Buffing, still on the learning curve

[Chasper]

I have a new 3 on buffing system; tripoli, white diamond, carnuba. It works great for bottle stoppers, I had been having trouble getting the end grain looking as good as the cross grain. I buffed out a near black resin pen last night and every scratch is gone, that was always a problem with just micro mesh.

But I'm not sure how to use the buffer on wood pens with CA finishes. Once the CA is on, any scratches are under the CA, can't buff those out. I could apply polish and wax on the buffer instead of MMing, but it seems like I should sand to about 400, buff with tripoli, buff with white diamond, apply CA, buff with tripoli again, buff with white diamond again, then wax with carnuba.

I need a little direction here. Also, on the bottle stoppers I finished one by rubbing on Danish oil, then buffing and waxing. No CA. It looks great with a nice deep finish. I wouldn't finish a pen like that, but is it good enough for a stopper?

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

I have been unsucessful in buffing CA or enduro finished wood pens. The tripoli is too course and strips the finish off.

I love my Beall buffing system for acrylics!

 

[marcruby]

I have been taught that, if you finish to too high a grit most finishes have trouble penetrating. Now that was for cabinetry, NOT penmaking. And CA would never have been the finish of choice. Usially I can build a high enough CA finish to withstand a short buff.

I do have a pen made from a piece of Brazilian Rosewood that withstood every effort to get a CA build on it. I finally gave in and settled for a nice satin finish.

 

[BigShed]

I wet sand to 2000 grit, then polish the CA with White Diamond only. I think the secret is to have plenty of CA on there and get rid of all the scratches in the wood before applying your first coat of CA. I stop after each grade and sand along the length of the pen blank to get rid of any radial scratches.

 

[rherrell]

Originally posted by BigShed

I wet sand to 2000 grit, then polish the CA with White Diamond only. I think the secret is to have plenty of CA on there and get rid of all the scratches in the wood before applying your first coat of CA. I stop after each grade and sand along the length of the pen blank to get rid of any radial scratches.

I agree with all of the above EXCEPT I sand my CA (medium) finish with 600 wet/dry (used dry) and go right to the buffing. I only use the tripoli and WD wheels. Carnuba is good for bare wood but you don't need it over CA.

 

[leehljp]

I go to at least 600, but usually 800 or a 1000 grit sand paper on pens, even on oily woods and do not have a problem with CA sticking. It certainly gets the scratches out before CA applications.

I am going to try buffing soon just to see where it leads, but for the most part, good finishing can be done without buffing with the right techniques and experience.

http://www.penturners.org/oldalbums/leehljp/ZW RW Duck Calls.jpg

http://www.penturners.org/oldalbums/leehljp/5 Duck Calls.jpg

 

[DCBluesman]

Originally posted by marcruby

I have been taught that, if you finish to too high a grit most finishes have trouble penetrating. Now that was for cabinetry, NOT penmaking.

This is one of those "old wives tales." I have turned hundreds of different species of wood, used scores of finishes and never had a surface too smooth to hold a finish product.

I typically run my barrels through the complete set of Micro-mesh before ever starting my finish and have never seen a finish fail. I think the furniture and cabinet makers just like the built-in excuse for stopping sanding at 400 grit. Of course, you rarely see someone get out a magnifying glass to examine the fit and finish on a coffee table or a kitchen cabinet. [8D]

In terms of buffing, I often will run a finished set of barrels through tripoli (lightly) and white diamond. This is one of those areas where it takes loads of practice to get just the right feel for the process.

 

[bradh]

-trim--
But I'm not sure how to use the buffer on wood pens with CA finishes. Once the CA is on, any scratches are under the CA, can't buff those out. I could apply polish and wax on the buffer instead of MMing, but it seems like I should sand to about 400, buff with tripoli, buff with white diamond, apply CA, buff with tripoli again, buff with white diamond again, then wax with carnuba.

I need a little direction here. Also, on the bottle stoppers I finished one by rubbing on Danish oil, then buffing and waxing. No CA. It looks great with a nice deep finish. I wouldn't finish a pen like that, but is it good enough for a stopper?

The white diamond and tripoli are too coarse for a gloss CA finish.
I let my CA finish dry a few hours, the sand with mm from 6,000 to 12,000. this give a good gloss. Next I buff with a very very fine automotive paint polishing compound. This brings out the deep gloss.
Next I apply Ren wax and buff the ren wax with a clean wheel on the buffer. The Ren wax keeps fingerprints from showing.
If there are scrathes under the CA, you are not sanding properly before applying CA. Be sure you stop the lathe and sand along the grain with all grits upto 400. Always keep the sandpaper moving.

 

[bradh]

I had to check the product. I use Mcguires mirror glase polish on the buffing wheel. It is a very fine polishing compound, much finer than white diamond.