want to try

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wizical

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this will be my first attempt at trying to do a CA Finish, I was wondering if there is a link or article that breaks it down step by step to how it is done and what supplies would be needed. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

P.S. I am retracting my previous statement and want to try it, I was wrong to do it and I am sorry if I offended anybody.
 
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All you need is CA (thin or med), boiled linseed oil (or not), Bounty paper towels(open for debate) or another applicator material)and the desire to learn the easiest finish to do (also open to debate). Look in the library for articles on how its done. Search the IAP for "CA finish" an you will find all of the how tos, what to dos, what not to dos, what works, what does not work ad infinitum. You will find it easy and you'll love the results.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Originally posted by wizical
<br />this will be my first attempt at trying to do a CA Finish, I was wondering if there is a link or article that breaks it down step by step to how it is done and what supplies would be needed. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks
Click to expand...
 
You can read all the posted CA techniques but you will find that what works for others may not work for you. It is not an easy method but well worth it once you got it.

Not a jab but FP finish IMHO is nothing compared to a well done CA finish. [;)]

Good luck!!!
 
From a personal perspective - It took me over a year to master the CA finish (making pens off and on) and I am just now what I would call mediocre. I do get some great finishes on most but the difference for me is that if often takes a couple of hours or more of playing, sanding buffing, re-sanding adding another coat or two and repeat. But I sometimes get a great finish in 20 minutes or so.

The Point is that it is a relative thing. I come from a family of framing construction background and mentality. I have good sharp eyes but mediocre eye-hand coordination. I am developing more patience and I think this is the problem with most CA finishes for beginners. Don't rush things. CA is supposed to be "instant" in comparison to lacquer. But it still takes "touch" and a "feel" for the finish that only comes from experience. How one person describes the action sometimes is almost opposite how another person would describe the exact same action - pressure, speed, time. 20 seconds for CA to set is short to one person but forever for another because it is not "instant."

Take some time, read other's methods and develop your style of CA application. Great rewards will follow. In the mean time, when you hit a road block, ask here again for help. [:)]
 
Originally posted by leehljp
<br /> CA is supposed to be "instant" in comparison to lacquer. But it still takes "touch" and a "feel" for the finish that only comes from experience. How one person describes the action sometimes is almost opposite how another person would describe the exact same action - pressure, speed, time. 20 seconds for CA to set is short to one person but forever for another because it is not "instant."
Click to expand...

I'd like to throw a question in here.

I have been doing CA finishes for a couple of months now.

The first one I did came out so-so.

SO, I tried another. This time, it was a disaster.....it just gunked up and made a mess. I sanded it all off and applied a FP finish.

I did not try another CA for a couple of weeks, but I finally got up the nerve.

Unfortunately, I tried it on a purpleheart pen and it came out even worse than the one previous. AAArrrgh!!!

I said --"That's it. I have to face it; I'm just not intelligent enough or talented enough to do the CA finish. It's FP finishes for me from here on out!"

But a couple more weeks went by, and I kept reading about how to do it, and I finally got up the nerve to try the application with one of the little plastic baggies (like pen parts come in) over my finger. Hey! MUCH better result.

I finally got a finished pen I was satisfied with. I did more pens, and with each one got a little better at it.

I do the CA finish on virtually all of my pens now, but I still have a pertinent question about the time to wait to apply the next coat.

I am using the EZ Bond glue from WoodenWonderstx.com......I apply a coat of thin, then another of thin, then one of medium (sometimes thick) and then another of the same viscosity. Sometimes I'll do three coats of the thicker glue.

The question is, How soon can i go over the previous coat?

I hear people talking about 20 seconds for drying time.

Huh?!?!

I know I live in a VERY humid neck of the woods, but it takes at least three or four minutes before I can touch the blanks and not feel stickiness. Between the first and second (or third) thicker coats, I have waited 30 minutes before and the blanks still did not feel completely dry and ready to sand.

I was cautioned to NOT use the accelerator, because it sometimes causes haziness or clouding under the finish.

Is there something I am doing wrong that it takes so long between coats? Is there something I can do to make it dry quicker besides spray accelerator without it causing imperfections under the finish?

I'd REALLY appreciate everyone's input on this. Thanks.
 
I know I live in a VERY humid neck of the woods, but it takes at least three or four minutes before I can touch the blanks and not feel stickiness. Between the first and second (or third) thicker coats, I have waited 30 minutes before and the blanks still did not feel completely dry and ready to sand.


