What do we use to apply our CA finishes?

[mick]

From time to time someone will ask what we use or how we apply our CA finishes.
I'm sitting here watching paint dry.(Actually CA as I haven't turned my shop heat on.)
I thought I'd post a few pictures of what I use. Get any good paper towels that tear into the half sheets.
1.Tear a sheet in half.
2. Cut that half in half.
3. Fold that in half. (At this point I stop folding. and stack them in a dispenser I made.
4. Went ready to use select a folded sheet and fold that in half twice.
You'll have a thick strip like in the last picture.
I get about 8-10 application spots on one strip.

 

[mg_dreyer]

I personally use GluBoost. I find it to the best on the market and easier than CA glues. It was designed to be a finish. Same family - significantly different viscosity. Self leveling. Water clear. Only 4 or 5 coats. No crazing. No cracking.

Click here to go to my video on how I use it.

 

[wouldentu2?]

Craft foam is the best for applying CA.
Does not absorb or react to it
Goes on so smooth you are tempted not to sand it
About $1.00 a sheet

The only time I use towels is with BLO

 

[Todd in PA]

I agree with Dave, except that my craft foam is purple.

I do use paper towels for pens plus and the rip, cut, fold, fold-fold is similar to what I do.

 

[leehljp]

Foam just makes the application so much smoother for me than PT does, and it does not absorb more than it puts onto the blank.

 

[rherrell]

TOWEL WARS!

 

[jcm71]

Try cutting a finger off of a nitrile glove and applying CA with that. IMHO a far superior way than using paper towels or foam pads, both of which I have used in the past.

 

[Bope]

I started with paper towel then switched to pen parts baggies. The baggies are faster and cheaper but I couldn't say the finish is significantly better or worse. I have also tries several CA brands even the magical GluBoost and haven't seen any difference in application. I am not sure why craft foam would be any different than the baggies but if I could find some combination that eliminated leveling a finish I would be all over that.

 

[penicillin]

Tried 'em all.

-> Settled on GluBoost and craft foam.

Craft foam makes CA finishes easier to apply than other applicators, with zero wasted CA and little mess. Craft foam is cheap. You can finish many pens with one sheet of craft foam, cut into small pieces for applying the CA.

 

[its_virgil]

TOWEL WARS!

Having been around the penturning adventure for a couple of decades now I have enjoyed the "towel wars" from time to time. Each of us has our own preference as to the applicator for applying CA glue. Here are the ones I can remember:

• Paper towels -Viva, bounty and the blue shop towels seem to be the most often mentioned
• Unwashed synthetic terrycloth material
• The baggies in which our pen parts are packed
• Craft foam
• Finger cots - either purchased or cut from gloves
• Synthetic batting material cut in strips and wrapped around craft sticks
• Wax paper

Maybe others can add to the list.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[AllanS]

Gun cleaning patches here. For me it has advantages over both plastic bags and paper towels. I haven't tried finger cots or craft foam yet.

 

[Mike]

Don,

I read your CA finish article about 10 or 12 yrs ago and have been doing it that way since. I use the folded paper towel piece with a finger cot on thumb and trigger finger. Got tired of cleaning CA and paper towel off my digits. I put down 6 coats of BLO then CA following your instructions. You could probably get away with not sanding or polishing most of them.

Thanks for your generosity sharing this info.

Mike

 

[Mike]

Don,

I read your CA finish article about 10 or 12 yrs ago and have been doing it that way since. I use the folded paper towel piece with a finger cot on thumb and trigger finger. Got tired of cleaning CA and paper towel off my digits. I put down 6 coats of BLO then CA following your instructions. You could probably get away with not sanding or polishing most of them.

Thanks for your generosity sharing this info.

Mike

BTW, I use Starbond medium CA and BLO from a small can I have had for about 25 years. And follow Don Ward's instructions.

 

[its_virgil]

Don,

I read your CA finish article about 10 or 12 yrs ago and have been doing it that way since. I use the folded paper towel piece with a finger cot on thumb and trigger finger. Got tired of cleaning CA and paper towel off my digits. I put down 6 coats of BLO then CA following your instructions. You could probably get away with not sanding or polishing most of them.

Thanks for your generosity sharing this info.

Mike

You're welcome Mike. The process has worked well for me also.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Dale Lynch]

I use paper towels like you do but I wrap it in blue painters tape. The tape keeps Ca from sticking and stiffens the pt so it doesn't get all bendy. For reference I use about .2 oz of CA per pen on my wraps.