What do you use after MM?

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Randy Simmons

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It seems we have been beating the CA-finish-horse to death...

So here's one more whack

After applying and sanding down to 12k grit... What else do you do? My finishes lately just don't seem that brilliant. They're smooth and clear, no cloudiness or bubbles or streaks or anything, but not quite to the bright fresh polished glass look.

I bought some polish from CSUSA (scratch FREEE, if irc) and that didn't really seem to do anything. I know there are some buffing systems out there, but those are for acrylic and I can't speak to their quality or effectiveness.

What do you use to really *finish* a CA finish?

Or am I just being a schmuck? :wink:

Randy
 
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Randy,

After you lay down a good CA finish, you are basically going to finish as you would a plastic blank / Acrylic blank. I sand to 600 and then buff with tripoli and white diamond. Works beautifully for me. Before I purchased buffing wheels, I would wet sand as you described and then use plastic polish. Hope this helps.

Dave
 
Randy, Lots of people use EEE wax, some use Car Wax (different brands) I have seen plastic polish used....You ask 20 pen turners what they use and you will get 30 different answers. I have tried just about any and everything at one time or another and really cant tell you one is better than another. If your saying your CA finishes were looking better and now they are not..how old is your CA? have you let it freeze? what temp are you applying it now vs. when you were happy with it? There are lots of things that can change the way it looks long before you get to the polish stage.
 
reiddog1 said:
Randy,

After you lay down a good CA finish, you are basically going to finish as you would a plastic blank / Acrylic blank. I sand to 600 and then buff with tripoli and white diamond. Works beautifully for me. Before I purchased buffing wheels, I would wet sand as you described and then use plastic polish. Hope this helps.

Dave
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I do like dave and sand to wet 1000 I dont have a buffer set up so I use white dimond and a 2" square of heavy wool (from old stump socks) and buff on the lathe then use hut plastic polish and I get great results.
 
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You can apply Micro-Gloss which is a product put out by the people that make MM. I think it's about 1 micron grit. it's a logical step after MM 12,000.

If you wish to go further you can get 1/2 micron paste and even less I think. I have 1 micron and 1/2 micron polish that I got from Beta Diamond. I just looked at their website and it looks like they've changed their product line-up.

There are products out there that have grit sizes smaller than 1/2 micron. I don't have any nor am I interested in them so I don't know where to get them
 
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Randy Here is a discription of white diamond. I purchased my block a long time ago so not sure where I purchased it from. But if you google white diamond you will get a lot of sites that sell it. Not sure if any IAP vendors carry it.
White diamond compound
A buffing compound made of tin oxide and a binding wax that polishes fast and provides a moderately high shine. It isn't made of real diamond dust (although you can get diamond powder for sharpening and lapping tools). It is often categorised as a type of tripoli. This is also different than white rouge.
 
After MM to 12000 I normally use Huts Ultra Gloss polish and then use the buffing wheels on the lathe. Dot remember what the stick is I use on the left wheel.

Joe
 
I sand through 600, apply 6 to 8 coats of medium CA and then buff with White Diamond and Carnuba.
 

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I don't use any polish under the reasoning that if it doesn't shine without polish it won't shine six months later when the polish wears off.
For wood and antler I apply lots of thin coats of CA, then within an hour of applying CA I buff with white diamond on an 8 inch wheel. No sanding after CA, no micro mesh, no polish, don't let the CA fully cure before buffing. They shine when I finish buffing, they shine when I sell them up to several months later, and they shine a year later.
 
I totally agree with Chasper`s reasoning on use of wax or polish after CA . Not sure which is worse : the self -deception that I can fool myself into thinking that the actual finish is better than it is , or deceiving the customer all the while knowing that it will degrade under his normal use .

If your CA finishes are not as good as they were , the MM may be nearing the end of it`s useful life , or the finer grits may have become contaminated with a coarser one or a build up of sanding dust . I find that wet sanding works best , and I always rinse a pad immediately after use . I suppose a separate rinse container for each grit would be best , but I don`t .
 
You mean you're supposed to do something after polishing up with MM? :eek:

Seriously, I apply Novus 2 about three or four times after wet-sanding through the finest MM (12000). Sand both spinning and non-spinning lengthwise with light pressure to keep the scratch marks minimized or gone all together. Usually I've got a pretty good shine by that point anyway, but the Novus 2 just gives it a deeper glassy look.
 
