Incomplete CA coverage?

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randyrls

randyrls

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Joined
Feb 2, 2006
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Location
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Recently I have problems with CA having "gaps" in coverage. I have tried using CA with and without BLO, but get the same results. I tried increasing the amount and coats of CA but still get gaps in the coverage.

The finish looks shiny right off the lathe, but if I wipe the surface with DNA or acetone, I can see dull spots/areas where the CA didn't stick(?).

Has anyone run into this???

It's driving me crazy!!!:confused:

I have a scrap blank on the lathe now and I am going to get out my jeweler's loupe and examine the blank closely..
 
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Mineral spirits is a better wipedown medium as it will not affect CA finishes -- Acetone will etch a CA finish -- DNA can sometimes affect the finish.
 
First off, DON"T WIPE WITH ACETONE. It will dissolve the CA finish.
That said, how many coats of CA or you putting on and what viscosity?
You may not be using enough and are sanding through the finish.
 
Start with a few coats of thin, then go to a few coats of medium. If the first coat of medium leaves gaps, all of the subsequent coats will have the same gaps. Thin sticks a little better in the early rounds.
 
I applaud your use of high magnification to examine the finish. I found that close inspection under 30x or 40x magnification allowed me to fine tune my CA finishing techniques, since I could finally see what was actually going on at the surface. This applies to both applying the CA as well as micro-meshing it.
 
When that happened to me it was caused by a few things:

1. Not enough CA build up
2. Over sanding/polishing (goes hand in hand with 1)
3. Out of round, or high points around barrel

Basically the parts that are dull are where you removed the CA down to the wood. It will look shiny for a short period, but dull quickly.

Of course, the Acetone on CA could have cause that, if you're judging it after you wiped it down...
 
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