CA Finishin - Best Method

[JohnsonMBrandon]

Here is my dilema with turning pens using a CA finish. If apply the CA with a latex glove I always seem to get ripples.....maybe I am applying to much pressure when I apply the finish? If I use a paper towel, Even after 6 coats of CA, I almost instantly sand through even with 800 grit. I am guessing the coats are just so thin. Anyone have any better suggestions? I may just need more practice, it has been a while since I have turned a pen. I also think it could be the type of wood I was using as well last night. It was blood wood. Looks really good, but I think it is an oily wood.

- Brandon

 

[clowman]

I find that if I put too much on at one time with a glove, I get ripples....

 

[woodguy1975]

Yeap, too much glue. Very thin coats are actually better because you will require less sanding to level.

 

[JohnsonMBrandon]

Have any of you guys tried or heard of mixing acetone and plexiglass? Supposedly it is more durable and requires no sanding, and gives comparable results to CA finish.

 

[chris99z71]

Interesting idea Brandon. The polymer resulting from cyanoacrylate is not terribly dissimilar from polymethylmethacrylate (plexiglass). I had some experience at a former job with coating polymers out of an acetone solution. The one big take-home lesson that I remember - slower drying = glossier. If you can get it to dissolve in acetone, also try varying the ratio of plexi to acetone.

I found this too
http://www.thepenshop.net/plexi.pdf#search="plexiglass acetone finish pens"
I turned my first pen today *PIC*

 

[chris99z71]

Another idea...has anyone ever used the UV curable methylmethacrylate that they use for acrylic fingernails? After the UV exposure that stuff is hard as....well...nails...

 

[gsdoby]

In my limited experience with CA finishing I have sanded 220-400 grit, micromeshed, 3 coats of CA(medium) and then micromeshed to the final finish. So far I have gotten good results(but only on 5 pens)

 

[JohnsonMBrandon]

For guys new at pen turning you can also go to penturners.org they have some very good information and resources. This is where the real pros hangout...not that we don't have any. All some of these guys do is turn pens, and put out some incredible work.

 

[ebarr]

I just put on my first real CA finish a few weeks ago.

I put about 5 or 6 thick coats, and the more I put on the more I thought "I have screwed this up so bad"

I let it dry for 5 minutes or so. And thought I would just sand it down and start over. I grabbed some 600 grit and started sanding. To my amazement the CA smoothed out, almost like a wax finish. It even acted like wax as I sanded. I quickly grabbed some 1200 grit and the finish turned out wonderful.

Sort of got the feeling the CA was melting as it heated.

NOW, About 3 or 4 days later I tried the same trick, this time I put 5 or 6 thick coats on. Waited 5 minutes or so. And, when I went to sand it I had to leave my shop, only to return hours later. I thought well, I will add some CA and try to sand it. BAD IDEA. I can't really say what happened other than the sandpaper created what looked like burns only they were in the CA and weren't burns. I then tried several different methods to remove some of the CA, but nothing a worked.

As I am typing this I was wondering has anyone tried simple nail polish remover as a polishing method? maybe a small amount to even the finish out.

 

[JohnsonMBrandon]

I think best bet is to still go with CA. I have made a few pens, just not completely perfected the process. What I was looking for were suggestions for the perfect process. I think it just takes practice. I would say about half of my pens come out great, and half of them come out differently. I don't doubt that numberous things may play a rold, such as humidity, dry time, temperature, and type of wood.

 

[NZAPP1]

Clay shared this with me a week or two ago:icon_thum


(Here's the post with my CA finish. The only difference is I now use a rubber glove to apply the coats of CA. 2 medium and 2 thicks instead of 2 thin ca and 2 thick ca.)

I still am trying to get it prefect but have been getting better:lol: