Quick Pen Finishes

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

magerman

Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
4
Location
Richmond, VA
I am trying to find a pen finish that does not take 3 days to finish one pen. I am currently using a poly because I don't know any better options. I have seen the posts about the CA glue finishes, but for some reason it scares me. Any other finishes other than CA glue that is a bit quicker than 3 days? My dad mentioned Deft, but not sure about that. Thanks in advance.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

AllanS

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2022
Messages
81
Location
New Mexico
Fairly new to the craft myself, but I'd recommend taking a look at friction polishes like Aussie Oil or Hut PPP. Those are very fast.
 

Drewby108

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2022
Messages
354
Location
Spokane, WA
Spray lacquer is a 30 minute set time between coats, but you should still wait a day or so after final for full cure.
 

its_virgil

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
8,101
Location
Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
HUT PPP (Perfect Pen Polish) is far from perfect: my opinion.

Lacquer dries quickly but takes several days to fully cure so the finish can be buffed.

Friction polishes are quick and look good for awhile... some longer than others.

Having never used Austin Oil i cannot speak about it. I do know several who use it.

CA should not frighten anyone. There is ample info, both written and in video form, showing various techniques. Pick one and perfect it.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 

leehljp

Member Liaison
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
9,314
Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
3 days is short compared to Urushi - one week to one month for curing. 😁

For me, the move to CA came with an unexpected success and then a few failures. Then I took a piece of pine 2x4 and made about a dozen pen blanks and spent one Saturday morning doing nothing but applying and sanding CA. After several hours of practice and improving my technique, it suddenly came together.

Then there was the downside - nearly 2 years later, I developed a severe allergy to CA, and then made a Dust Collector and started wearing a respirator and everything has worked fine since then.

Lacquer is the nearest finish to Poly, and it hardens in a couple of hours but takes a day or two to cure.

The way to overcome the 3 day wait is to do multiple pens at the same time - then in three days you have multiple pens. Make 6 to 12 pens one day, finish and let cure; 2nd day, do the same again, and third day do some more, Then you have the equivalent of 6 to 12 pens per day. Urushi pen makers often do this.
 

jrista

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
2,222
Location
Colorado
I have legit health issues with CA (basically like anaphylactic shock), so I generally avoid it unless its the sole solution.

I use Pens Plus by Doctor's Woodshop. It is walnut oil, shellac, DNA and microcrystalline wax (cosmolloid 80H). It is not your normal friction polish, thanks to the wax, which gives the finish an amazing glass-like shine. It is fast to apply, needs a few hours to dry well. It is not a build up finish...you really need one good thick coat that you polish into the blank, and when every part of the blank is shiny you are done. After drying, you may need to give it a "nearly-dry" touchup application to polish out any spots on the blank that dull out, then you should be done done.

I usually wet-sand with Doctors Woodshop pure walnut oil with the last few grits of sandpaper, then apply pens plus.

I've written a bunch of posts on these forums about how I apply. I would do a search for those. Find my most recent posts for the most effective advice, but I have a few older posts that cover the application process in a lot of detail (mostly, these days, I just don't try to "build up" the finish, and only use a 2-3 "coats" (more like applications, all of them blend together, and the goal is just to get a crystal clear, shiny finish in the end.)
 

Todd in PA

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2021
Messages
645
Location
Port Matilda, PA
CA is the best quick finish. I have to wear a respirator to use the stuff.m, but I still use it on 90% of my pens anyway. Gluboost is my preferred brand.

Second best I've found is Pens Plus. I use it on 90% of my non pen turnings (seam rippers, handles, etc.). It can be applied to a good shine.
 

monophoto

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
2,542
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
Melanie

Your question will undoubtedly generate lots of answers,, but those answers will mostly be opinions - I like XXX so I think it is the 'best solution'. Keep that in mind as you evaluate the options.

