Well, here goes - My take.
First, I am not a tee-totaler on accelerator. But I only use it in unusual situations, determined by "I've tried everything else but . . ." Experienced folks know that one in fifty or one in a hundred times when nothing seems to go right, changed CA, took it off, put new on, used a heat blower, fanned it, etc. So, yes I do on rare occasions.
Second, I do flat work and a few bowls. Most guys I know spend a week to months building something beautiful and rush the finish. To me, at least 1/3 the time spent on building should be put on the finish. Same for pens. I like the speed of CA but I am not addicted to it. If "First" above doesn't accomplish the task, I step back, put a new coat or two or three on of medium/thick and let it set overnight, or two. The goal is a good looking pen, not an Indianapolis 500 race.
I really think we are obsessive about the "speed" at which we try to finish a pen. Think "Martin" and his 30 Day pen finish.
Third, A "90% of the time" truth: Unless a pen is being made in a continuously "even/consistently" controlled environment, there will be occasional problems, and accelerator solves some and creates more problems in others. Temperature changes, temperature levels, humidity changes and levels alter the rate and kind of reaction of both CA and accelerator - and often independently of each other, frustrating the situation. Smooth, clear, bumpy white spots, later appearing white cloud or early white cloudiness. I have that fairly well figured out for the Mid-South and for coastal areas of Japan. But it is different in dry areas. That is not to say that we don't hit below 40% humidity for weeks on end at times in the Mid South. The problem is that Accelerator works most of the time and we expect it to work ALL of the time. Trying to figure out the variables such as temp, humidity, CA brand or age is as inconsistent as a man trying to figure out why roses worked well as a gift to his wife one time, and not the next time!
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