CA Finishes

[Dana Fish]

Hello

I am trying to overcome my fear of CA finishes so I had been practicing on a few scape pieces of wood to improve my technique and yet I still am having troubles.

Here are a few questions that I have for all of you...

1. Which CA do you prefer (thin, med., thick or combination)?
2. How much pressure do you use when applying CA?
3. How long do you usually rub (apply) the CA to the blank?
4. How do you prevent fibers or debris from ending up on the finish?

Now here is what I do and use for finishing with CA.

1. I use med. CA for about 3-4 coats. Need to purchase thin CA.
2. I quickly and gently apply a thin to med layer (about 3-4 drop of CA).
3. I use blue shop towels to apply with as mentioned in previous threads.

What should I be doing or using differently?

Thanks for you assistance
Dana

 

[ctubbs]

Hello

I am trying to overcome my fear of CA finishes so I had been practicing on a few scape pieces of wood to improve my technique and yet I still am having troubles.

Here are a few questions that I have for all of you...

1. Which CA do you prefer (thin, med., thick or combination)?
2. How much pressure do you use when applying CA?
3. How long do you usually rub (apply) the CA to the blank?
4. How do you prevent fibers or debris from ending up on the finish?

Now here is what I do and use for finishing with CA.

1. I use med. CA for about 3-4 coats. Need to purchase thin CA.
2. I quickly and gently apply a thin to med layer (about 3-4 drop of CA).
3. I use blue shop towels to apply with as mentioned in previous threads.

What should I be doing or using differently?

Thanks for you assistance
Dana

First the warning YOUR MILEAGE WILL VARY!
1. I use both thin and medium
2. Just enough pressure to evenly spread the CA
3. Bad answer, long enough for it to start to set up, depends on the temp and humidity of the shop.
4. I use the brown napkins from Toco Bell, slice in half long ways and fold in fourths till about 1 in across. Soak in BLO and then apply 2 - 3 drops of CA. Four coats of thin then 6 to 10 coats of medium with accelerator between every other coat. If I see a problem, (ridges, white spot, etc.) I stop and correct. Then MM to 12000 and polish with Plastex and a piece of wool.

I buy all my CA from Monty here on site. Great product and price. Customer service is outstanding. I do not like the blue shop towels. They feel too soft to me and I am afraid they will get stuck in the finish. I do keep my applicator dampened with BLO. I feel it protects my finger from contact with the CA and adds a bit of accelerator to the mix. It also seems to make my CA go on a bit smoother. That may be all in my mind. As this thread progresses, you will find a different method for each and every poster. Each has developed their own method that works for them and them only. That is what you will eventually do as well.

Best of luck and oh yes, wear some type of latex or other glove that fits close to the skin. DAMHIKT
Charles

 

[propencity]

Hi Dana,

I'm still trying to improve myself on CA finish; I feel I'm getting better. Here are my steps:
1. After turning, with the lathe at low speed (700), I dry sand starting at 220, then 320, 400 long enough to remove scratches from previous grit. After each grit, I stop the lathe and sand lengthwise, then turn the lathe back on and proceed with the next grit. I don't go any greater than 400 (I think going higher grit does not help the CA applicaton)
2. After the dry sanding, and with the lathe still running at my low speed, I also use the industrial (blue) towels cut into smaller pieces (folded lengthwise). I first apply a dab or two of BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) to the towel, then rub the towel on the blank, and you start to see the grain pop out. Using the same area on the towel, I then apply a drop of thin CA directly on the middle and near both ends of the blank. As the CA is applied, I run the towel back and forth without too much pressure (pinching the towel with just enough pressure with my thumb, middle, and index finger to keep the towel from getting wrapped around the blank). If I start to feel the towel sticking to the blank, I add a small dab of BLO to the towel and continue to rub the blank until the CA cures. I go thru about 3 iterations of the thin CA application, each time using a clean area on the towel, giving time to inspect the blank for even spread and giving time for the CA to cure. Each iteration, I would guess, takes about 30-45 seconds or so. I also vary the speed from the 700 up to 1200 toward the latter part of each applicaton. All by feel, you have to be careful you don't overheat the wood. At the end of each iteration you should start to see progressive shine on the blank.
3. After the thin CA application and enough dry time, I sometimes will take the 1500 grit Micromesh and wet sand the blank just to smooth out any ridges left by the thin CA application.
4. Moving on with Medium CA, starting with a new clean area on the towel, I put a dab of BLO and directly on top of that, I apply small puddle (1/4" round or so) of med ca. I then use the method for rubbing the towel on the blank as described above. Depending on the wood or how tired I am at this point, I may go thru 4-10 iterations of this. I find that thinner applications of the med ca on each iteration works out better.
5. Using micromesh, I wet sand from 1500 to 12000 grit.
6. Apply plastic finish.
7. Apply Ren Wax.
Rest.

