Plexiglas Finish Questions?.....

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Len Shreck

Len Shreck

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Joined
Nov 9, 2009
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312
Location
Pennsylvania
I have read the Article on here about using Plexiglas as a CA Alternative finish several times and have thought about giving it a try, so today I had to go to my local hardware store and I ask if they had any Plexiglas scraps laying around I ended up getting one that is about 8 1/2" square and another that is about 12" square both are about 1/8" thick for about 5.00 for both I have Acetone here and a quart new empty paint can so I am going cut the Plexiglas into pieces with my band saw and TRY to give it a try.
My question is for those that have tried it is there anything special I need to know about trying it? Will a quart size can paint can be big enough to start the process with? I plan to move it into smaller glass jars that I have before doing the plastic squeeze bottle. So I am looking for advise and guidance doing this since this is my first time attempting this process. Thanks for any and all help. Len

PS Being new, and not getting a lot of good finishes with the BLO/CA or just CA finish, I have been using High Gloss Midlands (sp) build up friction polish. So I am looking for an other finish that will work for me. Thanks again Len
 
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Len, I made up a batch and have used it a couple of times. I used a quart canning jar. I broke up the plexiglass in smaller pieces and filled the jar about 1/4th full of plastic then filled with acetone until it just covered the top of the plastic and let it set for a couple of days. I added additional acetone until I got the consistancy that I wanted. It worked ok. I could not get the shine that I can get with CA so I have not worked with it much past that. Good luck.
 
I made some to try finishing with it. I did a spindle with pretty good results. I ended up using it all up stabilizing some spalted maple blanks I bought.


Manny
 
It will disolve faster if you dril/ a 1/4 hole through the plexi mount it on a 1/4 all thread, chuck it up in your lathe and turn it into ribbons. Make sure you clean around your lathe to avoid contamination.
 
this method really has my attention.

some thoughts: would it be possible to introduce additives to the "plexitone", like metal flake, for a different kind of finish?

or how about mixing the plexiglass and acetone, let it sit as directed until it's thoroughly dissolved, then remove the lid to the container and let the acetone evaporte, leaving a plexiglass turning blank?

please forgive, I'm very new to woodturning, and completely green to all the finishes and tricks of the trade, but as I pondered the plexitone, these questions came to mind.

perhaps even making a mold of some sort to pour the plexitone into?
 
sol92258 said:
this method really has my attention.

some thoughts: would it be possible to introduce additives to the "plexitone", like metal flake, for a different kind of finish?

or how about mixing the plexiglass and acetone, let it sit as directed until it's thoroughly dissolved, then remove the lid to the container and let the acetone evaporte, leaving a plexiglass turning blank?

please forgive, I'm very new to woodturning, and completely green to all the finishes and tricks of the trade, but as I pondered the plexitone, these questions came to mind.

perhaps even making a mold of some sort to pour the plexitone into?
Click to expand...

You could probably do all of that, but I would think it would be cheaper and easier to just use PR.
 
Len Shreck said:
I have read the Article on here about using Plexiglas as a CA Alternative finish several times and have thought about giving it a try, so today I had to go to my local hardware store and I ask if they had any Plexiglas scraps laying around I ended up getting one that is about 8 1/2" square and another that is about 12" square both are about 1/8" thick for about 5.00 for both I have Acetone here and a quart new empty paint can so I am going cut the Plexiglas into pieces with my band saw and TRY to give it a try.
My question is for those that have tried it is there anything special I need to know about trying it? Will a quart size can paint can be big enough to start the process with? I plan to move it into smaller glass jars that I have before doing the plastic squeeze bottle. So I am looking for advise and guidance doing this since this is my first time attempting this process. Thanks for any and all help. Len

PS Being new, and not getting a lot of good finishes with the BLO/CA or just CA finish, I have been using High Gloss Midlands (sp) build up friction polish. So I am looking for an other finish that will work for me. Thanks again Len
Click to expand...

