Spray finishes

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qquake

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I haven't mastered the CA finish, and prefer semi-gloss, anyway. Does anyone have any experience and/or opinions about these spray finishes?



 
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bsshog40

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What do you plan on spraying? If pens, the only problem I see with using spray finishes on pens and the lathe is getting overspray all over your lathe.
 

qquake

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What do you plan on spraying? If pens, the only problem I see with using spray finishes on pens and the lathe is getting overspray all over your lathe.

A laminated pen body. I wouldn't spray it while it's on the lathe.
 

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bsshog40

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I would think that spraying would be fine, just very time consuming. With spraying, you usually have to let dry for a while and then sand between coats. Seems a lot more hassle than maybe wipeon poly or something else that can be used on the lathe.
 

leehljp

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I have thought about it. But as several have mentioned, overspray may get on your lathe, unless you cover it in sections. The ideal distance for spray being about 12 inches - will cause the spray to get on more than just the turning blank. However, I wouldn't let that stop me from trying. I would look for a finish that sets up in a couple of minutes or so, let the lathe keep turning with a D.C. working to keep air flowing around it.

I have let blanks with a good build up of CA (in cooler weather) keep turning for 30 minutes or more just to let it set up.

OH, Edit in: As to CA mastering - It is hard to master for some while trying to make a good pen at the same time. After a few pens, I bought a bunch of tubes, got a piece of 2x4 pine and cut it into blank size. I made about 12 to 14 blanks and spent a day doing nothing but learning to turning to size and applying CA. I learned a lot that day. Making a pen was not my goal. My goal was learning how to apply, make thicker applications and sand to a good finish. It worked.

If anyone is having a problem with a particular step such as squaring the ends, drilling holes without the blank having a blow out, or applying CA, Get some tubes, make some cheap blanks from pine 2x4, take a couple of hours or half a Saturday and focus on that one problem. That will increase one's skills ten fold quickly.

In the case of trying spray finish. Do the same. Get a couple of different kinds of finish and try them, over and over. Trying it once may fail and we will never know if it will work unless we try it a half a dozen times.
 
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Woodchipper

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Hank, could you drill the 2x4 the same size of the mandrel shaft, if using a mandrel? I came up with the HDPE spacers/bushings.20191229_194645.jpg I'm looking at the cost of the tubes even though they aren't the expensive part of pen turning. OK, so I'm cheap.
 

moke

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I am certainly not an expert at other finishes but it has been discussed here. It is certainly not as quick as CA, but it is easier IMHO.
I rarely do wood, almost all acrylic, but I do some segmenting with wood and have done this a fair amount with good success. I have a couple of set ups.....one I made myself using a spit from a BBQ and another I bought from PSI. The issue is the material whether sprayed on or wiped on will often form a drip that is difficult to sand off. So the blank is rotated to stop that drip from forming.
Read this post: https://www.penturners.org/threads/wipe-on-poly.155545/ this will make it a lot clearer.
I did it because I do not like the hardness and durabilty of the CA finish.......
 

Lucky2

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Personally, I would never use the urethane finishes on a pen for a finish, it doesn't stand up to wear all that well. Plus, it scratches and shows any marks to easily. Instead, I prefer to use a lacquer finish, it's a much longer lasting finish and it's very easy to use. I apply it the same way as I do CA glue, you couldn't get any easier to use. Plus, if you're using danish oil because it makes the blanks pop or look better, you can still use it under the lacquer. I use lacquer on some of my pen components, especially on some of the cheaper kits. It adds to making a completed pen, but it keeps the finish from being worn off. In the past when I was first starting out pen turning, some of the kits I bought were very cheap. So cheap, that the gold finish would wear off, in three to four days if the pen saw any use. So, to beat the problem, I tried many different finish products, with lacquer giving me my best end results.

Len
 

qquake

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My dad always used Varathane on the furniture he built, and never had any problems with wear. That's why I was looking at Varathane products.
 
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