Help Ca finish again

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Pen Man

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Location
Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
I sand
220, 320, 400, one coat of thin Ca, sand lite with 500, MM 1500-12000
Then I have tried
with blo first, then med ca

Med ca then blo

3 - drops of blo on paper towl with 4 - 5 drops of med ca then applie
OUT OF ALL THE TIME I HAVE TRIED CA & BLO I HAVE ONLY TWO PEN THAT HAVE TURNED OUT WITH A VERY NICE SHINE.

I also air brush with deft lacquer ( that has been the best but letting it cure a week):(

I live in Lincoln, Nebraska YA YA [8D] I have the AC on in work shop 24/7 even if I only work out there 4 hr a week

I have also done Frangers way, Don's way

What I want is to just use CA have a plastic shine & fill to it

Is there chance of useing to much blo,[V]

PS I have also tried thin Ca the same
 
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Tom, the two things I found that I was messing up was 1 not waiting long enough between coats for the previous coat to dry completely and 2 not having fresh CA. I have no idea if either of these are contributing to your mixed results but after slowing down and getting some new CA my finish has improved dramatically. I have also found that just using the last three grits of MM after everything has set for a half hour or so after the last coat brings out the shine I was looking for. Depending on the blank I will either use a lot of coats of thin CA or BLO and thick on those blanks that act like a sponge and suck up the thick. Both methods seem to work equally well as long as I don't get in a hurry and try to rush things.
 
I never could make the CA/BLO work. This is what I do:

1. Sand with 400 grit then MM through 12000, cleaning with air and CA accelerator about every 3 grades of MM
2. 1 coat of thin CA to seal the wood
3. 3 coats of thick CA, ensuring that previous coat is completely dry. I apply the CA with the lathe on slowest speed then increase the speed in order to smooth the CA as you would with the CA/BLO, rubbing back and forth until the CA starts to cure, ie. the fumes run you away from the lathe.
4. MM 1500-12000
5. Renaissance wax

I no longer use DNA to clean with, which has seemed to help. I also do not sand between coats of the thick CA. This process seems to take a little longer than using several coats of thin CA since the curing time is increased, but the outcome has been extremely better for me.
 
What do you use to put on paper towl ? and do you get alot of ca on the bushings
Originally posted by armyturner
<br />I never could make the CA/BLO work. This is what I do:

1. Sand with 400 grit then MM through 12000, cleaning with air and CA accelerator about every 3 grades of MM
2. 1 coat of thin CA to seal the wood
3. 3 coats of thick CA, ensuring that previous coat is completely dry. I apply the CA with the lathe on slowest speed then increase the speed in order to smooth the CA as you would with the CA/BLO, rubbing back and forth until the CA starts to cure, ie. the fumes run you away from the lathe.
4. MM 1500-12000
5. Renaissance wax

I no longer use DNA to clean with, which has seemed to help. I also do not sand between coats of the thick CA. This process seems to take a little longer than using several coats of thin CA since the curing time is increased, but the outcome has been extremely better for me.
Click to expand...
 
tom,

here's what i've been doing lately after much searching... i've basically modified fangar's finish a bit. not much but it seems to work very well for me.

1)rarely, only if the wood has a lot of hollow grain, i'll do 220 followed by a thin ca coat with the sanding paper and then sand that off with 220 to start
2)sand to 400, i'd omit the 500 if you're using MM.
3)after each grit, wipe with DNA (hasn't negatively affected me at all)
4)follow 400 with MM to 12000 (dna after each 3 MM sheets)
5)two coats of myland's cellulose sanding sealer, follow with the last four grits of MM
6)3 coats of thin CA
7)MM through 12000, spending the most time on the first sheet to get the blanks looking the same (slightly powdery, if you will) a wipe of slightly dampened paper towel with DNA
8)3 more coats of thin CA
9)MM through 12000
10)a wipe of slightly dampened paper towel with DNA ( I usually use a towel from earlier on in the process that has evaporated a little)
* i normally won't see a very glossy finish at this point, if i do, i know i used too much pressure with the MM which seems to mess up the final finish
11)buff with white diamond (starting to see the gloss)
12)hut plasic polish applied with paper towel for 15-20 seconds, then wipe with a clean area of paper towel and you will really see the gloss start to come out
13)TSW to finish and the gloss has been fantastic lately.

i've been doing everything, including the turning with my lathe set to 1800 RPM

you can obviously add more coats of thin CA if you have a softer wood or something.

i've been applying the thin ca with any old paper towel i happen to have around and just wet the end of the folded towel and wipe it once or twice across the blank, depending on how smooth it looks initially. by the third coat it usually is a little swirly and the MM takes care of that. i think using 320 or 400 after coats of CA messes things up, at least i've found that. probably why i can't get medium ca to work.