Actually, what you described is often the norm for me too, when I occasionally use your method. The difference is that in Russ Fairfields and a few other videos or explanations, most of those are done with paper towel. The chemical reaction plus friction of the paper towel will accelerate the CA to harden in about 10 to 20 seconds or so. Medium and thicker CA may take a few seconds longer. A lighter touch with paper towel and thicker CA often takes a minute or two to harden for me,

AS far as the Plastic baggies - they do make smooth applicators and some people like nylon strips to apply CA. However, Nylon strips and baggies (and rubber or latex gloves) as applicators miss an important factor in time speed. As mentioned above, paper towel acts as a catalyst of sorts. Paper towel applied CA gets hot fast. Plastic Baggies and nylon strips do not trigger the catalyzing or curing and heating, thereby increasing the curing time needed. Instead of 20 seconds, you have 2 to 10 minutes, depending on kind, temp and humidity.
 
As you can see, and have read, there are many different ways to apply a CA finish. Here's a link to page on my web site that I wrote down the steps I take to get a CA finish.

http://www.woodhelp.com/Tips.htm#PenFinishing

Even these steps are not chiseled in stone, and I vary a little from time to time. The biggest difference I see from my method to the others I have read is that I don't apply the CA with the lathe running... I use the handwheel to rotate the blank while I rub the CA onto the blank.... applying it this way seems to make it easy for me to control it, and I don't get lumps or haziness so I am happy with this method for me...

Keep at it, try different methods, and see what works for you.
 
Originally posted by leehljp
<br />AS far as the Plastic baggies - they do make smooth applicators and some people like nylon strips to apply CA. However, Nylon strips and baggies (and rubber or latex gloves) as applicators miss an important factor in time speed. As mentioned above, paper towel acts as a catalyst of sorts. Paper towel applied CA gets hot fast. Plastic Baggies and nylon strips do not trigger the catalyzing or curing and heating, thereby increasing the curing time needed.
Click to expand...

Thanks Lee, for your answer and the others who answered. That info is of much help.

Another question arises now, though;

When I first tried CA, i <u>was</u> using the paper towel as you describe it......but I just never felt I was getting any 'build', any thickness, to the CA coat. I know one reason for it drying quicker for me was that I was getting far <u>less</u> of the CA onto the blank itself, because half or more of it was trapped in the paper towel before I got it to the blank.

But with the very thin coats, I was afraid i'd sand thru the finish in some places if i had to use 400 grit or so to take down any ridges that might have formed.

Does this problem ever confront you? How many drops of CA do you use on the paper towel? How much is TOO much on the paper towel? Do you take the towel away in 3 seconds? More than 3 seconds?......or is it somewhat of a "feel" thing for when to take it away?

Again, thanks to everyone for any answers you can give me.
 
But with the very thin coats, I was afraid i'd sand thru the finish in some places if i had to use 400 grit or so to take down any ridges that might have formed.

Does this problem ever confront you? How many drops of CA do you use on the paper towel? How much is TOO much on the paper towel? Do you take the towel away in 3 seconds? More than 3 seconds?......or is it somewhat of a "feel" thing for when to take it away?

Russ has a great video and explanation that many people rave about, and so do I. But he is also vocal about there are many methods that produce some good results. In this vein, there are those who spend more time in applying CA than is shown on his video. I am usually one. Paper towel method does put thin coats on and yes, there is a strong tendency to sand through quickly. Experience helps avoid this.

AS for me here is what I do: I use the paper towel method to build up about 2 or 3 coats of thin and sand smooth, 2 or 3 more thin coats and sand through MM to about 3000/4000, then a thick coat or two and let it set for several minutes to 10 minutes or so. Sand with 400 regular sandpaper to get the shape. MM up to 3000 again.

I use calipers to check the thickness and adjust to within around .004 of the size where it fits on the pen or center band. Then I put 2, 3 or 4 thin coats of paper towelled CA and go through the MM process.

I tend to put a thicker coat of CA than most people (based on what I read from others) because some of my wood is not stabilized, and therefore soft. Thin (but even well done) coats allow for more dents. My thicker coated CA's dent less. Learned from Experience.

ON your last set of questions, yes, I did confront that problem and experimented until I overcame it by adding thicker coats. Being in Japan and having looked everywhere for larger than 1 oz CA bottles ( twice I found 2 OZ) I have to be stingy with CA loss. Paper towels absorb more than goes onto the blank. To prevent, that I put several drops of BLO on the paper towel and smooth it over. I then add a few drops of CA on top of that and apply. There seems to be less CA absorption into the paper towel and more transferred to the blank. This may be nit picky to some but with the price of CA here and the small amounts available, I do conserve when possible. I do order from Monte and even though I have plenty from him, I still conserve the CA. Postage costs as much as the CA for me - almost doubling the price.

Your timing of 3 seconds is approximate for me. Sometimes more, sometimes less. More for thicker - in order to smooth the flow evenly from one end to the other.

ONE other thing not mentioned: I do purposely sand my blanks down to about .005 to .007 smaller than the bushings (remove the bushings for this) in order to build up a health protective coat of CA.
 
Many thanks, Hank, for taking the time for such a detailed answer.

Very helpful!!

Thanks again to everyone who responded.
 
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