. However, I do have pictures of cloudiness on the outside. And some people get cloudiness from the use of accelerators.

Yes, old does that too. Trying to pin down what causes "Cloudiness" is like hitting a moving target. Sometimes you hit it and sometimes you don't, because there are so many variables.
 

ramaroodle

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Feb 15, 2018
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Seattle
One of the suggestions that popped up last time there was a thread like this someone mentioned not wiping the blank down with anything wet i.e. denatured alcohol. For me, that cleared up my fogging problems regardless of the CA temperature.
 
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bsshog40

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Oct 2, 2018
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Omaha, Tx
I always wipe my blanks with dna, let spin for a couple minutes and no problems. I have had the same issues you are and realized that the coat underneath the one that started ghosting was not curing fast enough. As others mentioned, temperatures and humidity could be the issue. I wind up spraying with accelerator after my first 3 coats, micro sand and then finish coating. Never happens again after the spray and sand. I can put an additional 6 coats and they also cure faster for some reason. ???
 

ramaroodle

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Feb 15, 2018
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I always wipe my blanks with dna, let spin for a couple minutes and no problems. I have had the same issues you are and realized that the coat underneath the one that started ghosting was not curing fast enough. As others mentioned, temperatures and humidity could be the issue. I wind up spraying with accelerator after my first 3 coats, micro sand and then finish coating. Never happens again after the spray and sand. I can put an additional 6 coats and they also cure faster for some reason. ???

Yes. I bet the "let it spin for a couple of minutes" is the thing. If I'm a little skeptical (usually with softer wood that I think absorbs more moisture) I might even put a heat gun on it while it spins or stick it in the toaster oven I use for stabilizing. I was out of propane for the heater the other day so the shop (and blanks and CA) were very cold. I did 10 blanks without wet wiping them with anything and had no issues. All is well until it fogs up on a hot day after only dry wiping them. :)

On another note, I have now tried Glu-Boost, Stickfast, Mercury Flex and Locktite for CA and used paper towels and craft foam. I have found slight differences in the best technique for applying them but when applied properly I can't really discern any real difference in the finish after they are polished.
 
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