CA fogging over time?

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mywoodshopca

mywoodshopca

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
1,123
Location
Charlottetown, PEI Canada, Derby Kansas and Canyon
This is getting annoying.. Any solution?

Few pens of mine a few months ago started fogging up on the CA, sometimes simple as a little spot here or there, and others almost the whole area. BUT these pens were done months ago and dried wood..

THEN.. opened up the pen briefcase today.. few more fogging up!!

One, was a dymondwood sierra that is almost 100% covered in fog on the CA.. (it was done about 8 months ago and wasnt fogged a few weeks ago when I looked at it last).

Hate to have one of these start fogging after a customer or friend gets one..

Thanks!
 
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I wouldn't think the off-gassing should be a problem after a few days, but I don't
know for sure. But if it is an issue, I think a decent experiment would be to put a
'junk' pen finished with CA into a toaster oven on low for a while. Whatever gasses
are coming out will likely do so while the CA is warm. Then put it into a pen kit bag
for a few days. That's where you normally find an exaggerated example of problems
with off-gassing. (ever glue up a blank and put it back in the bag to assemble later?)
 
CA is temperature sensitive --- heat will break it down, and a lot of toaster ovens get over 150-200 degrees on low.
 
I had one fog that had been done nearly a year ago, two large areas one on the upper and one on the lower, this pen had been shown at 4 or 5 shows over the year, I went to put it out at a show a short time ago and the sucker was a mess.
 
Moisture. Are you using denatured alcohol to wipe off the blank before you apply the CA? Alcohol has alot of water in it and water and CA don't get along.:wink:
Try using acetone or accelerator. Or better yet, just blow them off with compressed air, that's what I do and I no longer have that problem.
 
rherrell said:
Moisture. Are you using denatured alcohol to wipe off the blank before you apply the CA? Alcohol has alot of water in it and water and CA don't get along.:wink:
Try using acetone or accelerator. Or better yet, just blow them off with compressed air, that's what I do and I no longer have that problem.
Click to expand...


very seldom do i use anything.. usually only on woods like olivewood where its oily.. and then I use acetone..

The woods that have changed on me so far is:

Antique teak (been in the shop about a year) (few of these did change)
Dymondwood
Maple (been dry for about 10 years)
Bloodwood
Purpleheart
and another rosewood type but cant remember what one.
 
This can also be depandant on the type and manufacturer of the CA.

Most ca's have a six or so year life span, and then you will usually find the bond line failing. The over-exposure to oxygen and sunlight actually hastens the failure. Also, CA is not very pliable, and if there is much growth change in the underlayers of material, then it cracks easily and readily.

We looked at using a few types in the aircraft industry for propeller use and some extranious fuel control uses where it would not get hit by fuel. Had catastrophic failures under test conditions, and our materials dept had long discussions about the aging factors with a couple of larger manufacturers, and were told that the aging process, especially under our conditions, were way less than desirable.

Jerry
 
ok.. showed some pens to a guy last night, then was looking through the case today, (I always keep the case partly open ever since the last post thinking I need to let the gasses out)

One that was NOT fogged over yesterday made out of 10 year old maple and lasered in june is now fogged over heavy today!!:confused:

Pen stats:

Made in June and lasered in June. Stored inside always and in a dry location. Was NOT fogged over last night but is today? :confused:

My Method:

Shop is in a dry basement. Depending on the wood, wipe down with Acetone. Hit with a few coats of thin CA, either let spin dry or dry with accelerator when its near dry, then use Meguiar's plastx polish to shine.

This is making me want to give up on CA completely, but its such a nice finish (when it works lol)

Any suggestions on what would be doing this?

Attached is a few images of the pen closeup and also a picture of the type of CA I have been using since day one.

Thanks Jason
 

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