Originally Posted by its_virgil
I just don't understand how it takes as long to get a good CA finish as several have reported here. I finish a pen with 4 or five coats of CA and I'm done in 10 minutes tops.
Several variables started me into thicker applications, which take more time.
The pen turners here are a varied group and trying to understand them "ALL" in one time frame of finishing will certainly lead to head scratching!
1. Some create as quickly as possible (with quality) for mass sales. Time is money, the more you create the more money too.
2. Some are intent on magnifying glass inspection of each pen; it is not the number of pens created but the specific quality of each. More time needed and more time spent on babying the finish.
3. For me - A: Originally I had OORs by .007 or .008 and sand throughs. It takes thicker coats of CA to prevent sand throughs. With all of the problems associated with mandrels, finding the right culprit was often difficult. Thicker CA helped some. Longer time needed. (This can lead to lots of discussions, so I cut it short on purpose. Problem of OOR
is solved!)
3. B: I made several pens of soft wood (huon pine being one) and with the 10 to 15 minute application. (The fellow that gave the huon to me watched me make some for his family who were visiting from Tasmania.) There was enough CA for a very good finish / shine, but the paper thin coating allowed dents. Within a week, the man's wife showed me several dents on her pen that had been in her purse. My wife pulled out a couple of pens from her purse with thick coatings and no visible dents. Thicker coats protect better but do require more time.
IF I had taken more time with the original huon and put on thicker coatings, I would have spent less time than re-doing the huon the second time. Paper thin on soft woods = more dents and dings.
10 - 15 MINUTES VS 30 MINUTES OR MORE:
We are talking two different purposes here. Time is money (and still having quality) vs protection from what some consider normal abuse as well as soiling.