I don't especially like CA for a number of reasons, so I tend to look for other options. I'm not primarily a penmaker, but I have made enough to conclude that for me, the best options are:
  1. A lacquer-based friction polish. Wipe it on while spinning the blanks on the lathe, let it cure and then reapply. I usually deburr with a gray Scotchbrite pad between applications, and go for four or five applications. Because it dries quickly, it is only necessary to wait a few minutes between applications, so the process is very quick. Most friction polishes are based on shellac; they go on quickly and look good for a while, but they don't wear well. Lacquer is a tougher finish that shellac, so a lacquer-based friction polish will last better than a shellac-based friction polish. I have a couple of pens on my desk that are probably ten years old and were finished in a lacquer FP. There are a few commercial lacquer FPs - William Woodrite in Canada makes one that is also relabeled and sold by PSI as their 'house brand'. And I believe Behlens FP is also based on lacquer. lI make my own by blending equal parts of a brushing lacquer (I use Watco because that's what the store had available), oil (either BLO or Tung oil), and lacquer thinner.
  2. Wipe-on poly - Minwax is very good although there are other brands that are also fine, or you could make your own by adding mineral spirits to a commercial polyurethane. Wipe on, allow two hours to cure, abrade lightly with a gray Scotchbrite pad, and repeat. I usually aim for at least three coats, and more if I plan to polish the finished pen.
  3. Acrylic poly - this is the waterbased version of poly that is sold for finishing hardwood floors and it is especially tough. Wipe it on, let it cure for an hour or so (it cures much faster than traditional solvent poly), abrade lightly with a gray Scotchbrite (this is critical - because this is a water-based finish, the first couple of applications will raise grain), and then repeat. I find that I need at least four coats of waterbourne poly to achieve the smoothness that i get with three coats of Minwax WOP. Note that acrylic poly is colorless, which means that it tends to appear bluish on lighter timbers. Incidentally, a CA finish is actually acrylic so using floor finish is a less-smelly way to achieve a similar result.

The two poly finishes can be applied multiple times to build a fairly thick coating, and after it has cured (best to wait a few days), the coating can be further polished or buffed just like a CA finish. I tend to not buff the FP finish because I want the finished product to feel like wood rather than plastic, but buffing and waxing is possible.
 

egnald

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
3,061
Location
Columbus, Nebraska, USA
I have never used it myself, but there are a bunch of CA users that have switched to using GluBoost and have given it accolade after accolade because only a few coats are needed and for other properties.

If you decide to go the CA route, I would recommend you give GluBoost a try.

Dave
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2021
Messages
547
Location
Fayetteville, North Carolina
If you are doing a resin pen no CA is needed. If you are doing a wooden pen I use Doctor's Woodshop almost exclusively for wood pens. I usually wet sand with walnut oil (also Doctor's Woodshop) before applying Pens Plus. It is a friction polish and I will typically do 3 coats. Pens Plus gives a solid finish and stands up to abuse and time very well while looking natural. The finish highlights the natural wood look and feel while not looking like an almost plastic, shiny finish from CA. Pens Plus also doesn't give off the fumes like CA does that can irritate some people skin, nose, eyes, etc.

You can do multiple coast of Pens Plus on a project in a few minutes and can do as many coats as you desire. I like the Pens Plus because it isn't overly oily or sticky like some other finishes, I don't wear gloves when applying because they aren't necessary. A lot of this is repeat from above but I wanted to give another vote for Pens Plus, the stuff is great.
 

penicillin

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Messages
1,036
I have little to add here. I have used both friction polishes and CA finishes on pens. Both are fast and easy to apply.

Friction polishes look and feel great, but are not as durable as a CA finish. I have been using Hut Crystal Coat (alcohol, shellac, and carnauba wax), but do NOT recommend it. I am waiting to use it up to try something better.

CA finishes can range from glossy to matte and it is easy to control. It is hard and durable, but has a "plastic-like" feel. I highly recommend GluBoost compared with other CA glues/finishes I have used. CA finishes take practice, but once you dial it in, it just works.

I strongly recommend that you mount a piece of scrapwood, turn it to a cylinder, and then practice a CA finish on it. My trick to avoid ripples is to limit the CA on the applicator to a minimum and pull it away before it gets sticky. Additional thin coats is better than a few thick coats. I use thin "craft foam" cut into small squares as applicators. The craft foam does not soak up CA like paper towels. I use two drops per application, that's all. When you are done, give the CA a couple minutes to cure, then turn it off and practice again.
 

Woodchipper

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
5,138
Location
Cleveland, TN
Right now I am using Titebond Thick. I can use my Shop Vac to draw off any fumes. Anyone use accelerator on pens with CA? A pen turner in our former turning club used it a lot when doing demos; one quick shot of about 1 second.
 

MedWoodWorx

Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2021
Messages
598
Location
Greece
Right now I am using Titebond Thick. I can use my Shop Vac to draw off any fumes. Anyone use accelerator on pens with CA? A pen turner in our former turning club used it a lot when doing demos; one quick shot of about 1 second.
you mean titebond quick & thick?is that glue transparent?
 

