CA Fading?

[JeffG]

Hi,

I've been using a CA finish with some success, and have moved to using it almost exclusively. I'm using a very simple method...

1) Sand blank to 1200
2) Apply Thin CA >> Thin CA >> Thick CA >> Thin CA (never use accelerator)
3) Sand to 2000
4) Buff with the Beall system using the Carnauba wax.

Finish is very high gloss and has been - up until now - very durable. I have used two pens finished this way as daily work pens (one Cocobolo and one Paduak) and they have shown no degradation since assembly.

I recently finished two pens, a European in herringbone bubinga, and a Baron in a dyed blue maple burl. Immediately after assembly both of these pens looked great, high gloss, almost glass-like.... typical CA finish. Both of these pens were placed in my 36 pen display box and put away for about a week. When I opened up the box this morning and examined the pens, these two have "faded". They look more like a Deft finish with wax that has been used for a month or so. Not bad, but nothing like the other CA finished pens I have. Neither of these pens have been taken out of the case since they were put in there originally.

Could this be over-buffing? Or something else?

I should say that I have 10 other CA pens that have not done this.

 

[Monty]

How long did you let the CA "cure" before placing in the case? I've had a few get a "dull" finish if I put them in a closed containr to soon. I usuall let mine cure for 48-72 hours before putting them in a box for an extended period of time.

 

[RussFairfield]

Could be 2 things:

1. You put them in the case too quickly, as Monty said. Putting a CA finish in a closed case too quickly can also cause a dull surface on the gold plated fittings.

2. Your CA glue is getting old. The 1st sign of age is a finish that looses its gloss in a few days.

 

[JeffG]

Oooof.... you are onto it. I put them in the case within 15 minutes of buffing. And the gold fittings were looking crummy to... I attributed that to not paying attention before putting them in the case. I was able to polish out the metal.

Wow... that hurts. I worked for a couple of weeks off and on to build up a small inventory of 8 pens... and all but two of them 'oxidized' like that.

 

[blodal]

I did my first Baron and first CA finish on it recently. After reading this post, I realized that this is what happened to mine. The finish wasn't prefect to begin with, but it faded very quickly and is now dull. I am going to try to redo it.

Thanks for posting this.