Honoring the wood

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Warren White

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Aug 27, 2014
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I am looking for advice, and here is the right place to find it.

First, let me say that every pen I have completed has been finished with CA; and I love the results. I know that there are others who object to the 'plastic' look of CA finished pens, and that is certainly OK.

I have been given some wood that has historical significance. While I may finish one of the pens with CA, I would like the wood to be the 'story' of this pen, not a mirror finish. I would like to hear from you regarding finishes that let the wood speak, not the finish. (I hope you understand what I am trying to say.) The pen will be likely handled, used and appreciated.

Your thoughts on an appropriate finish? Suggestions as to how to accomplish it?

Thank you so very much.
 
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FGarbrecht

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Aug 22, 2019
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NY
I just finished a cocobolo Zen pen without CA. I put on a couple of layers of Myland's cellulose sealer, sanded it a little bit and really loved the appearance at that stage. The wood appears warm and lustrous and I couldn't bear to put a shiny coat of CA on it, so I rubbed in a bit of microcrystalline wax and buffed it a bit with paper towel. Looks great. I have no idea how well it will hold up over time, but I don't mind retouching with more wax if it gets worn or dull. I'll try to post a picture when I have a moment.
 

mark james

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Medina, Ohio
I have used and liked Danish Oil, as well as what Fred mentioned above - 1-2 coats of Mylands. I did not apply and wax.
 

EricRN

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May 16, 2019
Messages
760
I am looking for advice, and here is the right place to find it.

First, let me say that every pen I have completed has been finished with CA; and I love the results. I know that there are others who object to the 'plastic' look of CA finished pens, and that is certainly OK.

I have been given some wood that has historical significance. While I may finish one of the pens with CA, I would like the wood to be the 'story' of this pen, not a mirror finish. I would like to hear from you regarding finishes that let the wood speak, not the finish. (I hope you understand what I am trying to say.) The pen will be likely handled, used and appreciated.

Your thoughts on an appropriate finish? Suggestions as to how to accomplish it?

Thank you so very much.
I'd suggest Doctors Pens Plus. I've used it on satine and Bolivian rosewood to great effect. After four or five coats, you've got a deep lustrous finish. Not high gloss but plenty shiny. It gives a very slight golden hue, but not much. It largely accentuates any grain. Really good stuff.
 

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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NJ, USA.
I believe many people here have this notion that CA finish has to be glossy. Farthest thing from the truth. As with all finishes the methods to get to the final top coat varies from finish to finish. Many polys and lacquers and even paints add retarders to them to dull the shine and thus Semi-Gloss, Satin, and flat. You can use an oil such as BLO or a Danish oil (it does have some poly in it) There are plenty of pen finishes that incorporate this retarders and that will suffice. But many times the furniture people start with a sealer and build a gloss protective coating and then knock back the shine with Pummice or Rotten Stone and fine 0000 steel wool. What you wind up with is a protective layer of finish and a sheen to your liking..

The same can be done with CA. Use only thin to seal the timber and add several coats. Now when you go to MM or sand with high grade finishers sandpaper you stop at the grit youchoose. But remember sanding lengthwise is the key to avoid the circles. So no lathe sanding while running.

When I make metal pens I use fine steel wool to give a brushed aluminum look as opposed to shiny. Doing a finish on wood pens is like finishing a piece of furniture.
 

1080Wayne

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Feb 5, 2006
Messages
3,340
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Brownfield, Alberta, Canada.
I always do the same as John has suggested . Regular CA finish , sanded to P800 , last sanding lengthwise , lathe off . Stop at P600 if too shiny , go to P1000 if want more shine . Gives you the protective benefits of CA and the natural wood appearance . I finish almost all wood pens this way .
 

jttheclockman

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Mylands Melamine Lacquer is just that a wipe on or brush on lacquer. Nothing at all special about it. Can use Deft or any other lacquer. Can get it in satin semi gloss or gloss. Polys come this way also. Again it is a matter of choice as long as the wood gets sealed. Otherwise the grunge and grime from handling will build and the look of the finish will diminish.
 

leehljp

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Feb 6, 2005
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Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
Pure Tung oil is the best moisture protector but it has a kinda long cure time. Rub it on and in, wait several days, repeat, repeat, repeat. Very woody with very good protection. This is not for those in a hurry.
 

bsshog40

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Oct 2, 2018
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Omaha, Tx
Looks like you have lots of options. Lol My 2c is WTF (wood turners finish). Can be coated with as many coats as you like. Seals good. The shine is determined by how many coats you apply.
 

robutacion

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Aug 6, 2009
Messages
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Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
I believe many people here have this notion that CA finish has to be glossy. Farthest thing from the truth. As with all finishes the methods to get to the final top coat varies from finish to finish. Many polys and lacquers and even paints add retarders to them to dull the shine and thus Semi-Gloss, Satin, and flat. You can use an oil such as BLO or a Danish oil (it does have some poly in it) There are plenty of pen finishes that incorporate this retarders and that will suffice. But many times the furniture people start with a sealer and build a gloss protective coating and then knock back the shine with Pummice or Rotten Stone and fine 0000 steel wool. What you wind up with is a protective layer of finish and a sheen to your liking..

