Finally Figured Out CA Finish

[NewfoundlandLaw]

Hey All

I've been turning pens for over a month now and I think I've finally figured out how to get a perfectly smooth CA finish. I was getting slight waves in my finish but tonight I tried sanding more aggressively with micro mesh. After some polishing, I'm very proud of the overall finish.

I have to say that CA finishing is not as easy as I first believed. It's probably taken 15+ pens and 50+ hours to get right. That being said, it seems rock hard and very durable so I think it's worth it.

Figured I would show off my work here since you've all helped me along the way. (Lighting is a bit weird and wavey as I'm using a Photo-box with diamond pattern LED lights that I haven't fully figured out yet.)

Pen #16: Camphor Burl with a Euro Twist Pen and 22 Coats of Cyanoacrylate












"Pen Turning on the Rock"

 

[1080Wayne]

Beautiful piece of wood . Multiple light sources tend to give multiple shine lines . Try a shot outside on the N side of a building if you don`t want any .

 

[TonyL]

Excellent work. I found it very easy AFTER the first 30 trys

 

[NewfoundlandLaw]

Excellent work. I found it very easy AFTER the first 30 trys

I always thought CA finishing would be easy until I tried it. It certainly has its finer points that have to be learned.


"Pen Turning on the Rock"

 

[ramaroodle]

Congrats. Very nice looking pen. Did you say 22 coats of CA?? That might be considered excessive. Also, take a look at Gluboost here and here for future consideration. 4 coats and done.

 

[magpens]

I too found that CA finishing was harder to learn than I expected. Don't be afraid to use a 150 or 200 grit sandpaper initially to smooth out the slight bumps and ripples on the surface. I sand very lightly through 400 grit and get rid of all the shiny spots before going over to micromesh. Every shiny spot is at an imperfection in the surface and those all have to go. . It can be time-consuming.

BTW, that pen kit is a Carbara, I believe ... or the name is sometimes Atlas or Polaris.

The Camphor Burl is gorgeous and you seem to have finished it very well.

 

[NewfoundlandLaw]

I too found that CA finishing was harder to learn than I expected. Don't be afraid to use a 150 or 200 grit sandpaper initially to smooth out the slight bumps and ripples on the surface. I sand very lightly through 400 grit and get rid of all the shiny spots before going over to micromesh. Every shiny spot is at an imperfection in the surface and those all have to go.

BTW, that pen kit is a Carbara, I believe ... or the name is sometimes Atlas or Polaris.

The Camphor Burl is gorgeous and you seem to have finished it very well.

I started one tonight at 400 grit sandpaper and it looks nice. I might even go more aggressive next time. Thanks for the advise!


"Pen Turning on the Rock"

 

[mbroberg]

This is the video that helped me break the barrier. I do not do it exactly like this anymore, in fact, I have now gone to wipe on polyurethane as my finish of choice. But when it comes to CA finishes, this is the method that got me headed in the right direction.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc