Greetings from Nebraska - I have learned that there are as many CA techniques as there are brands. The trick is to find a regimen that works for you and that produces satisfactory results.
Many swear by certain brands and recipes of how many coats of thin and medium to apply. Another variable is whether or not some kind of CA curing accelerator is used. I know many in IAP frequently mention how satisfied they are with Gluboost CA products for finishing.
I personally tried several brands of CA before settling in on my own recipe and method. The problem I had when I started several years ago was that I was using CA Adhesives for my finish. I found over time that my finishes would sometimes get cloudy or would be brittle and crack or craze over time. Finally, thanks to a starter pack for finishing I came to adopt the Stick Fast brand of CA Wood Finish and Activator. Although there are many that have experienced problems with it, it has served me very well.
My regimen is to clean the blank of surface oils with denatured alcohol to start with. After it has had adequate time to evaporate off I proceed to finishing. On extremely oily woods like olive and cocobolo I start by cleaning the blank once more using acetone which is a little more aggressive than alcohol. It is also an excellent solvent for CA so I don't have to worry as much about compatibility with the solvent for my initial coats.
I use Viva Vantage or Viva Signature Cloth paper towels cut down and folded into little pads as applicators. My base recipe is 4 coats of Thin Stick Fast Wood Finish, applied with the lathe running at about 500 RPM and allowing 90 seconds for each coat to dry (or soak in). Then I follow the thin with 12 coats of Medium Stick Fast Wood Finish and a short burst of Stick Fast Activator between coats. (A coat consists of about 4 drops of CA on the applicator pad).
I use a reasonable amount of pressure when applying the finish and I only wipe back and forth about 3 times. The coats are very thin - I am sure that most of the CA is lost to the applicator pad, but applying many thin coats helps me keep the finish smooth in order to minimize sanding afterward. I tried less porous applicators like the closed cell foam pads and little plastic bags that many use, but I was never able to develop the skill to get the finish on as evenly as I can with the paper towels. This led to more sanding required and as someone has already mentioned, the occasional "sand through" which results in a dull appearance where all of the surface CA has been sanded off. Using the thin coats I don't need to do any kind of sanding to level the surface out before I start with Micromesh.
Also before Micromesh I do lightly sand the ends though to remove any build up, ridge or fingernail of CA that happens on the ends and then I re-seal the ends by touching them to a blotter like pad of thin CA.
I suggest you search and review the forums for information on how other members do their finishing and in any case I wish you the best of luck in establishing a finishing regimen that works best for you.
Best Regards,
Dave
