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Jim Smith

Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2008
Messages
1,961
Location
Lakeland, FL
I am in the market for some more CA for pen finishing. It's been a while since I bought a supply and I would love to hear what folks find to be the best CA for a nice glossy finish as well as some good suppliers. Thanks in advance for your input.

Jim Smith
 
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Fred Bruche

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2018
Messages
972
Location
Philadelphia 19146
Satisfied GluBoost user as well. Their ultrathin version works really well for "stabilizing" blanks on the go, I use the finishing-thin and finishing-pro for... finishing šŸ˜…
 

EricRN

Member
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
760
I've typically used Mercury adhesive. They say it is more flexible and specially formulated for use as a finish to prevent cracking. Who knows if that's true. Am curious if anyone has compared Mercury to GluBoost
 

mmayo

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
2,958
Location
Tehachapi, CA
I use EZ Bond CA. I buy large quantities (16 oz) etc and love it. I get excellent results and will not change until my results become inferior.
 

wouldentu2?

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2011
Messages
897
Location
Oak Creek WI
BSI Super Gold Thin, its odorless so no more sinus problems, available from many pen vendors and every actual hobby store I have been in.
Great finish, no cracking.
 

Bope

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2018
Messages
183
Location
Western NY
I have used Gluboost, Mercury and E-Z bond all next to each other. I don't see any significant difference between them. Gluboost has put a lot of money into marketing and it shows in their price. Mercury and Glueboost use the same fancy bottles. The caps still get stuck if you don't wipe off the tip. When ever I had a problem it usually came to water in the accelerator. I have been using a Sure Shot pressurized container. It gives a nice spray but may be pushing some moisture into the product over time.

As you can see people can be very protective of the CA they use. I started with E-Z Bond because it was the cheapest. Later I bought some Glueboost and Mercury to see what all the hype was about. I can't tell you definitively which I will buy next when I run out but it probably wont be glueboost due to pricing.
 

JohnU

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
4,924
Location
Ottawa, Illinois
One thing to think about when picking your glue is your process of applying the finish. I used to use stick fast and e-z bond but the process was to build up a thick layer, only to sand it off. That was a lot of wasted glue. Plus, if you used the accelerator there was a chance that you would find cracked in your finish down the road, because they weren't as flexible as the new stuff, like Gluboost, which was designed as a finish and not just a glue. The green and red are more for gluing while the orange and blue are for finishing. I used to spend 30-60 minutes applying a CA finish with minimal accelerator so it wouldn't crack later. The newer stuff does cost more but I can now apply a finish in 5 minutes with half the glue i used to use, allowing me to get more done in a short amount of time. To me that is a savings and worth a little higher price on the supply, but that's just my opinion with the process that works for me.
 

Jim Smith

Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2008
Messages
1,961
Location
Lakeland, FL
Another happy passenger on the GluBoost (and now, Zona paper) train.
Well, I ordered the GluBoost and started using Zona paper about a month ago. I am completely sold on Zona paper. I see a very noticeable difference between the acrylic/cast pens when I use Zona paper v's just Micromessh down to 12,000 grit.
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
Well, I ordered the GluBoost and started using Zona paper about a month ago. I am completely sold on Zona paper. I see a very noticeable difference between the acrylic/cast pens when I use Zona paper v's just Micromessh down to 12,000 grit.
Todays new car waxes do a great job too if you are looking to spike up shine even more plus they add a layer of protection.
 
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