Thanks .... that's a start. . You also need to explain your method of CA application ... do you use blue shop towel ? ... plastic baggie ? ... brand of CA ?
I am not sure about the DNA step. . I don't do that. . Also, I have no idea about possible reactions of DNA residue with CA.
I am not a chemist or a materials scientist.
I just blow off the dust and then wipe with a dry cotton cloth before beginning the CA application.
For starters, I would suggest that you try omitting the DNA.
In my own experience (and also reading the experiences of others here on IAP) it seems that a person's success with CA is highly personal.
I don't think anybody uses a process that is totally the same as anybody else.
It also takes time and many trials to develop a process that works for you, and the reason(s) for success are not always clear.
You should practice your method on a rounded blank ( 4 - 5 inches long ) of about 3/4" diameter.
I can tell you what I do, but there is no guarantee that it will work for you in your environment.
I am not even sure that I even know what elements of my method are responsible for success or otherwise.
So, with those "excuses" I'll tell you some aspects of my CA method for pens. . I use only thin CA. . Brand name is BSI.
I "spin" my shaped pen blank on the lathe at VERY low speed .... something like 50 RPM or a little less, but not more.
I drip the CA slowly onto the top side of the blank .... maybe 1 drop every 2 seconds .... starting at one end of the blank.
I rub the lower side of the blank, either with blue shop towel or with a little baggie from a pen kit or with a small piece of plastic bubble wrap.
I do the rubbing very rapidly back and forth (lengthwise to the blank), in the area of the most recent drop.
I move the area of dripping and rubbing towards the other end of the blank, expanding the extent of the rubbing as more CA is applied.
(by the time I am dripping on the other end of the blank, my rubbing extends to about half of the blank's length).
After the last drip, I rub once or twice over the whole length, but no more than that .... avoid overdoing the rubbing.
That whole process takes about 20 seconds .... I am not quite sure as I haven't actually timed myself.
I then leave the blank rotating for a minute or so, and then spray with very light mist of accelerator .... 3 shots over the length of the blank.
I again leave the blank rotating and wait about 2 minutes, by which time the first coat has "hardened" to the touch so I can wipe it off to remove all excess accelerator.
That first coat is somewhat glossy, has no major bumps but may have very tiny ridges, mainly in a lengthwise direction, slightly spiralled.
I repeat the above process 5 or 6 times. . I then lightly sand with 240 grit to remove the high spots of any ridges.
(These next statements apply to ALL my sanding operations on pen blanks.
When I am sanding, the lathe is OFF and my sanding strokes are ALL LONGITUDINAL ( along the length ), NEVER AROUND the blank.
I turn the lathe chuck by hand and count the sanding strokes .... about 40 medium to light strokes with each grit of sandpaper.)
I then apply 2 more coats of CA.
Then I sand (320 grit) to get a uniformly smooth surface. . Inspect to be sure I have not sanded through to the wood.
I then proceed to sand with finer and finer grits ... 400, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000 ... not too aggressively with any grit.
Inspect to look for sand-through and any remaining ridges. . A "good" surface should be matte with no glossy spots and smooth.
Then polish with Novus 3 then Novus 2 then Meguiar's PlastX (I think that's the name) automotive polish. . Result is now high gloss.
Let me know if you have any questions. . I hope I have got this "right", but I think it is pretty much complete.