Len,
I bought an old 6" plexiglas peppermill from the Goodwill store and broke it half and put half of it in a pint jar with about 1/2 pint of acetone... then I put the solution in a dispenser bottle from a beauty supply house... I've used it for about a year and still have over half of it left... I don't do many pens with it though... I like the CA finish better. I use it to coat the inside of some of my wood goblets.

To answer your question, the quart size can is more than twice what you'll need to start... put the pieces in a jar that you can see through, cover the plexiglas with acetone and let it dissolve... you'll need to shake it regularly to make sure you don't wind up with just a glob of melted plexiglas in the bottom of the jar... after it has dissolved, you can dilute the solution to the consistency you want... about the consistency of Karo syrup is about right.
 
Does anyone think that applying this finish with a small brush usually used for spreading glue would work for applying "Plexitone"? I made a batch up, had a few problems because I wasnt shaking/mixing it ofter enough but I got that fixed and have a batch finished up now, but dont know what I want to use to apply it. I dont want to ruin a plastic bottle every time I want to use it. It will dissolve a plastic bottle if you put it in one and keep it in there right? Thanks for any help all. Len
 
My technique from 2007:

I take a few small pieces of plexiglas and dissolve it
in acetone. There are a couple of types of plexiglas,
my first batch melted into a glob but didn't dissolve.
The correct type will start to dissolve immediately
and will go into solution in a couple of days. I use a
mason jar to hold my solution. I got my plexi at Lowes
from their window department - I asked for cutoffs and
got a big piece for $1.00.

After the plexi is dissolved I pour it into a clear
condiment bottle (Wal-Mart $.79) and add a bit more
acetone until the solution is a bit thicker than thin
CA glue. You can experiment to get your ideal
viscosity, some people like the solution much thicker
than mine.

I sand my blanks to 400 grit and then remove all of
the dust from them. I lay newspaper across my lathe,
under the mandrel and set the lathe at 1800 rpm, I
also have a spacer bushing at each end of the mandrel.
I take a small plastic bag from a pen kit and put it over my
index finger, fold a 1/2 paper towel to about 1/2 inch
wide. (The bag keeps your finger from getting it own plexi finish.)

Put a couple of drops of solution on the paper towel
and run it under the spinning blanks. Start applying
just a little pressure on the bushing set before the
blank and make a smooth motion through the bushing at
the opposite end (the motion should take about as long
as it takes to say "motion.") Then put another drop on
the towel and go the opposite way, use enough solution
so that the towel is transferring the solution to the
blanks through the whole range. I put 25-40 coats on
in a couple of minutes (drip, slide, drip, slide) it
dries quickly enough that the time it takes to add a
drip is all the time you need to wait. (Thicker
solutions mean slower drying time, thinner solutions mean you will need more coats.)

After the coats have been applied, I let the lathe
spin for 2-3 minutes and then start wet sanding with
Micro Mesh. Be careful with the 1500 grit, with my
first few tries I removed most of the plexi with that
one. Just a few seconds with moderate pressure is
enough for each grit, and dry off the blank between
grits to remove the slurry. The MM work is done at the
same 1800 rpms. After some practice the whole
procedure from the first drop to removing the polished
blanks takes about 5 minutes.

I turn the lathe off and use a utility knife to score
the plexi just a bout 1/16 - 1/8 inch from the end of
the blank, be careful to do it lightly so you don't
cut into your bushings. I then remove the blanks and trim
any extra finish off the ends. I tilt the blanks at a
slight angle and rub the sharp edges on some high grit
sandpaper, 500+, to get rid of the sharpness.
 
Plexitone finish.

I keep a stock supply that is thick like Karo syrup. To finish a pen I pour some of this "syrup" into an empty CA bottle and thin this mixture with acetone to the thin CA point. I had lots of problems early with finishing. I ended up with a thick layer between the end of pen section and the bushing. I did not have much luck with cutting the plexitone with knife because when I broke the bushing off I would either have a big edge of finish extending out from the pen or the finish would peel off the pen.
I solved this by using taking the turned pens off the mandrel and using short sections of brass tubes in place of the bushings. This way the finish actually seals the end of the wood as well. Then I wet sand with 400 grit paper and use EEE Ultra Shine. This leaves a beautiful finish and I have not been disappointed since I started following these steps.