The same can be done with CA. Use only thin to seal the timber and add several coats. Now when you go to MM or sand with high grade finishers sandpaper you stop at the grit youchoose. But remember sanding lengthwise is the key to avoid the circles. So no lathe sanding while running.

When I make metal pens I use fine steel wool to give a brushed aluminum look as opposed to shiny. Doing a finish on wood pens is like finishing a piece of furniture.
This is all very true, and has been times in the past were this very issue has come to the surface and I made similar observations.

If you stabilised the wood, you won't need anything else than smooth sanding and some polishing, the surface will be protected for most of the elements.

Good luck,

Cheers
George
 

MRDucks2

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Jul 17, 2017
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Bristow, IN
I like to use the Dr's Pens Plus, but cannot say how it will hold up over time or how often the user may need to buff or clean a pen.
 

penicillin

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Feb 27, 2019
Messages
1,036
I was not happy with CA finishes on very dark woods, like ancient bog oak and Madagascar rosewood. It made them nearly black, and definition in the grain was lost.

I used Hut Crystal Coat (alcohol, shellac, and wax) on later pens. The pens turned out better. I do not know how durable they will be.

Disclaimers:
* I do NOT recommend Hut Crystal Coat. It is okay, but not great. I am using up old stock. When it is gone or expired, I will replace it with something else, perhaps the Mylands friction polish.

* The rosewood came in a collection of old wood from a deceased woodworker. It was not an illegal source.
 

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
Messages
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NJ, USA.
I was not happy with CA finishes on very dark woods, like ancient bog oak and Madagascar rosewood. It made them nearly black, and definition in the grain was lost.

I used Hut Crystal Coat (alcohol, shellac, and wax) on later pens. The pens turned out better. I do not know how durable they will be.

Disclaimers:
* I do NOT recommend Hut Crystal Coat. It is okay, but not great. I am using up old stock. When it is gone or expired, I will replace it with something else, perhaps the Mylands friction polish.

* The rosewood came in a collection of old wood from a deceased woodworker. It was not an illegal source.
This statement is very odd because that is a crystal clear substance with no hints of oils in it.
 

MTViper

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Jul 22, 2009
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Clyde, Texas
Here's another vote for Dr.'s Pens Plus. I'm a big fan. Have a pen I carry every day for the last 4-5 years. Rich glow from the mix of wax, laquer, and body oils. That's the finish I like to see and feel, but that's just me.
 

jttheclockman

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NJ, USA.
CA totally darkens bog oak . Almost all of the grain and colour subtlety is lost . Don`t know about rosewood .
Have to take your word for this (bog oak) because I never worked with it. It is one of the rarest woods around. There have been plenty of rosewood pens around that show no signs of loosing color. I have done a few pen blanks in Brazilian Rosewood and it has beautiful color to it. I love using rosewoods in all my woodworking projects when I can.
 

robutacion

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Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
This statement is very odd because that is a crystal clear substance with no hints of oils in it.
G'day John,

I can confirm that the CA finish does on certain woods will make them almost black, in general terms, any wood when gets coated even with water will darken, on light coloured woods with lows absorption properties or very dense, the effect is less significant but on certain dark woods extremely darkening is very possible, I have a few woods that will do that.

Cheers
George
 

penicillin

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Messages
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I was not happy with CA finishes on very dark woods, like ancient bog oak and Madagascar rosewood. It made them nearly black, and definition in the grain was lost.

I used Hut Crystal Coat (alcohol, shellac, and wax) on later pens. The pens turned out better. I do not know how durable they will be.
[...]
This statement is very odd because that is a crystal clear substance with no hints of oils in it.
The ancient bog oak came from Roscommon Bog, Ireland. It was sold here on Penturners.org and also on eBay, but it is not currently available. You can get ancient bog oak from other sources. You can by ancient bog oak from England at Rockler for an outrageous price. It comes with a certificate:
https://www.rockler.com/certified-ancient-bog-oak-pen-blank

I also made one pen from Madagascar rosewood.

l did the usual CA finish, and in each case, the wood was so dark that it lost all grain definition. The bog oak was still very dark when I used Hut Crystal Coat (alcohol, shellac, wax), but you could see the grain, and the feel was much better.

I made five bog oak "Faith, Hope, Love" pens (Rockler, PSI), as thank-you gifts. After the CA finish on the first two pens made the pens almost black, I switch to the Hut Crystal Coat that I had on hand. My spouse agreed that the Hut Crystal Coat pens looked and felt much better, so I made three more Faith, Hope, Love pens from bog oak with the Hut Crystal Coat.

I made the rosewood into an EDC pen (PSI) at a later time, and I regretted that CA finish, too.

Despite your assertion that CA is clear, it does darken all of the wood that I finish with it. It is like the darkening you see when you get something wet. When the blank starts out very very dark, then the darkening makes it pure black.

