New Finish , NO MIRROR

[Dalecamino]

Thanks , to my critics and advisors !! I could not get this pen apart without damaging it . So , with some good ol' painters tape , I very carefully masked off the hardware and put 4 coats of laquer on this , my first FP . Not at all like my CA/Blo finish , but it's a keeper anyway . Thank you all for your comments , that will encourage me to continue my efforts .

 

[marcruby]

Looks pretty good to me -- what kind of lacquer did you use??

 

[workinforwood]

You are correct that it was a smart recovery. I can see some orange peel typical of a spray job. I'm going to suggest let the pen sit at least a few weeks, then re-tape it. Wet sand it with your mm pads by hand and you will remove most if not all the orange peel effect and bring alot more shine to the pen. Sanding by hand is going to reduce your chances of melting the laquer as well. It's a beauty of a pen that truly needed to be saved!

 

[Dalecamino]

Marc , I just went down to Lowes and got a can of DEFT Gloss .

Originally posted by marcruby

Looks pretty good to me -- what kind of lacquer did you use??

 

[Dalecamino]

Thanks Jeff , I didn't know how long to wait before sanding . There's no way I can live with the orange peel . What grit would you recommend starting with ? Thanks for the help !

 

[gketell]

Lacquer fully cures in about a week. I would start with 4000 and if that isn't working quickly enough drop down to 3600 or 3200. You would rather work longer and have it work out than sand through by mistake, I'm guessing.

The only thing I worry about is did you seal the end grain of the blank after milling them flush? If not, the water might soak in and discolor the wood. You might actually want to dry sand if you haven't sealed it.

GK

 

[Dalecamino]

Thanks Greg ! I'm thinking of dry sanding just to be sure .

 

[JayDevin]

Still Looks Good!

 

[Dalecamino]

Thank you Jay ! [8D]

 

[PaulDoug]

Yep, no matter what you think you did wrong that is a beautiful pen even as is. Greate piece of wood.

 

[Ligget]

Looks great from over here Chuck, better picture too![]

 

[Dalecamino]

Thank you , Mark ! I'll see how it comes out when I sand it next week ! That , should be interesting .

Originally posted by ligget

Looks great from over here Chuck, better picture too![]

 

[ed4copies]

Chuck,

Sanding is a GREAT plan, but there is no hurry. Yes, a week is good. IF you are near the Mississippi and have very high humidity right now, wait a couple weeks. The lacquer will ALWAYS be ABLE to be sanded, but if it breaks down while sanding, you have a major hurdle to overcome. DAMHIKT!!!!

 

[Dalecamino]

LOL , thanks Ed . I will wait ! [8D]

 

[VisExp]

Chuck, you'll have to post another photo when you're done with the sanding. The picture is a lot easier on the eye without the mirror

 

[Dalecamino]

LOL Keith , I will , and I promise , NO mirror ! I've insulted Karl with it , and might get kicked out of the club !! [)]

 

[workinforwood]

I would wet sand, although you can start out dry. If you're worried about water, use something else. There's french polishing compounds, or how about sanding laquer with laquer! That's a common technique. You can add a couple drops of mineral spirits to your laquer to thin it down just a touch, and use it as a lubricant as you sand. Then wipe it down with a soft cloth. Excess laquer will get into any super tiny scratches and fill them for an even smoother look. You can work that pen to look like a grand piano. I'd start at about a 1200 grit and sand that dry up to 3200 then start lubing. Dry sand really gently.

 

[Dalecamino]

Great suggestions Jeff . Thanks ! [8D]