CA Time!

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texasfootball21

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Joined
Oct 18, 2008
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274
Location
San Antonio, TX, USA
Well I haven't turned much wood in a while (imagine that, a woodturner who doesn't turn wood) and I plan to start again. I have been doing antler and plastic pens recently with very few wood pens.

Time for this woodturner to turn some wood.

I plan on buying some of the beautiful burls I see on this site. I have a few questions.

First one: Where does everyone get these woods??

Also, I want to attain the high gloss finish I've always longed for. Until now, I've only used PPP, and some ren wax! The finish is not great.

So here's the second question: How, in detail, does everyone apply a CA finish?

Thanks.
 
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texasfootball21 said:
Also, I want to attain the high gloss finish I've always longed for. Until now, I've only used PPP, and some ren wax! The finish is not great.

So here's the second question: How, in detail, does everyone apply a CA finish?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

1. Wait until you have a few hours to read, read, read.

2. Do a search on this forum for "CA Finish" in Topics.

3. Be prepared to Read, Read, Read.

Not being facetious at all. This one topic probably occupies more space on this forum than any other. There have been some good tutorials and even videos linked to this. Lately, however, I have seen many responses that say they tried it this way, that way, and what-ever-way . . . following to the detail, and yet could not get consistent results. Then they ended up with a modification of their own. This has led to a plethora of methods, of which the final conclusion seems to be - follow the path as far as you can, and then branch out on your own to discover YOUR best method.

Pen making and finishing are about discovery as much as anything else. Tutorials are generalized guides that do not guarantee individual success. Only discovery does this - if one is tenacious enough! :biggrin:

"How, in detail,"
. . . Most people want this. But it is still discovery time. No one can figure this out but you. The reason that one method does not work for others but so well for the writer is that descriptive adjectives mean different things to different people.
For Example: "Apply lightly for a few seconds."
1. "Lightly" to a 250 pound man means about 2 to 3 pounds of pressure, while a 120 lb turner will think pressure only slightly more than a feather.
2. "A few seconds" to an impatient person, - 2 to 3 seconds; to a placid person - hey 10 - 15 seconds is short.

I am not exaggerating this either. From experience in trying to explain woodworking techniques for a few years, I have learned that all definitions are relative to each individual's interpretation. Therefore, it is best to pick one or two methods and try them, then experiment.
 
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There are a number of articles in the library about CA finishes...

And as far as burls go, check the advertisements on the site...In Most Valued Vendors, you have a few people who always have burls for sale....you'll often see burl blanks in Individual and Business Classifieds too...

Andrew
 
I've made a LOT of pens with the vast majority of those finished in CA and as you can see by my "hairline crack" thread finishing with CA is always an adventure. :bulgy-eyes:
 
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