Penchant 4

Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Messages
323
Location
Great Lakes Area
Right now I am using Titebond Thick. I can use my Shop Vac to draw off any fumes. Anyone use accelerator on pens with CA? A pen turner in our former turning club used it a lot when doing demos; one quick shot of about 1 second.
Accelertor can 'boil' the CA, if used excessively...more than very, very short bursts of not even 1 second in my experience. One of the advantages of Gluboost is that it does not 'boil' when used with its proprietary accelerator. I have never 'boiled' Gluboost since switching to it a couple of years ago. I have tried on test pieces.
 

penicillin

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Messages
1,036
Right now I am using Titebond Thick. I can use my Shop Vac to draw off any fumes. Anyone use accelerator on pens with CA? A pen turner in our former turning club used it a lot when doing demos; one quick shot of about 1 second.
you mean titebond quick & thick?is that glue transparent?
I think he means Titebond's "Instant Bond Thick" glue. It is a CA glue, not a wood glue. As you probably know, CA glues are often sold in thin, medium, and thick versions for different applications. Titebond is well known for their wood glues, but they also sell CA glues.

Titebond makes a wood glue called "Quick and Thick". It is for gluing wood-to-wood. @Woodchipper was NOT using it.

Edit, added after noticing the post above:
Titebond Instant Adhesive from Woodcraft; #149436. Transparent.
The same Titebond CA "Instant Bond Thick" that I mentioned earlier in this post, above:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/instant-bond-ca-adhesive-thick-2-oz
 

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
Automotive paint both racks that rotate the pens wood ,, the more the better Emron clear works really good but toxic.
a Commercial buffer, and you can do hundreds at the same time.
I can buff out a pool cue butt in a minute or two max .
1668728866835.png
 

cl1237

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2022
Messages
107
Location
Lancaster, OH
I'm a relatively new pen turner and tried wipe on poly and some other "quick fixes" Like a couple others on this thread, I settled on Dr's workshop Pens Plus. Super easy to use, I typically use 3-4 coats applied with a blue shop towel. Done in a matter of minutes.
 

mmayo

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
2,958
Location
Tehachapi, CA
It takes me about 5 minutes to apply 14 coats of two thicknesses of CA glue. It is fast and really has the results you want as opposed to other quick fixes that leave inferior results.

I've tried most of the non- CA finishes and the quick ones cannot be sold.
 

mmayo

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
2,958
Location
Tehachapi, CA
I read lots of people on this forum in search of fast, easy CA - like finishes for their pens. This is real CA finish, 14 coats of it! It took 1-1/2 hours: turning, sanding, cleaning, CA application, end sanding, end sealing, sanding and buffing. The CA application took about 1-2 minutes per pen - to me that's quick.

Your mileage may vary…
 

Attachments

  • 77E9F43A-CFCA-4268-97E8-B21F46B8A964.jpeg
    77E9F43A-CFCA-4268-97E8-B21F46B8A964.jpeg
    497 KB · Views: 69

jrista

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
2,222
Location
Colorado
Interestinig that WOP was mentioned. Never thought of it. Will experiment. Used it on some other turnings.
I actually like how WOP looks on many woods (some, I think the yellow tint can affect the color too much, say purpleheart). It is actually pretty easy to apply, but there is that drying time, which extends the total finishing time out to days. When you aren't under the gun, I think its a great, durable finish. I've never tried dipping, I have just been applying manually with the lathe off, sanding lightly with a high grit between coats, and putting on a number of coats till I'm satisfied with it.

I am not all that great at judging the thickness of it when done, something I gotta work at. Unlike my usual go-to finish, Pens Plus, this one does build up.
 

dogcatcher

Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
2,359
Location
TX, NM or on the road
I am a finish junkie. I have tried every finish that I have read or heard about. I have created many concoctions that I have seen or read about. With over 50 years of spinning wood, I have settled on nothing.

There is no one finish that will satisfy everybody. There is no one finish that works great on all of the different woods, plastics, acrylics etc. that we turn.

Some people will buy a paint finish store in their lifetime searching for that perfect finish. Forget that do what you like and buy more wood to turn. LOL
 

ZanderPommo

Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2009
Messages
1,489
Location
Tenino, Washington
I have gotten to the point where I have boiled down a really simple method of CA application that usually takes me 8 to 10 minutes between 600 grit sandpaper finish sanding on wood, application of 8 to 10 coats of CA, and micro mesh sanding up to 12,000 grit, culminating with a quick hit of Novus 2 polish. It's easy, durable, and looks like glass and it is not so intimidating if you have someone to walk you through it. Feel free to direct message me, we can even get on a quick FaceTime call and I can walk you through the method and get you all squared away.
80E9329F-BEB6-416A-B8A5-1AE9D0A215B0.jpeg
 
Top Bottom