Mesquite burl not absoring CA/BLO?

[TX_Planes]

I am having a tough time with a CA/BLO finish on mesquite. I am finding a few places on the pen that don't appear shiny. It is if the burl/knots are so hard they are not absorbing the CA/BLO. Am I on the right track? How do I get an overall shiny finish? I am happy with cap portion and most of the pen portion is very shiny.

Thanks for your time.

 

[GouletPens]

A few standard questions:

1) Did you rub with acetone first before applying the finish?
2) Are you using thin, med, or thick CA?
3) How old is your CA?
4) Has the air been really moist in your shop lately?
5) How many coats of CA are you applying?
6) Are you rubbing in the CA at a fast speed, or applying it slow with thicker coats?

This info will help everyone to give more accurate advice.

 

[leehljp]

"Absorbing CA" is not a part of the equation on very hard wood/knots. Building up layers of CA OVER it - is the way to get to a shine.

Go for the overkill and put a tad too much CA and sand back. Unless you have bad CA or wet wood or oil on the wood under the CA, It should shine if you have enough coats. Oh, and sand / polish without sanding through the CA back to the wood.

A third problem is that understanding definitions/descriptions of others is a HIGHLY subjective interpretation. Lightly sanding to one person is heavy sanding to another, A "few coats" and "several coats" have many definitions.

 

[jkeithrussell]

Try sanding it back to the wood and finishing it with thin or medium CA only -- no BLO. You can use a little accelerant, or just wait until each coat dries. I've had good luck lately with accelerant. The less BLO that I use (in general), the better results I get. The humidity in Houston is murderous right now, and nothing that I do has been working lately.

 

[TX_Planes]

Thanks for the replys.

This wood is very old/dry stored in doors
CA med and about 6 months old
No environmental issues (wet vs. dry)
Speed 1,800 rpm

Here is what I did to solve the problem. I let it sit for a few hours and tried again. This time I put a tiny spot of BLO on a paper towel with a slighly larger spot of med CA. With the lathe off I rubbed on the CA/BLO on the problem spot and turned on the lathe with in 2-3 seconds. Followed by the normal fast rubbing over the blank. I did this several more times ( 4 x) and that gave me the overall shiny look. Worked for me!

 

[mdburn_em]

I think you are sanding through your finish.

A set of digital calipers will tell you.

I like knowing exactly how thick my finish is. I can then match (spot-on) the measurements I have the for the parts of the pen.

 

[leehljp]

Here is what I did to solve the problem. I let it sit for a few hours and tried again. This time I put a tiny spot of BLO on a paper towel with a slighly larger spot of med CA. With the lathe off I rubbed on the CA/BLO on the problem spot and turned on the lathe with in 2-3 seconds. Followed by the normal fast rubbing over the blank. I did this several more times ( 4 x) and that gave me the overall shiny look. Worked for me!

One thing most people will find here - experimenting with one's own ideas is usually the most effective method. Not always but usually. Congratulations - for solving the problem - and thanks for sharing it with us. Problem solvers make GREAT pen turners! :biggrin: