How long for Enduro to cure?

[BigguyZ]

I'm done with CA. I just had the most expensive pen I've ever sold come back on me.

This is my biggest worry, and the fact that I had had this pen for almost a year before selling it is frustrating. These finish issues make me not want to do pens, since the finish can be applied perfectly, look perfect, be down to the exact size needed. Be fully cured over time, and STILL CRACK!

So........ I'm looking for an alternative. I've heard Enduro is more flexible, so it'll be less prone to cracking. Is this true? I have a quart of the water based gloss product from Rockler. I had successfully done an application with brushing it on, but once I sanded it became dull. The concensus was that I didn't wait long enough for the product to cure. How long between coats, and how long to wait for it to cure fully before I sand/ polish? I'd like to get the pen back to the owner quickly.

Thanks!
Travis

 

[jttheclockman]

I'm done with CA. I just had the most expensive pen I've ever sold come back on me.

This is my biggest worry, and the fact that I had had this pen for almost a year before selling it is frustrating. These finish issues make me not want to do pens, since the finish can be applied perfectly, look perfect, be down to the exact size needed. Be fully cured over time, and STILL CRACK!

So........ I'm looking for an alternative. I've heard Enduro is more flexible, so it'll be less prone to cracking. Is this true? I have a quart of the water based gloss product from Rockler. I had successfully done an application with brushing it on, but once I sanded it became dull. The concensus was that I didn't wait long enough for the product to cure. How long between coats, and how long to wait for it to cure fully before I sand/ polish? I'd like to get the pen back to the owner quickly.

Thanks!
Travis

Can't tell from the photo but did the finish crack or did the blank crack???

The biggest problem we have as pen makers is we are locked in to the kit design for the most part unless you go kitless and I will leave that to those that do that. But every kit just about the nib is the thinnest material on the blank. Some times the cap end can get thin also but for the most part that is the prone area. Now we apply more pressur to the small material because we are pressing in parts into a roumd tube. Now if the tube is out of round or the parts plating is a bit too much or if there is a smidgeon of glue residue the chances for failure are multiplied. OK say we overcome all those situations and the customer gets the pen and drops it or accidentally hits that particular end of the pen and being so thin it will crack. I don't care what finish you use it will happen. Oh did I forget to mention wood moves and some woods move more than others and are prone to crack.

To my point, if you are going to make wood pens these are the things to consider. We don't read about everyone's horror stories and we all have them and if they say they don't they lie. Swiching to a more flexible finish may help but don't expect miracles. Just the nature of the hobby. Good luck with your fix and tell the customer you stand behind your work and move on. Don't lose sleep over it for it will drive you crazy. Don't get me wrong, acrylics have their own set of problems too. Are we having fun:biggrin:

 

[edman2]

I applied Enduro just like I do CA finish (with a paper towel). When I used Enduro I let the sanding sealer dry overnight and then applied the gloss. I then let that dry 24-48 hours before I buffed it. Some will say not to buff Enduro with white diamond at all. Just use MM on it and then apply polish and buff the polish. Worked for me rather well but I have stopped using it because of the time it takes.

 

[Wildman]

Applying Enduro Finish to Pens

http://www.penmakersguild.com/articles/endurofinish.pdf

I think lot of turners confused over dry to touch time, recoat time, and cure time. Do is read manufacturer data sheets paying attention to optimum drying temperature and recoat times. You have to make adjustments based upon temperature and humidity at your location. Have not found any many clear finish manufacturers that will give you a cure time for their products.

 

[BigguyZ]

The crack is in the finish, not the wood/ blank. And like I said, the frustrating aspect is the time delay nature of it. This pen was fine for a looong time before it sold.

 

[galoot_loves_tools]

I if you can use a 'hotbox' with an incandescent light for heat or a radiator of some sort, you can cure an Enduro finish enough to polish it in about 12 hours. My experience is with a dipped finish. I tell my recipients to let the finish cure for another couple of days before they use the pen on a regular basis. See this thread for more detail.

 

[KenV]

Enduro started out with a manufacturor in California and was purchased by General Finishes 4-5 years ago.

There appear to be an amber colored version made to emulate alkalyd varnishes called Enduro Var; and a clear version called Enduro PreCat.

I like Enduro and continue to have good success --

 

[robutacion]

The crack is in the finish, not the wood/ blank. And like I said, the frustrating aspect is the time delay nature of it. This pen was fine for a looong time before it sold.

I'm glad to hear the crack is only in the finish, that is the best out of all possibilities...!

I can't tell what caused the CA to crack but and regardless of how long you had the pen with you before it was sold, remember that the pen was in a controlled environment and not exposed to movement and gravity. I mean gravity as a drop of the pen can cause such crack easily, a little weight over the pen can cause the damage as many other possibilities that the pen become expose to when in use, which was not the case when you had it (I believe)...!

Keep one thing in mind, all chemicals used for finish wood, metals, etc. have a "CURING" time, most manufacturers don't like to mention details about it but is very wrong as many finishes are damaged or destroyed as the result of not being aware of such information. If you want to play on the safe side of things, curing times are between 7 and 14 days at average temps of 15 to 25 degrees C.

CA in one of the products with the shortest curing time but still require 4 to 7 days depending of the thickness and temperatures. While CA has the accelerator to make things faster, it does so in a limited way, there is, it hardens the CA surface but, the CA is far from cured.

Anyone that has the "habit" of coating the barrel(s) with CA and give it at least overnight, preferentially 24 hours before sanding, will have less chances to sand through the CA and get a much better sanding surface as the CA is no longer "rubbery" underneath (particularly in thick coating). This softness is not visible to the naked eye but it explains the irregularities in the finish difficult to smooth down and the common "sanding trough" as the CA is hot and soft, making sanding a difficult thing to control as the CA needs to be rock solid to allow the sanding grits to cut properly and not excessively.

We all like the CA for its "quick thing", some people get away with it some don't, particularly with some woods and its dryness, etc.

Unfortunately, these things don't chose price tags and can happen to the most expensive pen out there, there is a big difference between "display" pens and "working" pens, the working pens are the ones that most require maintenance from all sorts of exposure, it will be a lot easier for you to simple remove the finish and re-finish with the method and products you know well, and don't stress about what has happen.

You customer will need to know that you back up your work and you will accept any "maintenance" it will require. Sometimes, that maintenance will justify a charge, other times and in this case, I reckon it will be "safer" to you to just repair it then insinuate or hint to your customer that he/she drooped it of something of that nature. If you weren't told what happened, they will prefer to keep it that way and have the pen repaired to its original condition.

You're lucky that the wood is OK, that will make the repair a lot simpler and less expensive for you so, eat the bullet, lose 1 hour with it and keep that customer happy, he/she will let other people know how you behaved/reacted to the situation, believe me...!

Good luck...!

Cheers
George