This looks very interesting. How do you apply this stuff to pen blanks on the lathe? And then what steps do you take to finish after applying?
As I mentioned I do not use anything other than CA for wood pens. I usually do a few coats of thin to seal the wood and sand and then do a few coats of med. CA. I use Satellite City CA. As for this filler I use it on boxes and shelves and things like that. It basically a clear wood filler. Apply with a credit card or flat scraper. sand and reapply as needed. Then top coat with whatever you want. I like to use satin spray on lacquers.
After applying several light coats, I would only want to eliminate any high spots. Usually 600 Abranet. After I got experienced with the slow speed spinner, I often did not need to do any final 'treatments' - polishing, buffing, etc. after the final coat. It was time consuming, but I usually liked the process as much as the end result; I was just having fun. This is also why many of my segmented pens were 'one offs'. OK, I figured that design out, onto something new.
I'm trying this AquaCoat now on segmented wood pen blanks. Got the first coat drying, then I'll give it a very light sanding to scuff it up for the next coat with 400 grit paper. I'll see how that looks and decide if I want a third coat or not. I'll let that cure for 24 hours, then hit it with 1200-3000 grit sanding sponges (dry), and then see how EEE and shellawax look over that. Pics to come when it's all done. Thank you for this suggestion!
I like the feel of wood also. I use lacquer. I use spray as canned goes bad sooner. I spray on a blue paper shop towel and apply it on the lathe while it turns. Dries super fast so I give it several coats. Good protection and it still feels like wood. I like acrylics also but wood should feel like wood.
10 years down the line and had no complaints but those were gifted pens. On my own it's worn to a great patina on some burr elm ones.
Not critical really. But not super fast as you don't want to get splattered with lacquer.