Off Topic:
I was excited to learn about ancient bog oak and make pens from it. There is scientific curiosity and a "fun factor" in knowing that the wood in a pen is thousands of years old. That was until I noticed the ancient kauri wood pen blanks at my local Rockler store the other day. It is light colored and very plain looking. It is also 30,000 to 50,000 years old, putting the ancient bog oak into the "almost new" category. I bought one of the two ancient kauri wood pen blanks in the store. The choices were not very good - both pieces were creamy, with minimal grain and other coloration. There were small worm holes in the blank I chose, and I wonder when the worms lived and died.
https://www.rockler.com/ancient-kauri-pen-blank
 

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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NJ, USA.
As I said I believe you that CA must have an ill effect on some woods. There are so many variety of woods throughout the world and I have not seen or heard let alone worked with. Must be the ingredients in the CA that has these effects. Wonder if all CA reacts the same being not all CA is the same but probably all have certain chemicals that are equal. I guess like with any woodworking project it is always good to test a finish before committing to it is the lesson learned here.
 

Warren White

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Aug 27, 2014
Messages
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Location
Livermore, CA
I have certainly enjoyed reading the responses to my question. The wood in question is Teak, and when I got it, it had quite a grey tint to it, along with just a slight bit of an oily smell. However, after turning and sanding it, it has a pleasing, though not spectacular reddish-tan color. There is no contrasting grain in the pieces that I have. I think I will go with what I am experienced with; CA.

I will share one bit of the experience, however. I was going to make a CSUSA Aero pen with one of the pieces. When I was cutting the blank (after inserting and gluing the tube in) I cut the darn thing (blank and tube) off about 3 mm short! To say that I was upset is putting it mildly. I don't have any more of this wood. I called CSUSA and the tech said that was no way to recover from that. A friend came over, and we cut the blank about 3/8" up from the nib end on a 30 degree angle, put a piece of contrasting wood in that was 3mm wide. We were able to drill the insert while the blank was still glued up without harming the brass tube on either end!! Yay! Instead of "another one for the green bin" this will work! Did I say Yay? I did!

I LOVE this hobby and REALLY appreciate the help I get in my garage/shop from folks, and from the forum!
 
Joined
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Wolf Creek Montana
Love to see some pictures and hear how your final finish went. I've got Teak pieces off of eleven WWII Battleships that I'll be hopefully turning this winter. I'm not sure how I want to finish them so any ideas/advice would be very helpful.
 

Warren White

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
497
Location
Livermore, CA
Well, here are the results of the pens made out of Teak. They are from the USS Missouri. I was amazed at the difference in the color of the wood before and after it was turned. It began kind of grey and a bit smelly. After initial turning and sanding, it took several cleanings with DNA before the dark was removed, revealing the light brown you see. I decided on CA because it is what I know best. The wood does not have a lot of visual character, but an amazing character in its history. The pen with the insert of Rosewood happened because I am an idiot as I explained above.

There is one issue that really troubles me. The 2 single-blank pens are Aero pens from CSUSA. The mechanisms don't work smoothly on either of them. I have about 10 of them sitting to be used, but I don't really want to put all that effort into something that is rough. I went back to a couple of pens that I made earlier and they were both rough. I tried spraying some silicone into the mechanism (a thought that I had while talking to CSUSA, and was told to try). It helped a bit, but they are still rough.
 

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lefyldepens

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Oct 14, 2019
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Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England
Well, here are the results of the pens made out of Teak. They are from the USS Missouri. I was amazed at the difference in the color of the wood before and after it was turned. It began kind of grey and a bit smelly. After initial turning and sanding, it took several cleanings with DNA before the dark was removed, revealing the light brown you see. I decided on CA because it is what I know best. The wood does not have a lot of visual character, but an amazing character in its history. The pen with the insert of Rosewood happened because I am an idiot as I explained above.

There is one issue that really troubles me. The 2 single-blank pens are Aero pens from CSUSA. The mechanisms don't work smoothly on either of them. I have about 10 of them sitting to be used, but I don't really want to put all that effort into something that is rough. I went back to a couple of pens that I made earlier and they were both rough. I tried spraying some silicone into the mechanism (a thought that I had while talking to CSUSA, and was told to try). It helped a bit, but they are still rough.
I must admit I love the segmented one.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 

sbwertz

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May 11, 2010
Messages
3,649
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I just finished a cocobolo Zen pen without CA. I put on a couple of layers of Myland's cellulose sealer, sanded it a little bit and really loved the appearance at that stage. The wood appears warm and lustrous and I couldn't bear to put a shiny coat of CA on it, so I rubbed in a bit of microcrystalline wax and buffed it a bit with paper towel. Looks great. I have no idea how well it will hold up over time, but I don't mind retouching with more wax if it gets worn or dull. I'll try to post a picture when I have a moment.
Actually, cocobolo is one wood I always put a CA finish on to seal it completely because so many people are allergic to it.
 
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