as far as the bushings, i just tap them lightly with a hammer while still on the mandrel and they come loose without any chipping or ill effects.

for the first time the other night, i turned a pen and had it finished with the above technique in an hour... and it was the best finish i've done so far.

oh, and i used to use BLO and just omitted it one time and things just worked better. nothing against it, it just wasn't for me.

sorry for the long post... hope this helps in some way.

jeez, i've had to edit this post 4 times, something must be wrong with me... [:D]
 
The world of CA finishes has dozens of seasoned veterans each having their own methods and formulas, some very precise and complicated enough that one almost needs to print out the instructions. Right or wrong, I have drawn the conclusion that just like making good BBQ, there are 1001 ways to get the same results.

I have only done a CA finish on a few dozen pens now but would proudly put my finish next to anyones pens.

I do it very simply, not following any prescribed technique or formula.

1. I sand the blank to remove scratches, usually ending with 600 grit.

2. I clean with denatured alcohol.

3. I apply Mylands sanding sealer then burnish with synthetic steel wool

4. With lathe running I apply three or four coats of THIN CA with paper towels, letting dry between coats then sand once with 1000 grit to smooth out the CA. If it's smooth I proceed to the buffer, if not, I apply a few more coats and sand again.

5. I buff using Tripoli then White Diamond.

6. I apply some Renassance wax to the entire pen and I'm done.

I have never gone higher than 1000 grit when buffing and my CA finishes are glass smooth and very shiny so I'm happy. [:)]
 
Originally posted by Texatdurango
<br />The world of CA finishes has dozens of seasoned veterans each having their own methods and formulas, some very precise and complicated enough that one almost needs to print out the instructions. Right or wrong, I have drawn the conclusion that just like making good BBQ, there are 1001 ways to get the same results.

I have only done a CA finish on a few dozen pens now but would proudly put my finish next to anyones pens.

I do it very simply, not following any prescribed technique or formula.

1. I sand the blank to remove scratches, usually ending with 600 grit.

2. I clean with denatured alcohol.

3. I apply Mylands sanding sealer then burnish with synthetic steel wool

4. With lathe running I apply three or four coats of THIN CA with paper towels, letting dry between coats then sand once with 1000 grit to smooth out the CA. If it's smooth I proceed to the buffer, if not, I apply a few more coats and sand again.

5. I buff using Tripoli then White Diamond.

6. I apply some Renassance wax to the entire pen and I'm done.

I have never gone higher than 1000 grit when buffing and my CA finishes are glass smooth and very shiny so I'm happy. [:)]
Click to expand...

This is one of the things I love about this... so many ways to skin the cat!

I honestly have never stopped sanding at such a coarse grit... always went on to the MM ... cause... that's what ya do! [:p]

But... I am gonna play with this some more... even though I swore that, once I had the finish the way I wanted it, I would not mess with it any more [:D]

OK... I lied... I gotta mess with it... it's in my nature [:p]
 
Originally posted by Marc Phillips
<br />
....I honestly have never stopped sanding at such a coarse grit...
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I think we sometimes get caught up in "processes" and loose sight of the end results.

To me, wet sanding with 1000 grit isn't exactly course. I sand to smooth and buff to polish. If I can get a nice shine on a CA finish pen by sanding the CA with 1000 grit then off to the buffer, why sit there and go through all the micro mesh pads to get the same result?

On my first pens, like many other folks, I used micro mesh after applying the CA. Some I even buffed after the micro mesh, but to be honest, and not to start a debate over buffing versus micro mesh, I can't tell the difference between the pens I micro mesh sanded and the ones I wet sanded at 1000 grit then buffed.

I remember watching someones video where they rubbed a grocery sack after the CA finish with the comments to the effect.... Try it, if you like it, fine, but don't knock it if you haven't tried it".

George
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by Texatdurango
<br />
If I can get a nice shine on a CA finish pen by sanding the CA with 1000 grit then off to the buffer, why sit there and go through all the micro mesh pads to get the same result?
Click to expand...


I agree... completely. I am going to try this as soon as I set up shop again.... gotta love moving... [xx(]
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After turning for about 4 years and many finished pens I just the other day came to the conclusion that the reason I have so many bent mandrels was that I would use the tip to "break" off the ca encrusted bushing. Duh!!!! I now take the complete blank, bushings and all off of the mandrel and use one of the (can't do without) transfer punches from HF to snap the bushing off. Then I just dress the end of the blank with the barrel trimer by hand.
It works for me whenever I'm not doing the finish using Enduro.
Vern
Oh, who is it that is making the mandrels ?
 
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