Problems with CA finish

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ctwxlvr

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Feb 12, 2007
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Hartford, CT, USA.
I am having a problem doing CA finishes, lately applying the Thick CA for the finish Coat, I get what I call a Popcorn finish a bunch of white balls of hard ca develop on the surface of the CA covering the entire surface, if I sand starting at 3200mm through 12000mm the finish is fine but not as "deep" as I would like, this has been happening for the past couple of weeks, any ideas? the humidity has been dry in the house around 30%.
 
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That hard white foamy stuff is what you get when the glue cures too fast. It is usually, but not always, accompanied by heat and visible fumes coming from the glue.

If you aren't using using an accelerator on purpose, then something else is doing the same thing. It could be the applicator. The Cellulose in paper and cotton accelerate the cure. If either is scented, the perfumes could cause the problem. It could be the brand of paper towels you are using. It could be moisture in the wood, or humidity in the air. Are you smoking? Are you working near the washer and dryer?? Chlorine bleach or the phosphates in laundry detergents can act as accelerators. Anything that is a caustic will accelerate the cure. Baking Soda is an excellent accelerator. Are you working in the basement near a gas furnace. Low levels of natural gas in the air near a furnace or water heater can accelerate the glue. Do you live in an industrial are where there might be some level of H2S emissions in the air? Combine that with water (acid rain) and you will have an excellent accelerator. Can you smell the air in the work area? If you can that might be the problem.

I have no idea what is is causing your CA glue to cure too fast. These are just a few things that I know of that will have an effect on the speed at which the CA glue cures. None of them by themselves will cause the bloom that comes from a cure that is too fast, but there could be some combination that would.
 
Some woods act as an accelerator also. I use thin CA for my finishes but when I fill voids with thick CA I have to be careful to do a little at a time. In my experience if the CA is too thick the CA can turn white without any accelerator at all. It seems this is caused when the outside of the CA hardens and the uncured CA behind it cures too fast.
 
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