What would you suggest?

[RGVPens]

I'm making an EDC Dura Click Stainless Steel. The blank is a Blue Stabilized Box Elder from PSI (WXST11). I sanded through 600 grits so far.
Also doing same kit in Brass with a Green Stabilized Maple Burl...PSI WXST03. Tube is glued but haven't turned yet.

Not a real big fan of CA finish as I'm not good at it as of now...but I could. I currently use Stick Fast brand in Thin and Medium.
I also have Pens Plus and Aussie Oil, I polish plastic with Novus 1,2,3.

I don't think I've done "Stabilized" woods before but will be doing a bunch in the near future.
What methods and products would you good folks suggest?

I think Pens Plus and Aussie Oil are pretty good on wood, but I think there are much better products to use on plastics. What's the best product for plastics?

Thanks for the wisdom of the forum!

 

[PatrickR]

I finish stabilized wood the same as any wood, mainly with CA. I don't use the friction finishes. Stabilized wood needs a finish, it is still wood.
plastic - some finish with CA, most don't use a finish at all. Sand and polish/buff. Novus works but you can get a better shine by going further. Especially by buffing.

 

[magpens]

I get a really good shine on plastics using Novus 3, Novus 2, and then finish off with PlastiX.

For the dyed and stabilized woods I use about 8 - 10 coats of thin CA . . . sanded to 1200 grit and then the Novus 3, Novus 2, PlastiX.

 

[Fred Bruche]

I'm with Patrick, stabilized wood is not plastic yet doesn't quite "behave" as wood. If the shininess of CA bothers you, don't polish it all the way. If looking for the feel of wood (that gonna be difficult to do, especially with green and blue wood ) just use a few layers of CA.

 

[jrista]

As I have stated in other threads, Pens Plus is not "just another friction polish." It was specifically formulated as a pen finish, and it is quite durable in my experience, while also maintaining more of that natural wood look and feel (i.e. it doesn't plasticize the result). I've finished a number of stabilized woods with Pens Plus, and I like the result. I don't know that I would call Cactus Juice a "plastic"...it is a resin, but it has never felt or worked like any plastic resin for me. It is at the very least a well-mixed combination of a resin and wood fibers, and I am not sure I'd ever want to use a plastic polish on it. I haven't used Novus, so maybe its different, but most of the plastic polishes I've used have a fairly fluid base that I have seen soak into wood if it contacts it.

One thing I do differently than you, if I am using Pens Plus. Unlike with many finishes, where you don't want to sand too high which might close off the wood's pores and prevent finish from soaking in, with Pens Plus its better if you DO limit how much can soak into the wood and how quickly. I sand to 2000 grit, then put on a couple coats of the Dr.s Woodshop pure walnut oil, then finish with Pens Plus. You could also just wet sand with the pure walnut oil through all the grits (the guy who makes and sells the stuff actually wet sands with the oil up to 5000 grit himself...I've never found normal 5000 grit paper locally, although I do have Zona paper which goes down to 1 micron (5000 grit is around 4 micron)).

The general argument against friction polishes is they are shellac, which degrades with human sweat and oils. The formulation of Pens Plus includes a particular microcrystalline wax that, when friction polished at a high temp (burning your fingers hot) cures the whole thing to a durable finish. I've been using a Pens Plus finished pen for months now, still looks and feels like the day I first touched it after it cured. I let my pens cure for a day in a warm (~70F) house before I ever touch the finish, which seems to do the job.

 

[RGVPens]

I've taken what you folks have said and researched the web further. A couple of things come to mind.

Although I use Pens Plus I have never used his Walnut Oil prior to the Pens Plus. I found a You Tube video of Mike Meredith from Doctors Woodshop. Very interesting, I think I could get a better finish on wood with a couple of tweaks that I'm not doing now.

As for CA finishes...while surfing the web I notice several mentions of "Mercury Adhesives" being more of a flexible finish that doesn't get spider cracks than a plain fun of the mill CA for bonding...??? Any truth or opinions...or just marketing BS? I normally just slap on medium...but I'll try a couple of coats of thin before the medium this time.

Anything I should do or don't do different than all the "CA Finishing" videos on You Tube?

 

[ed4copies]

Watch the videos and consider using GluBoost--it is designed as a finish, not a converted glue.
You can find vids on YouTube on how to apply--takes just 4-6 coats and in the 2 years I have been using it,
I have not had a problem develop on any pen.

FWIW!
Ed

 

[PatrickR]

X2 for gluboost. I like it better than mercury. As far as techniques, following some videos will get you started. In time you well develop one that works the best for you.

 

[jrista]

I've taken what you folks have said and researched the web further. A couple of things come to mind.

Although I use Pens Plus I have never used his Walnut Oil prior to the Pens Plus. I found a You Tube video of Mike Meredith from Doctors Woodshop. Very interesting, I think I could get a better finish on wood with a couple of tweaks that I'm not doing now.

As for CA finishes...while surfing the web I notice several mentions of "Mercury Adhesives" being more of a flexible finish that doesn't get spider cracks than a plain fun of the mill CA for bonding...??? Any truth or opinions...or just marketing BS? I normally just slap on medium...but I'll try a couple of coats of thin before the medium this time.

Anything I should do or don't do different than all the "CA Finishing" videos on You Tube?

There is normal Mercury CA, and there is Mercury Flex CA. If you get some, make sure you get the right stuff.

The worst CA glue for me is StickFast, both functionally and health-wiase. Functionally, it seems to separate...the finish pulls off the wood, and you can get these very slight, longish bubbles, or separation near the ends of the blank. There is something about their formulation that just sets my lungs and throat and sinuses on fire with this impenetrable itch, and ultimately leads to anaphylactic like shock that is very difficult to overcome, and leaves me barely able to breathe. I've tried StarBond, which seems to have a similar if not quite as severe reaction. Also tried Tight Bond, which doesn't have as potent a smell and I haven't had as severe of reactions to it, but it seems to make for a truly terrible finish. I finally tried Mercury Flex from the local Woodcraft store as they had it on sale.

Mercury Flex does seem to be a bit different, and it has its own accelerator in a sprits bottle that works quite well. It definitely produced a better finish than I have had with other CA glues, however I have had a couple instances of slight clouding in a few spots on a couple pens. I don't know why, could have been user error, as I don't use CA glue if I can avoid it and it is not my Go-To finish. So I'm not an expert at applying it. But I did like the results with the Mercury Flex better than any of the others I've tried so far. It is still hard, so I honestly cannot speak to the whole "flex" aspect of it...but so far, in the relatively few cases I've used it, it definitely seems to be a better finish than the other CA glues I have tried.

I have not tries GlueBoost yet... Still have plenty of Mercury Flex left, and figured I'd finish that off before I tried GlueBoost. As far as I understand, though, both Mercury Flex and GlueBoost are purpose designed as pen finishes, so it doesn't surprise me that they do a better job.

 

[RGVPens]

I'm going to try GluBoost for now. Just ordered some from ED. After watching his video on the stuff I thought it might work a lot better than what I'm using now!