# CA and Sanding



## JCochrun (Nov 5, 2011)

I haven't tried the CA finish yet.  All of the videos/tutorials that I have seen have you sand with 800 grit after applying CA.  It seems like that will sand off all of the CA.  Is that right?  I'm a little lost.  Appreciate the help.

Jim


----------



## cwolfs69 (Nov 5, 2011)

well i actually start out sanding with 320 grit after i put on the CA. then work my way again through the 600 grit and the  MM and PlastX polish. If you put on a good 10-14 coats of CA you wont sand through unless you really hit it heavy. i just use the sanding to smooth out any grooves and start the polishing procedure. in fact if you skip and try to go straight to the finer grits you will have a tougher time of getting rid of circular grooves.


----------



## navycop (Nov 5, 2011)

cwolfs69 said:


> well i actually start out sanding with 320 grit after i put on the CA. then work my way again through the 600 grit and the MM and PlastX polish. If you put on a good 10-14 coats of CA you wont sand through unless you really hit it heavy. i just use the sanding to smooth out any grooves and start the polishing procedure. in fact if you skip and try to go straight to the finer grits you will have a tougher time of getting rid of circular grooves.


 Does the amount of coats depend on the thickness of the glue? I don't know if that makes sense. I mean on with voscosity of the stuff in the bottle.


----------



## ghostrider (Nov 5, 2011)

The only time I go lower than 1000, is when I've used thick and Medium to "build up" to make up for the unfortunate mishap of removing too much stock. In that case I've probably applied several coats of thick/medium/thin. I'll go to 600 to get rid of the ridges that may result for those thicknesses, maybe even for in extreme cases. 

Otherwise, I use 1000 only to get rid of the shine (briefly), then 1500, and 2000 (I've taken to using wet/dry sandpaper). Then I either go plastic polish, or the buffers. 

If done proper, I shouldn't even need to run 1000 but a few seconds. But then I'm still developing that skill set.


----------



## cwolfs69 (Nov 6, 2011)

navycop said:


> cwolfs69 said:
> 
> 
> > well i actually start out sanding with 320 grit after i put on the CA. then work my way again through the 600 grit and the MM and PlastX polish. If you put on a good 10-14 coats of CA you wont sand through unless you really hit it heavy. i just use the sanding to smooth out any grooves and start the polishing procedure. in fact if you skip and try to go straight to the finer grits you will have a tougher time of getting rid of circular grooves.
> ...




i very rarely use anything except thin for finishing. i will use medium if i have a large hole or gap to fill but to me that is not part of the finishing, that is a repair. when i do use medium for finish, i let each coat set for some time, at least 30 minutes, before the next coat. with the thin i hit it with accelerator and put the next coat on in about 30 seconds. 
i would put my finishes up against almost all i have seen on here, a few OMG's not withstanding, and have them describe there methods. sometimes i say to myself when i read them, how do they do that and get a finish, but they work. i think each of us find that we all take different roads to get to the same place sometimes. each does it differently and *NONE ARE WRONG*, just different.


----------



## lorbay (Nov 6, 2011)

navycop said:


> cwolfs69 said:
> 
> 
> > well i actually start out sanding with 320 grit after i put on the CA. then work my way again through the 600 grit and the MM and PlastX polish. If you put on a good 10-14 coats of CA you wont sand through unless you really hit it heavy. i just use the sanding to smooth out any grooves and start the polishing procedure. in fact if you skip and try to go straight to the finer grits you will have a tougher time of getting rid of circular grooves.
> ...



No the amount of coats it what gives it's thickness on the blanks. The more coats the deeper it looks. I can only believe that CharlesH puts 20 - 30 on these.
http://www.stylink.ca/photos/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2856&g2_serialNumber=1

I usually put 10- 12 coats then sand dry with 300 or 400 depending on how level I get it, then go straight to MM pads wet.

Lin.


----------



## sbarton22 (Nov 7, 2011)

From my limited experience, and I am still finding what I like and what happens with various deviations, but 10-12 is a good place to start.

I have recently tried fewer coats than that and when doing the final sanding, there is less room for error or correcting. 

Another thing to think about, and more style than pragmatic, is the depth of the finish.  Less coats are more textured, and more coats can be made into a glass like finish.

Lately, I have been experimenting with alternating layers of medium and thin. I think, ultimately, thin layers build a better smoother finish with less coats and in less time. The medium, while you might think builds the finish faster, doesn't really. It dries slower. The risks of getting an uneven finish on your layers is higher, and then is highlighted by the next thicker layer. The thin seems to eliminate this. 

I would also suggest letting the CA cure for a couple of hours before you start on the final polish. DAMHIKT. I have gotten into the habit of finishing the last bit of CA and then calling it a night in the shop.

But, like it has been said before, everyone has their own way and that goes down to the paper towel brand you use to apply it. The best advice is to find the method that provides the best finish that you like AND the method that is most consistently replicated (for you).


----------



## tomas (Nov 7, 2011)

I have been sanding upto 600, then removing dust with denatured alcohol, then 6-8 coats of medium CA using accelerator between coats, smooth any inconsistencies with a very light touch from my WoodChuck, then 6-8 more coats of CA, Finish with wet MM up to 12000.

Tomas


----------



## moke (Nov 7, 2011)

When you are applying CA, Thin, Med, or Thick you are applying the same material. As cswolfs69 stated, the medium just takes longer to dry. I use the thin only with accelorator and build it up to at least 15 coats or so. I try and sand after each 5 ( or whenever I need a new applicator towel) clean it up after sanding and before applying more CA with BLO, then wipe down any excess BLO. DNA would probably ok inbetween coats, but never on raw wood...it takes away moisture.
When sanding try and not go below 400 or so, it is too aggressive. I use 400, 600, 800 and 1000, but I could almost certainly skip the 1000 and maybe even the 800 when buffing.  If you are MM'ing I would use them.  I usually examine my finish under a bright light with a 4x magnifier, which is kind of over kill and is time/labor intensive, but really teaches you to work hard on your finishes.  

When sanding, try and sand untill all the "shiny" spots are gone...those are the low spots... MM or buff, then even if I buff I still Meguairs plastix polish and Ren. I have tryed carnuba on a dedicated buff wheel but I do not think the shine is as high.


----------



## 8ball48043 (Nov 14, 2011)

*Videos/tutorials*

Jim, you mention 'videos/tutorials'.  Where might I find these (re: finishing with CA) ?

Thanks in advance.



JCochrun said:


> I haven't tried the CA finish yet. All of the videos/tutorials that I have seen have you sand with 800 grit after applying CA. It seems like that will sand off all of the CA. Is that right? I'm a little lost. Appreciate the help.
> 
> Jim


----------



## rsulli16 (Nov 14, 2011)

hui
you tube has quite a few, seach on CA finish, pen finishing, ect.
Sulli


----------



## 8ball48043 (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks, Sulli.  I found them.  Quite interesting.  Especially since everyone seems to do the finishing a bit differently!



rsulli16 said:


> hui
> you tube has quite a few, seach on CA finish, pen finishing, ect.
> Sulli


----------