Hrtndlr
 
So the only way to apply this as a finish is to apply it like CA in a bottle. So no one thinks it will work to apply it with a small brush that is usually used to apply wood glue? Like I said before I really dont want to ruin a bottle every time I want to use it as a finish. Am I correct in assuming that putting this into a plastic bottle the acetone will eat/dissolve the plastic bottle? This is the main question I am looking for an answer to. I have a batch made up it is a little thicker then thick CA and it is in a glass jar I have not tried to thin it and put any into a plastic bottle because I dont want it to dissolve the bottle and leak out all over the place. I was also thinking that it wouldnt be a good finish to try on PR or Acrylic pens if you wanted to put a protective coat on one to protect something like an inlay made from wood. Thanks again to you all for your help with this. Len
 
Len,

I am totally new at acetone (well not totally). The first two times did not work for me, but the reasons and answers for not working - came quickly from people here. I will give my experiences and maybe that will answer some of your questions.

First, most hard plastic bottles will dissolve but some squeeze like bottles are acetone resistant.

2nd, I didn't have the right consistency and the plexi mix hardened too quick for me. It did not stick well, hardened too fast and peeled off easily. The key is to not give up, find the right thickness and application speed - I think. I say this because I did not do that. I do know that it works for others, so it is not an elusive dream. The problem was mine.

3rd. Brush - it might work but from the first experience that I had, I could see the brush hardening after the first or at least the second application. If a brush is limited to only two or three swipes before the finish hardens, it could become too bothersome, IMO.

4th. My second attempt ended quickly when I was trying to apply it on a bloodwood/holly segment. Acetone mix will leach bloodwood and that will stain other woods if you are using any kind of multi wood or multi color segment. Coat segments or bloodwood with a good solid coat or two of thin CA first, then plexi.
 
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Len Shreck said:
So the only way to apply this as a finish is to apply it like CA in a bottle. So no one thinks it will work to apply it with a small brush that is usually used to apply wood glue? Like I said before I really dont want to ruin a bottle every time I want to use it as a finish. Am I correct in assuming that putting this into a plastic bottle the acetone will eat/dissolve the plastic bottle? This is the main question I am looking for an answer to. I have a batch made up it is a little thicker then thick CA and it is in a glass jar I have not tried to thin it and put any into a plastic bottle because I dont want it to dissolve the bottle and leak out all over the place. I was also thinking that it wouldnt be a good finish to try on PR or Acrylic pens if you wanted to put a protective coat on one to protect something like an inlay made from wood. Thanks again to you all for your help with this. Len
Click to expand...


Len, I can see from my posting that I left several things unclear.

I put my thinned plexitone solution in a white CA bottle. The bottle is not affected by the acetone. I would predict similar results with a clear bottle. The method I use for applying to my pen is to wear gloves, have the lathe at speed, and drip the finish on while sliding a folded paper towel along the bottom of the pen. Multiple thin layers are desired rather than a few thick layers. The goal is to put several (10-15) thin coats on. If the layers are to thick the finish will peel off the wood and necessitate sanding down to bare wood and starting over. I wish I could say I read about this.

Another way to apply plexitone is to dip a folded paper towel in a plexitone solution and again applying multiple layers. I moved away from this method because I used a lot of finish this way. More went on the paper towel than on the pen. That's how I evolved to using the old CA bottle.

I would not recommend using plexitone on acrylic. Plexiglass is acrylic (I've read) and the acetone does dissolve it. I've spilled plexitone on an acrylic pen and even though I wiped it off immediately I had to take the pen apart and refinish it.

Hope this helps,
Hrtndlr
 
The bottles I have used to hold the finish have not been damaged, one being full for almost three years. I used this finish with a PR cast snakeskin (Don Ward) and a wood band - it worked very well. Also worked well with a (Landfilllumber) cast blue jeans blank.

Plexi $1.00
Bottle $0.79
Acetone (quart) $5.49
Jar (found) Free
------------------------
Total $7.28 for over 200 pens

With additional acetone, the scrap of plexi will yield at least 800 more pen finishes.
 
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