Again, this is how I apply ca, after having learned so much from the iAP forums, and experimenting on my own to arrive at the steps that I follow today. Hope this helps.

Mark

 

[Dana Fish]

Here is a practice tube I did today for a Sierra. Sorry about the focus.

 

[Drstrangefart]

Looks like the process is valid, just practice, practice, practice. Same place I'm at with it.

 

[penmaker1967]

i use med ca and a piece of tee shirt folded about 2 3 times after i sand to 44 grit i wipe the blank off with dna and then let dry. i apply 3 to 5 coats of ca with acceletor ( not spelled right) between each coat then i let it cure for about 30 mins or so then i wet sand from 1500 to 12000 qnd finsh off with 2 or 3 coats of plastic polish

 

[penmaker1967]

btw the pen looks good just takes time to get the finsh down i just started using ca myself.

 

[Lenny]

Hello

I am trying to overcome my fear of CA finishes so I had been practicing on a few scape pieces of wood to improve my technique and yet I still am having troubles.

Here are a few questions that I have for all of you...

1. Which CA do you prefer (thin, med., thick or combination)?
2. How much pressure do you use when applying CA?
3. How long do you usually rub (apply) the CA to the blank?
4. How do you prevent fibers or debris from ending up on the finish?

Now here is what I do and use for finishing with CA.

1. I use med. CA for about 3-4 coats. Need to purchase thin CA.
2. I quickly and gently apply a thin to med layer (about 3-4 drop of CA).
3. I use blue shop towels to apply with as mentioned in previous threads.

What should I be doing or using differently?

Thanks for you assistance
Dana

Has anyone asked you yet if you have yellow socks? :wink:

The thin ca is nice for the first couple coats as it will seal the pen and it dries very quickly.... not entirely essential though.
I recently watched an interesting video on youtube (and now I can't find it) where the guy talked about WHAT makes a good paper towel to apply a CA finish. The point was to find one that doesn't automatically start smoking with cured CA. Apparently some will trigger the CA faster than others (not a good thing)
Whatever you use, the point is to get a nice layer on your pen without leaving the paper towel there! :biggrin: This is where accelerant helps a lot too.
Monty has great CA glue and accelerant ... and the type glue you use or I should say I have found the type glue I have used to make a difference. When I switched to Monty's I started having less problems.

I think maybe the real question lies in the part you have left out .... what do you do next?

I like to go through the micro mesh pads sanding the CA finish wet through all the grits. I then use Novus 2 and Plastx or Buff.
George (Texatdurango) on the otherhand, smooths his CA finish with a light touch of his skew and then goes right to his buffer (see his thread "Buffing kicked up a notch") and you can't argue with his results!

 

[Edward Cypher]

Dana I think the blank looks good. I have not tried ca finish yet kind of chicken of sticking to the blank. Really like the wood. Looks like some of John's stuff.

Ed

 

[Ruby pen turning]

I use medium from Indy Pen Dance along with the accelerator from them/him.
I put 1-2 even layers which dry quickly then I hit it with a little accelerator and rub my hands over it. Then I do 3 layers over the blank rubbing back and forth so it does not harden lumpy bumpy because it has the accelerator on there now. It doesnt have to look nice, just a rough smooth surface if that makes sense. I do that over and over till I have 10-12 layers. Why that many? because I got sick and tired of burning through to the wood and having to start over again.
When I was starting to do CA I would put it on fairly thick and hit it with accelerator and it would crinkle up on me which even after sanding the heck out of it still left voids that would never be sanded out and got filled with polishing compound.
Oh .. I use regular paper towels and have used several different brands and have had 0 problems with any of them.

 

[ctubbs]

Way to go, Lenny. I worked VERY hard to avoid the Yellow Socks thing. You have no idea just how hard that was for me, Mr. Smart Mouth, to not bring up the Yellow Socks thing, but now that you have, do not forget the stand on your left foot and chanting that special secret chant known only to medieval witch doctors and handed down to the 'select' few.

Seriously, the chosen type of towel is very important. I have had some towels actually start to smoke when applying CA. Not funny when you realize the smoking towel is also stuck to your hand. Some on here have started using the high density foam used for packaging, while others are using the little plastic bags the parts come in. I have had no luck with either of these, while others swear by them. The best for me is still the old stand-by Toco Bell brown paper napkins. Go figure.
Charles

 

[witz1976]

Dana, your CA looks good, however based on the ridges I saw in the pic it appears that all you need is a little Micromesh and or buffing.

