plastic bag applicators

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Bope

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Joined
Oct 24, 2018
Messages
183
Location
Western NY
A question to you that use the little plastic bags for applying your CA. How do keep dried CA from pealing off and onto your pen? I liked the method mostly because you don't have the stink of the CA flashing that was in the paper towel. The problem was after a coat or two the little bit of CA on the plastic bag would polymerize and would peal off the plastic and onto the pen on your next coat.
 
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greenacres2

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Joined
May 2, 2017
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1,686
Location
Northwest IN
For me, one coat on side A, rotate bag in finger while drying. One coat on side B of bag. Throw bag away, put on new bag & repeat. Using Glu-Boost, 2 medium plus 3 thin coats and I use only 3 bags, or about one kit's worth.
earl
 

Mike8850

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Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
631
Location
Freeland, Michigan, USA.
Years ago I tried plastic bags and found it difficult to get a consistent finish.
I switched to craft foam and have been getting very good results.
I cut the foam in 1/2" strips and after I apply one coat I snip the used end off and have a fresh surface for the next coat.
Hope this helps.
Mike
 

egnald

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Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
3,061
Location
Columbus, Nebraska, USA
I tried several methods before coming up with a regimen that works for me, meets my expectations as far as efficiency goes, and is consistent. I'm not advocating, just detailing what my experience has been through the years - listed in the order I used them.

Blue Painters Tape wrapped on finger - This worked sort-of, but I didn't like the adhesive of the blue tape on my finger. It was sometimes cumbersome to both apply and to remove and I couldn't get it applied to my finger consistently. I frequently had thick spots or lumps in the CA finish that I had to sand down before going to MicroMesh. This inevitably lead to occasional sand-through.

Plastic Bags - I didn't like these. They performed about the same as the blue tape, but I had to use my thumb to hold onto the bag to keep it from moving about when I was applying the CA. I still struggled with thick areas and ridges that needed to be sanded flat, occasionally resulting in sand-through.

Closed Cell Craft Foam - I had better luck with the closed cell craft foam as far as holding onto it when applying the CA; however, I still wound up with ridges that needed to be sanded flat and occasional sand-through. (I have found several other good uses for craft foam though since having it around).

Viva Vantage Paper Towels - These were a little bit plastic-y and were tough and relatively lint free. I folded strips into little applicator pads about 1-inch square. They absorbed a lot of the CA, so my CA usage went up as more CA went in the trash on each applicator than went on the pen. Sometimes the CA absorbed all the way through and glued the pad to my finger. Some turners use Blue Painters Tape under their pads as a protective layer, but then there is the adhesive to deal with again. Others use fingers cut from Latex or Nitrile gloves which is OK, but a little wasteful. This is where I started using Finger Cots - Nitrile gloves made for a single finger. The CA went on in much thinner layers than with the previous methods I used and I added a few more applications before I achieved what I thought acceptable (4 applications of Thin followed by 12 applications of Medium). The layers were thin but even which allowed me to skip the sanding for flattening and to go directly to MicroMesh. This was a nice time saver and No More Sand-Through!

Viva Signature Cloth Towels - unfortunately, a few years ago, Viva discontinued their Vantage model of paper towels. Since then I have been using the Viva Signature Cloth towels instead. They are less plastic-y, are a little less lint-free, and they absorb more CA than the Vantage did, however they still apply nice thin, even layers with no bumps or ridges that have to be sanded flat. This is my current regimen.

The best advice I can offer is to find materials and procedures that work for you and are consistent and then hope that the materials don't get discontinued.

Regards,
Dave
 

Robert0s

Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2021
Messages
5
Location
UK
I noticed your question about using plastic bags for applying CA from a year ago. While it's an innovative technique to avoid the CA fumes from paper towels, I understand the issue of dried CA peeling off onto your pen. One suggestion is to fold the plastic bag over after each coat, ensuring that the CA-covered area is on the inside. This should prevent any contact with your pen during the next coat and avoid polymerization problems. If you need a fresh supply of plastic bags for your CA application, you might want to check out custom t-shirt bags from https://www.interplas.com/t-shirt-bags/custom-t-shirt-bags. They can be a convenient addition to your workshop.
 

jrista

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Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
2,222
Location
Colorado
As a general rule, I think its best to avoid applying CA with any used applicator. With CA, applicator should be a onece-and-done sort of thing. With the foam applicator I use (which I bond to a sheet of wax paper, then slice off little thin strips), I will wipe off the applicator each time, then after a couple of applications I trim. Eventually I'll use up a strip, and get another.

When I first started applying with this approach, I was reusing the applicator over and over, and yes, the CA eventually dried on the applicator, and was promptly ripped off and right into my finish. I had to sand back a few before I realized what was going on. Since then, I make sure no glue stays on the applicator after each coat, then trim the used bit off after a couple/three coats. My applicator strips are about 3-4 inches long, and they will usually last a few pens before I trim down the entire length.
 
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