JimGo:
You asked about my finish method. I'm almost ashamed to tell you.
The CA is in a blister pack of six tubes that I paid a dollar for at a dollar store, so it naturally is not high quality stuff. I bought it to practice with.
To start with, after finish sanding, I applied CA to the blank and sanded with 400 grit paper. This was to seal the grain. After drying, I sanded again, down to 2000 grit paper.
I didn't have any BLO, but I did have a can of Minwax Antique finish. I applied a coat of that, using a small amount on a paper towel and the lathe running.
Next, I applied CA the way it has been described on this site. I put on about 8 coats. Sometimes, the coats would be uneven, and I would sand it smooth with 800 and 2000 grit paper, then apply again. I kept doing this over and over until I got a smooth, even final coat, then quit.
Next, I polished with Hut Plastic polish.
Honestly, when I finished, the finish was really good, almost as good as some of the CA finishes I have seen on the site, and I was satisfied with it. I think the CA didn't stick to the wood to begin with, and it came off instead of wearing off.
Up until now, my carrying pen has ben a Cigar, but I like the Baron style so well, I am going to carry it now, bad finish and all. I might refinish, using another method, but since I will be the only one who knows about it, I might just leave it as it is.
Thanks for all the encouragement. There are some really nice people on this site.
I was reluctant to join, because about a year ago, I was registered on another forum, not about pen making. There were some really nasty, profane and hateful people on that site, and I didn't want to get mixed up with that again.
I am happy to say that this site is a vast improvement over the other forum. I am thankful that you have made me feel welcome, and allowed me to participate.
Bonefish [
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