C. Scott
Member
It seems that everytime I thing I have "arrived" 
with respect to penturning, I learn something new by accident (or by God's grace more likely).
I have been trying to knock out several orders and some "speculation pens" to sell at work and thanks to Mannie and others that post here I have to use a CA finish now. Yes, I do go with friction polish every now and then, but I am hooked on the durability and gloss of the CA.
Anyways, I would always turn the blank down, sand to 12MM and then start with the CA, thin to thick. I wouldn't count the number of coats I put on I would just go until I felt it was thick enough then I'd start with 1500 and wet sand through 12MM.
It seemed like I would always cut through to the wood in spots and I'd have to build up the layers again. Each pen was taking over 1.5 hours just to finish. I was beginning to think about going back to the "dull side" [V]
Well, I had just finished turning a nice spalted pecan blank that I had stablized with Miniwax Wood Hardner, however, since I used a gouge on it and not a skew my blank was a little rough. I thought, I'll just do a thin CA soak and clean it up with the skew. I put two applications of thin CA and then one of thick and starting sanding before I realized that I hadn't smoothed it out with the tools. Oh well, I proceeded through to 2000. I then put 4 or 5 coats of thick CA on with the plain jane cheapest paper towel money can buy from Wally World and then began wet sanding with 1500.
What happened? I couldn't BELIEVE it I didn't cut through the CA! I went all the way through to 12MM and then finished with Gel Gloss and viola! a perfect finish in about 20 minutes!
I did 3 more pens the same way with the same results.
All that just to say I learned something new!
I'll post about the Miniwax product later.
with respect to penturning, I learn something new by accident (or by God's grace more likely).I have been trying to knock out several orders and some "speculation pens" to sell at work and thanks to Mannie and others that post here I have to use a CA finish now. Yes, I do go with friction polish every now and then, but I am hooked on the durability and gloss of the CA.
Anyways, I would always turn the blank down, sand to 12MM and then start with the CA, thin to thick. I wouldn't count the number of coats I put on I would just go until I felt it was thick enough then I'd start with 1500 and wet sand through 12MM.
It seemed like I would always cut through to the wood in spots and I'd have to build up the layers again. Each pen was taking over 1.5 hours just to finish. I was beginning to think about going back to the "dull side" [V]
Well, I had just finished turning a nice spalted pecan blank that I had stablized with Miniwax Wood Hardner, however, since I used a gouge on it and not a skew my blank was a little rough. I thought, I'll just do a thin CA soak and clean it up with the skew. I put two applications of thin CA and then one of thick and starting sanding before I realized that I hadn't smoothed it out with the tools. Oh well, I proceeded through to 2000. I then put 4 or 5 coats of thick CA on with the plain jane cheapest paper towel money can buy from Wally World and then began wet sanding with 1500.
What happened? I couldn't BELIEVE it
I didn't cut through the CA! I went all the way through to 12MM and then finished with Gel Gloss and viola! a perfect finish in about 20 minutes!I did 3 more pens the same way with the same results.
All that just to say I learned something new!
I'll post about the Miniwax product later.
