CA adhesion problems

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
AuroraWoodworks

AuroraWoodworks

Member
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
8
My son has been finishing pens with ten coats of thin CA, wiping it down with accelerator between coats. He typically wipes the blanks down with acetone to remove oil that may be in the wood. The last few pens he has made have had the finish blister. The strange thing is the blister doesn't show up until after all of the polishing is complete. I'm wondering if he is sanding the wood too high of a grit and the glue doesn't penetrate the wood. All suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Tony
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Try not using accelerator on the thin stuff. Just cive it 45 seconds to a minute between coats. I NEVER use accellerator on thin unless there's a job specific reason. If you have MicroMesh or a wet polishing system, make sure to stay on top of wettign the pads.
 
Ummm, it's a dull milky white patch the same color as the surrounding area. I could make either one fit the problem. I think the finish is not sticking in those areas, causing it to look different. I kinda wonder if water is getting in during the polishing process. I guess I don't know what to look for.
 
If it is a dull spot that is the same color as the surrounding area, then he is sanding through the CA down to bare wood. Polishing exposes this because the CA becomes glossy, but the bare area remains dull.

If it is a white patch that hides the color of the wood underneath, then the CA is lifting at that spot. This can be caused by applying CA to wood that still has a rather high moisture content.

Edit: If it is the second case, then the white patch would be glossy, because the CA would still be polished.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for clarifying. No, it's not the dull spot. The spot takes a polish like the rest of the pen, but it's cloudy "underneath".

I've been storing all of my blanks in ziplock bags to keep them from cracking. Should I not do that??? What do you do with a waxed pen blank?
 
Ditto Mr Cook.
No accelerator needed for thin CA.
It could be that the accelerator or acetone is wetting the wood, but if you are giving it enough drying time, then it is mositure that was still in the wood when it was turned. Showing up after completing the polishing makes me think the wood was not dry enough, sometimes the milky spots will show up weeks later if the wood is not dry.

Zip lock bags will keep the moisture in, don't use them. Scrape off the wax and let the blank come to ambient moisture for a month or two.
 
AuroraWoodworks said:
Thanks for clarifying. No, it's not the dull spot. The spot takes a polish like the rest of the pen, but it's cloudy "underneath".

I've been storing all of my blanks in ziplock bags to keep them from cracking. Should I not do that??? What do you do with a waxed pen blank?
Click to expand...

Applying accelerator too fast makes cloudy spots. All my blanks are stored open-air. Only certain rare types will crack, especially after having been cured before they were cut up.
 
We will ease up on the accelerator and let the blanks roam free to air out. Thanks to all for helping!

Tony
 
If it is at the end (where the hardware is pressed to) I have had the CA clear finish pop right on the finished edge and it leaves a bubble looking thingy while pressing the hardware tight Grrrrr. Had it happen tonight as a matter A fact.
 
He got 4 pens turned and finished last night. No accelerator was used and everything turned out fine. In hind sight, I'm positive the problem was the acclerator. I had him applying two spritzes of accelerator to a paper towel in the beginning and that was working fine. Towards the end, he was doing five or six sprays. More isn't always better.
 
AuroraWoodworks said:
He got 4 pens turned and finished last night. No accelerator was used and everything turned out fine. In hind sight, I'm positive the problem was the acclerator. I had him applying two spritzes of accelerator to a paper towel in the beginning and that was working fine. Towards the end, he was doing five or six sprays. More isn't always better.
Click to expand...

If you gotta use accelerator on anything, the aerosol is always the best choice, hold the can about 15 inches away from the work. But it's just not needed on the thin stuff. I've clouded some pens pretty badly holding it too close and hitting it too soon. Glad you got the source of the problem figured out and it was a simple fix!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom