Sealing the ends of a finished pen blank

[mmayo]

Many people do not do this step and I encourage you to develop this habit. People will touch your pen and they will put sweat in the junction between the hardware and your newly beautiful blank. To avoid this problem, I sand the ends, and then I seal them with thin CA glue.

 

[PatrickR]

This is a must do. End grain is the main point of moisture intake in all wood.

 

[Woodchipper]

So far, never had any problems. Anyone else here?

 

[KenB259]

I always seal the ends.

 

[Woodchipper]

OK, how do you do it? Thin CA or what?

 

[Mortalis]

So far, never had any problems. Anyone else here?

I've not had any issues not sealing the ends but I can see the reasoning behind the effort.

 

[Mortalis]

OK, how do you do it? Thin CA or what?

Watch the video and he demonstrates how and with what its done.

 

[Mortalis]

I would think this might build up a slight collar of thin CA that now needs to be dealt with.

 

[egnald]

I always do this. I simply fold up a piece of paper towel to use as a blotter, drip a few drops of thin CA on it, then push the pen blank down onto it and twist it back and forth a couple of times. Repeat a couple of times.

I started doing this because I was occasionally having adhesion problems with my CA finish on the ends. I would get a separation that looked like a gray-ish spot, caused by air between the finish and the blank. Sealing the ends seems to have fixed the problem for me so it just became part of my standard regimen. - Dave

 

[mmayo]

I would think this might build up a slight collar of thin CA that now needs to be dealt with.

With thin 5 cps it does not or is disappears with buffing.

 

[randyrls]

Yes; seal the ends. Sand / trim the ends and put a drop of thin CA on wax paper. If you are careful no CA gets in the tube. When cured, sand ends.

 

[mmayo]

Yes; seal the ends. Sand / trim the ends and put a drop of thin CA on wax paper. If you are careful no CA gets in the tube. When cured, sand ends.

I think sealing after CA glue application and after flush sanding the blank using a paper towel just seals the end, but NOT the rest of the blank. I never get excess on the part of the pen visible to a customer.

 

[mmayo]

I would think this might build up a slight collar of thin CA that now needs to be dealt with.

If you use a paper towel under the blue piece I do not get a ring of CA on the blanks customer sees.