Got surprised yesterday

[MobilMan]

About 5 yrs. ago when I got into pens, I made my M.I.L. a set out of Tulipwood--pen, pencil, letter opener, key chain. It's always carried in her purse. Some reason it quit writing. "Let me take it & I'll get a new refill in it for you" But in back of my mind I'm thinking about sanding it down & doing a CA finish on it for her. Really shine it up. In those days I was either using Crystal Coat or Mylands and 2 coats of Ren.Wax. To my surprise that buggar is still as shiny as the day I gave it to her. Don't believe I'll CA the thing. Just some more Ren Wax & a buff. I know she uses that pen a lot but didn't think that wax would hold that long. Come to think about it, this will be the second refill for it.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Buffing and friction finishes are vastly underrated and often get a bad rap in regards to longevity. While I do CA finishes, I have no problems with the former and it DOES hold up well. Glad you made this posting based on your actual observation.

 

[Smitty37]

Plus....

Yes and I think you can add to that the reputation of finishes wearing off the plated parts too. None of the first pens I made that I've seen lately are showing the first sign of wear and they were all 24kt Gold.

 

[GaryMGg]

Each of us is different and affect what we hold differently.
The oils from my hands will eat thru many finishes and platings.
Maybe it's the bits of food which accompany my use of Tabasco and hot sauces. :tongue:
It takes me longer to break down a CA finish than a highly buffed, waxed one.
Doesn't take forever -- just longer.

 

[Fred]

Gary ... Do mosquitoes bite you, fly off, and then explode? (Ever see the Tabasco commercial?)

 

[DurocShark]

I have pens I've only used for a couple weeks show plating loss.

The oak pen I made for my herringbone instructions on my blog was adopted by my wife. The plating is fine, but the shellac finish is long gone.

Sigh.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Each of us is different and affect what we hold differently.
The oils from my hands will eat thru many finishes and platings.
Maybe it's the bits of food which accompany my use of Tabasco and hot sauces. :tongue:
It takes me longer to break down a CA finish than a highly buffed, waxed one.
Doesn't take forever -- just longer.

Gary, We use Tabasco to polish brass when I was in the navy... worked as well as or maybe better than Brasso...