CA for the Summer

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dgelnett

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Messages
108
Location
Highland Village, TX
I have been using thick CA for my finishes throughout the winter with great success but now that it is warm (hot) I started to notice I was getting streaks in my finish.
So today tried medium thin and that worked great but took a lot more coats.

So am I doing something different and have not realized it or is this normal?

Thanks
 
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Thats a good question. I actualy have equal but opposite problem. I get that artifact when it is extremely cold in my shop. The issue for me is that the CA glue finish is not cured before I start my final sanding and polishing.

Your situation, I cannot say. Do you use an accelerator when doing your finish?
 
What are you using now? I have been mainly using BLO and Medium CA and have wonderful success on some woods and average results on others. Just curious what you changed to.

Mike
 
mdwilliams999 said:
What are you using now? I have been mainly using BLO and Medium CA and have wonderful success on some woods and average results on others. Just curious what you changed to.

Mike
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If it is wood where the BLO enhances the wood then I put BLO on first followed with CA. I was doing several coats of CA without any additional BLO and in the winter it seemed to work. Now with the hot days seems I need to go to a thinner CA then the thick I was using. Or maybe add back in the BLO.
 
dgelnett said:
okiebugg said:
IPD_Mr said:
Humidity will play a role in this as well.
Click to expand...

Use thin CA with BLO and even in the extreme heat we are having, you shoud not have a problem
Click to expand...

I use to use BLO all the time but had stopped because I believed the finish not to be as shinny. Not sure if that is my mind playing tricks on me. Have you notice a difference in the glossy look?
Click to expand...

If you believe it is not as shiny, keep your finger with pressure on the blank a while longer than you normally do, it might come up to your expectations. A small puddle of BLO with just a couple of drops of thin CA is all you need.

I also have a good quality buffing wheel and Jewelers rouge for my Dremel Rotary tool and buff everything after it comes off of the lathe. It might work for you. IMO large buffing wheels or systems are far too expensive and cumbersome when you can do the same thing with the Dremel. I have used all types of buffing systems in the past, and find this to be a good replacement.
 
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I use thin CA exclusively with no problems. I've also experimented between BLO and RawLO before every coat with no apparent differences. My shop temperature varies from high teens to upper nineties. What speed do you apply the CA? I use a Shopsmith set on K.
 
3000rpm

BURLMAN said:
I use thin CA exclusively with no problems. I've also experimented between BLO and RawLO before every coat with no apparent differences. My shop temperature varies from high teens to upper nineties. What speed do you apply the CA? I use a Shopsmith set on K.
Click to expand...

I use BLO and thin CA....speed above 3000 and moderate to hard pressure on the blank itself. One of the mistakes I found myself making when I started using CA, was using a small puddle of BLO and several drops of CA. The CA would spread outside the ring of BLO and my applications would get hot and some of them cloudy.
 
dgelnett said:
I have been using thick CA for my finishes throughout the winter with great success but now that it is warm (hot) I started to notice I was getting streaks in my finish.
So today tried medium thin and that worked great but took a lot more coats.

So am I doing something different and have not realized it or is this normal?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Humidity is likely the issue. Try reading this thread by the finishing master, the late Russ Fairfield:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showpost.php?p=935740&postcount=1

If you newer turners want to learn about CA, finishes or sanding; I recommend reading Russ' posts and/or the info on his website:
http://www.woodturner-russ.com
 
hi
don't you love these CA threads? :):):):)
as many ways to do it as there are people answering.
so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
i use med CA with BLO, slow speed on the lathe,

Sulli
 
discovered this winter i can't use thick in the winter in the shop, just too thick and stringy. even medium was a challenge. thinner and more coats. its worth it. unless you like sanding that is
 
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