I do 5 coats of thin CA followed by 3 coats of medium and then a piece of brown paper bag with the lathe running. I finish with a dab of Meguiar's PlastX and polish it.
 
Wood craft sells a box kit called "The Beall Wood Buff. it comes with a single holder for the 3 8" buffing wheels that come in it. It includes 1 stick of tripoli, 1 stick white diamond and 1 stick carnauba wax. I always use tripoli filled by white diamond and have a scratch.
I do wet sand first to 12,000, but really no need to less will work fine. My pens shine really nice. That said I have not tried it on CA only acrylic. But several friends of mine do there CA that way and are ver happy. You will have to get a adapter for the head stock.
Hope that helps.
 
after MM, then buff off lathe with McGuire's Mirror Glaze; Show car glaze #7. Then Ren wax. Gives a deep, glass like look.
 

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I use Turtle wax because...well...it's what I had when I first started turning pens and it seems to work pretty good. Finishes are smooth and shiny but after waxing at speed and buffing off with clean section of paper towel, it really shines.
 
Hendu3270 said:
hilltopper46 said:
I use Turtlewax (brand) white rubbing compound. Not the semi-solid kind in the round can but a cream type that comes in a squirt bottle.
.
Click to expand...

Same here, the one in the bottle. Didn't clarify before.
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Why would you want to spend all that time MM and then go back to a rubbing compound as I scratch my head???? I can see a wax of some sort. Some of these car waxes have rubbing compounds in them so one needs to be careful when using.
 
Another vote for the PlastX polish. It has a super fine grit agent in it as well as whaever wax they use for the shine. I put is on with a paper towel, run it in and it will show a dull look, then run a clean part on it and the shine pops up.
 
I go to 12000mm.Tryed turtle wax because they were out of Plastx when I wanted to try it. But no matter how I did it, It duled the finesh. From 12000mm I go to Plastx . A little squirt about <1/8x3/8 is a good bit of buffing for each of 2 or 3 times.The shine looks - good- at 12000mm.But it pops with Plastx. Isn't it fun to see that?
 
jttheclockman said:
Hendu3270 said:
hilltopper46 said:
I use Turtlewax (brand) white rubbing compound. Not the semi-solid kind in the round can but a cream type that comes in a squirt bottle.
.
Click to expand...

Same here, the one in the bottle. Didn't clarify before.
Click to expand...


Why would you want to spend all that time MM and then go back to a rubbing compound as I scratch my head???? I can see a wax of some sort. Some of these car waxes have rubbing compounds in them so one needs to be careful when using.
Click to expand...

Because it enhances/deepens the shine.
 
hilltopper46 said:
jttheclockman said:
Hendu3270 said:
hilltopper46 said:
I use Turtlewax (brand) white rubbing compound. Not the semi-solid kind in the round can but a cream type that comes in a squirt bottle.
.
Click to expand...

Same here, the one in the bottle. Didn't clarify before.
Click to expand...


Why would you want to spend all that time MM and then go back to a rubbing compound as I scratch my head???? I can see a wax of some sort. Some of these car waxes have rubbing compounds in them so one needs to be careful when using.
Click to expand...

Because it enhances/deepens the shine.
Click to expand...


If it works for you go for it.:smile:
 
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Second time I'm having to retract my statements in the same thread.

I didn't notice that the earlier post stated "rubbing compond". I looked last night while finishing another pen and it's wax not compound (liquid form) that I use after MM.
 
Hendu3270 said:
Second time I'm having to retract my statements in the same thread.

I didn't notice that the earlier post stated "rubbing compond". I looked last night while finishing another pen and it's wax not compound (liquid form) that I use after MM.
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OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Much better
 
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jttheclockman said:
Hendu3270 said:
Second time I'm having to retract my statements in the same thread.

I didn't notice that the earlier post stated "rubbing compond". I looked last night while finishing another pen and it's wax not compound (liquid form) that I use after MM.
Click to expand...


OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Much better
Click to expand...

And I could probably find something better to use as it's been sitting on the shelf for close to 10 years!! Not separated or anything though. lol
 
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