Sanding/Finishing Desert Iron, and Bocote

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RAdams

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I am going to make my little brother a new pen, and want to make something spectacular. I am using Desert Ironwood for the barrells, and Bocote for the Finial and CB. I have never worked with either of these woods, and am a little concerned about their ability to take finish.

I plan to turn, and sand from 150 grit through to 12K MM dry. Then i want to do a CA finish. Is there any little tricks or tips i should keep in mind? I will be wearing my Triton while i work on this pen, so that is covered...


Thanks in advance!!

Ron
 
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Ron if you use a skew like a scraper you can forgo the rougher sandpaper. I do this and start at 220 or even 320 and then wipe it down with DNA. If I see no scratches I then do my CA Finish and do nothing but wetsand with 400 to smooth out the finish and then look for the ripples and after that I wetsand through all but the first 2 MM pads which I keep soaking all the time. Here is a pic of the one I did last night not a great pic but it shows up nice.
 

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I've had mixed results with the Desert Ironwood and ca finish. Like some dark oily woods, I will come across what looks like a dull spot after finishing and buffing. I use medium ca when doing my finishes. Three thick coats. 400 and then the micro pads. That works for most pens - but the darker/oily woods it does not work. I have to do a few coats of thin and then a couple coats of medium. A sanding sealer wouldn't be a bad idea either prior to the ca finish. Look forward to seeing the results and how it was accomplished.

Martin
 
I use both acetone or CA Accelerator, whichever is handier, and have not noticed any permanent effect on color on any wood I've used so far. You definitely want to get the oil out of the top layer of the wood, so the CA can get in and seal. Dark or dull spots are usually where the CA has either been sanded through, or has turned loose and the bare wood is showing through. Some people will say that you gotta wipe the whole thing down with acetone and get every last bit of ca off, and start over. Others will say that you can just apply a few more layers. I've had it work both ways, and fail both ways, it depends how the CA gods feel that particular day. On oily wood, I usually just go ahead and strip it all off from the start. Non oily woods I will usually try to float another coat of thin ca on and hope that the thin is hot enough to redisolve the existing layer enough to get a good bond, then build up a few more layers of med or thick.

And then there are those days when neither will work, and I am forced to apply several oz of single malt scotch to the loose nut behind the tool handle.
 
IMHO I think DNA is safer to use than acetone but that is my opinion. Since I started wiping with DNA none of my ironwood has had any darkening issues nor spotting with a ca finish but then I put on 6 or more coats of medium.
 
Thanks for the pointers. I'm going to start trying the DNA with my ironwood and with oily woods. I never finish my African Blackwood with ca because it never turns out. I'll try the DNA and see what happens. I sure like the glass-like finish of 3 to 4 coats of medium ca sanded to 12000 and 3 way buffed.

Martin
 
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