Wierd Happenings

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jbyrd24

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Hi All:-)
Recently when finishing with CA only I've had two different
problems occur. Maybe someone knows how to keep them from happening
next time. The first problem is that sometimes the thin CA doesn't want to adhere to certain areas, usually on burls. The other problem is that after polishing and MMing the CA, a small cloudy patch will come up.

Thanks in advance:D
 
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Mostly I have had the non-sticking problem due to a contaminate on the wood (usually oil from the wood). Can't say anything personally about the cloudy action since I have never had that happen. Do a search on the cloudy problem as it has been discussed in previous threads. I don't remember what the reason was.
 
IF you are using BLO to pop the grain you can sometimes have the cloudy problem due to the BLO clouding the CA... I no longer use a BLO/CA finish because I found if I use just a bit too much BLO I would occassionally get clouding... if I do a CA finish now it is just straight CA...
You can sometimes get the clouding due to the oilyness of the wood... I usually use cellulose sanding sealer sanded to 12000MM as my first coat on all my CA finishes... that has also eliminated any clouding or adhesion issues I had... even on the most oily woods.
One other item that can cause clouding in the CA is if you start to polish before the CA is totally cured and are wet sanding... sometimes the moisture can cause clouding...
Now these are things that I have noticed in my own work... they are not gospel... but fixes that worked for me...
 
I'll agree with Griz. After some trial and error, I now let my CA sit for at least a day before any sanding. When I use BLO I also apply it and friction dry as much as possible and let that set for a few days before adding any finish. It takes a lot longer to finish a pen but saves, more hassle than disassembly and refinishing.
 
CA glue requires some small quantity of moisture to initiate the reaction. Burl wood can have small exposed areas where the moisture content is so close to Zero that the glue will just sit there as though it were applied to a piece of plastic. The solution is to lightly dampen the wood like you would from touching it to your tongue, and then letting it dry until it no longer looks wet before gluing. Adding more glue will do nothing but make a bigger puddle. Some folks will use a light dusting of baking soda, but this can cause foaming.

Always remember that the CA glue will be stronger, more flexible, and more durable WITHOUT using an accelerator, and that CA glue that has been allowed to foam has no strength at all. A good compromise is to wait 1-minute for a natural cure, and them hit it with the accelerator to make sure.

Cloudiness in a CA finish is caused by moisture condensation on the underside of the clear surface film. Let the blanks sit for another month before using them.
 
Originally posted by Old Griz
if I do a CA finish now it is just straight CA...
Click to expand...

Tom:

How do you apply a straight without BLO CA finish?

Thanks

Chris
 
I had the CA not adhering problem with some woods also. After alot of frustration and a microscope I found out it was not due to adhesion at all. It was that there were areas of the wood that were higher than others. The high areas did not have enough CA or I sanded them to much. I added more cycles to my process and I havent had the problem again. I use 5 layers of CA now.
 
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