How to Improve My Finish? With Comparison Pictures for Reference.

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CoastalRyan

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Dec 12, 2012
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Alright these are my first two pens so I'm thinking there's something wrong execution wise. Wrong process? Yes I have searched endlessly which is how I learned about WTF, MM and PlastX.

So let me be thorough here so you know exactly what I've done.

These two pens don't look too far off from each other. Really I'm looking for more of a glass finish. The first one is basically for comparison purposes.

So first up I sanded this pen to 600. Rubbed some Carnuba wax right on the blank while it was spinning and heated it up with a paper towel. Then buffed with Tripoli followed by White Diamond at 2,500 RPM's on my lathe.






Second one below I sanded to 600. Applied 7 coats of WTF. The sixth coat was the first coat that looked glossy. So I followed it up with one more for good measure. Wet sanded using MM from 1,500 -12,000. Buffed with Tripoli followed by White Diamond. Then applied Plastx and hand buffed with a microfiber cloth.





I expected better. So method, process or product? Where am I going wrong. Should I have applied another 4-5 coats of WTF? It really didn't create a hard finish like I expected. Maybe the coats were too light?

Should I have applied the PlastX on the lathe and heated it up or buffed it out on the wheel? It says to wipe it off before it dries and to be honest it made it less glossy not more.

Basically I need to lock down a good pattern that would achieve better results. I think they turned out nice but for the times where I'm looking for a glass like finish what can I do.
 
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Well..

Some people like to have grain exposed. And some don't. While it doesn't bother me, I can understand wanting a glass finish.

With open grain, if I want to have them filled, I used Thin CA to fill and sand it down if I want to get back to the wood.

If I want them to stay open, I follow a process similar to yours.
 
If you are looking for glass you will likely need to turn to CA. I can get a very good finish with Wood Doctors Pen finish but in an open grained wood this is very difficult. I prefer to keep the wood touchable but the vast majority here seem to like the CA style finish. I have to admit the CA makes a beautiful finish and is extremely shiny. You can get a very nice finish without CA but you will have to work at it. You also have to work with CA it isn't a free finish by a long shot.
 
I was really looking to go in another direction than CA. I may have to rethink that on select jobs that require a glass like finish if my options are that limited.
 
Polurethane will give you a gloss finish as will lacquer. If you are looking to fill the grain then collect some fine sawdust and mix with some CA or clear wood glue. Elmers comes to mind. That is the easy part. There is a tutorial in the library about dipping in polyurethane. Or you can wipe on. Remember with poly it does not have the burn-in characteristics such as lacquer so it is a case of layers. You can spray it on also but this requires taking off the mandrel. Many ways of finishing a pen.
 
If you don't want to use CA, then lacquer will give you the finish you are looking for. I use Deft brushing lacquer and it works very well. Thin 50-50 for the first coat to get it to soak in good and deep, then 8-10 coats wet sanding lightly in between.
You'll have a lovely glassy finish. It won't look the same as CA because lacquer has a slightly amber color and CA is clear.
 
Vince_Hoffmann said:
If you don't want to use CA, then lacquer will give you the finish you are looking for. I use Deft brushing lacquer and it works very well. Thin 50-50 for the first coat to get it to soak in good and deep, then 8-10 coats wet sanding lightly in between.
You'll have a lovely glassy finish. It won't look the same as CA because lacquer has a slightly amber color and CA is clear.
Click to expand...

Use a waterbase lacquer and it is as clear as the wood you put it on. I use it all the time. If i make something small such as birdhouse ornaments or kids tops, I will pull the spray can of deft out.
 
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