How much CA is enough?

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G1Pens

G1Pens

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I see posts on the forum for finishes with CA with anywhere form 4 or 5 coats to as many as 20 coats. How much is enough and how much is too much. I understand that everyone does it different, but why 20 coats of CA?
 
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I have always wondered that to. I put mine on a little thick. If I would put 20 coats on It would change the size of the tube by probably 1/16" or better. So i go about 4 sometimes coats and I think thats plenty. So that raises a good point and another question. How thick are everyones coats?
 
The number of coats required is directly related to how smoothly they are applied and how much sanding is done after the application.

The less you need to sand off to get a satisfactorily smooth finish (whatever that is), the less you need to apply in the first case.

I try to aim for two coats of thin in combination with BLO (to seal the wood), and then no more than four coats of medium.
 
20 coats may seem excessive, but the finish on CharlesH's pens (which are 20 coats) is excessively perfect. If 20 coats is what it takes to get a finish like his, then I might start buying more CA.
 
I wasn't criticizing. I am trying to understand and make the best pen I can make. So I was just curious how much CA is really the correct amount. I am sure that different woods soak up a little more. I also understand that how smooth you get it on to start with determines how much you need to sand off to get it smooth. I was trying to see if there was a good average to use as a baseline.
 
G1Pens said:
I wasn't criticizing. I am trying to understand and make the best pen I can make. So I was just curious how much CA is really the correct amount. I am sure that different woods soak up a little more. I also understand that how smooth you get it on to start with determines how much you need to sand off to get it smooth. I was trying to see if there was a good average to use as a baseline.
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I would say that 3 to 4 coats of thin followed by 3 to 4 coats of medium would be pretty close to an "average" CA finish.
 
How manu coats? Thats easy. As many as it takes to build the finish up to the correct fit. That depends on how crazy i went sanding away the blank. :biggrin:
 
G1Pens said:
I see posts on the forum for finishes with CA with anywhere form 4 or 5 coats to as many as 20 coats. How much is enough and how much is too much. I understand that everyone does it different, but why 20 coats of CA?
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As much as is needed !!! :biggrin:
I use only thin CA and my routine gets 12 coats . This gives me enough to sand smooth and still leave a good finish .
 
ldb2000 said:
As much as is needed !!! :biggrin:
I use only thin CA and my routine gets 12 coats . This gives me enough to sand smooth and still leave a good finish .
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+1 Enough CA to build a good glossy finish and stand up to your particular sanding routine without cutting through the CA. For me -- that's 10 "smooth, thin" coats of medium CA applied with a Viva! paper towel and the lathe running at 760 RPM. And sometimes I have to do it over because I sand through on a spot!
 
I use only thin CA. If I am using a wood that I want to put BLO on, I apply the BLO and use a dry paper towel to remove as much as I can. I slow my lathe down to the slowest high speed setting on a jet 1014 (not sure what the speed is) and apply three smooth coats of thin CA. I sand with 600 grit or sometimes 1500 mm and take a look. If the wood is completely sealed in the CA I am done with this step, if not I apply 1 to 3 additional coats and re sand (oh I hit with accelerator after the third coat and before I sand). I sometimes do this several times if I am getting spots where the CA sanded off. I use this first step as a sealer or base finish for applying cigar bands or decals. If I do, I let them dry over night and then finish the pen.

I only use thin. If no decal or cigar band was used, an additional 6 to 10 coats seems enough for me usually. That is in addition to the base I have already laid down and sanded. However, there are times I use more.

If I am using a cigar label or decal I apply thin coats until I have it covered enough to withstand the 1500 mm I start with. I have made some pens with cigar labels that required at least 20 coats of CA to get the finish I want.
 
About 8 coats works for me. Sometimes this is all thin or a mix of thin and medium. I try to put it on as smooth as possible to reduce the sanding required. I typically sand with 4 grits and the polish. Thats it.
 
There was a poll some months back asking how thick was your CA finish. That criteria is a better indicator of what is enough. With all the variables, the number of coats is pretty much meaningless in determining how much is enough. I am not good at searching for past thread info, but the result is there if you can find it.
 
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