I would tell you my way, which is 4 - 5 coats of thin with 4 - 5 of med. (a light spray of accelerator between coats on the med, the thin sets fast enough without it) , but as you see everyone has found a method that will work for them.

It looks like you are on the right track though...keep on trying!

 

[Drstrangefart]

I use the Scott paper towels that come in the huge yellow box by the registers at Home Depot. 3 coats thin CA, no accellerant, 3-4 coate medium, 45 second wait after each coat, spray with accellerant, apply next coat. It works out well enough, but I do need ro refine it some more. I use MicroMesh after all the CA is applied.

 

[Lee K]

....... also, after every other coat, take a second and break your blank free from the bushings. You'll thank yourself later !!!

 

[Dave Turner]

Here's my formula as if you haven't had enough different options already. I've had great results with no real failures (other than overly aggressive micromeshing of the CA finish resulting in sanding through to the wood at the end of the blank a few times when I first started).

First I sand the wood to 400 grit checking to make sure there are no significant scratches when examining under magnification. If you can see a scratch before finishing, you'll see it after the CA finish also (although it may be harder to see).

I use Super-T medium CA glue from Hot Stuff. I find that the brand of glue you use makes a big difference. I also use Bounty paper towels. I use the half sheet sized towels and rip it in half. I then fold this in half with the "bumpy" side in, smoother side out. I then fold this in half two more times so I end up with a piece 1 1/2 x 3 inches in size. I put about 2 or 3 drops onto one of the corners of the paper towel forming a small blob about 1/4 inch in diameter. With the lathe running about 300 rpm, I'll wipe this onto the blank starting at one end and slowly moving across to the other end over the course of about 2-3 seconds. Without lifting the paper towel from the blank, I then reverse my direction and wipe back across to my starting side. If for some reason the glue did not spread evenly across the blank, I reverse direction again and wipe across a third time. My second and possible third wipes are a little faster, about 1 second to traverse the blank. Overall, I have the paper towel in contact with the blank for no more than 4-5 seconds. I find that any longer than this and the glue may start to stick. Not a big deal, but it puts a rougher surface on your blank.

I then spray the blank with a quick burst of aerosol accelerator, also from Hot Stuff. Again, brand makes a difference. I've tried several different accelerators, and the Hot Stuff works the best for me. I then immediately put CA glue on a second corner of the folded paper towel in my hand and apply it to the blank, just like the first time. I don't wait at all between coats. Another quick shot of accelerator and I continue with the last two corners of the paper towel. Thus I now have 4 coats of glue applied to the blank using just one folded paper towel. I repeat the entire process with a second and then a third piece of folded paper towel. In all, I usually put 12 coats of medium CA onto the blank. It goes really quickly.

I apply the CA to the blank between centers using 60 degree cones (I also turn everything between centers). Back when I was using a mandrel, I made cone bushings for the mandrel to hold the blank. This kept CA from gluing the blank to any bushings. After done applying the CA, I will remove the blank from the lathe and then sand the ends smooth so that the metal tubes are shiny and visible again. I do this by hand, holding the blank upright and sliding it back and forth on 320 grit Abranet sanding media sitting on a granite slab (my granite table saw top). I find it pretty easy to maintain the blank at 90 degrees to the tabletop.

I then return the blank to the lathe for micro-meshing, which I do at 700 rpm (I don't have to wait for the glue to harden, the accelerator does a great job doing this). The blank is left with a mildly rippled surface from the texture of the paper towel. I start wet micro-meshing using the coarsest brown pad . You want to be careful using this pad, since it can quickly remove material. I use it just enough to smooth off the ripples from the surface. I will stop the lathe and examine the surface under 40X magnification with a good worklight. If there are any ripple remnants, I'll sand some more with the coarse grit. After you've done this a few times, you get to know what the surface should look like under magnification. Once the surface is smoothed and the only thing you see are the uniform scratches from the micromesh pad, then you can proceed up the micromesh ladder going to finer and finer grits. I usually check the finish under magnification after the first 3 or 4 grits to make sure everything is proceeding normally. This saves you from having to go back to correct a small scratch after you've run through all the grits.

I then polish (also at 700 rpm) with a small dab Hut Plastic Polish on a terry cloth rag. I found that higher lathe speeds tend to ripple the surface slightly, possible from the heat. I finish with a thin coat of Renaissance wax applied using my finger with the lathe off and buffed at 700 rpm with a clean area of the terry cloth rag. This prevents finger prints from showing.

There you have it in a rather large nutshell. Works every time for me.

Dave