# How long does it take you to apply a CA finish?



## Builderguy (Nov 25, 2009)

I have been making pens for about a year now and have decent success with the CA finish. But it routinely takes me about an hour to get it really nice, mostly due to trouble where the blank meets the bushing. 

How long does it take most of you to achieve a high gloss CA finish? Any suggestions on the transition between the blank and bushings? What is your average time to make a complete pen? 

Thanks!


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## hunter-27 (Nov 25, 2009)

Switch the bushings to delrin ones before applying finish. The time is variable for me.  Some materials 10 minutes, some I still struggle with and 30 mins is closer to reality.


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## Daniel (Nov 25, 2009)

I always figure a half hour to do a CA finish. But recently added a buffer to my shop and expect that time to drop. Actually my last 4 pens have been finished in Enduro and I will see how they look when buffed. Since I just turned those four tonight I will not biff them until tomorrow.


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## Parson (Nov 25, 2009)

If you use boiled linseed oil on a paper towel, then a couple of drops of medium CA glue back and forth real fast on top of the BLO soaked paper towel, you can do it in ten minutes or so. Depends on how much CA you want on the pen.


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## leehljp (Nov 25, 2009)

I can do a good glossy shine in about 15 minutes; but for a thick shine, minimum of 30 minutes in the summer (warm/hot temps.) Mostly though, I take an hour or so. Sometimes when one is ornery , I can spend two or three hours getting it perfect! :redface:


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## JimB (Nov 25, 2009)

About 30 minutes or so to apply it. I do final polishing the next day.


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## mrcook4570 (Nov 25, 2009)

Three to five minutes


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## lwalden (Nov 25, 2009)

15 - 20 minutes, assuming I don't screw it up and have to sand back down and start over. Which seems to happen about 5% - 10% of the time these days (getting better).


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## Displaced Canadian (Nov 25, 2009)

About 1 hour, I don't use BLO or accelerator and I sand the next day.


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## HSTurning (Nov 25, 2009)

5 to 10 min to apply and 5 to 10 to mm.
But over an hour is very possible.  
I turn, sand, apply CA and mm at 2900-3700 so I have had a few CA finishes get sanded thru.  Then I have to sand all the finish off and start again.  Ready should slow down but I dont have a VS lathe so I just go for it.  I use thin CA and I put a lot on so I also have ridges once in a while.


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## HSTurning (Nov 25, 2009)

Alton (greenmtguy) showed us at one of the local meetings one of the ways he has done it.  It does seem he has a new way at every meeting tho.

We should ask him to post a video.  I know at least one other member that is using the same method as me.  Its quick easy and a nice finish.


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## Moosewatcher (Nov 26, 2009)

Takes me about 20 minutes if I have no trouble.  Got tired of cleaning up ends and bushings, so bought a used PSI variable lathe for $100.  Use a drill chuck with an appropriate size  punch (Harbor Freight) and a brass tube slipped over it that's the same size as the brass in the blank.  Bushing it out so there is overhang and put light pressure on it with a 60 degree tail stock.  Now both ends of the blank are elevated so I don't get a glue bond I have to break and I don't have to clean up bushings.

Ken


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## george (Nov 26, 2009)

I need about 30 minutes if I do not have any problem. At fist is was about an hour, but with practice time drops.


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## JBCustomPens (Nov 26, 2009)

It can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. Like Hank said though, sometimes it can seem like forever until you get it perfect!:biggrin:


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## Chief Hill (Nov 26, 2009)

10 min or so for me. CA thin for first coat. Ca med for remaining with insta cure in between.  12000mm wet sand, and final plastic polish.


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## tool-man (Nov 26, 2009)

I find my CA finish usually needs some very light micro mesh treatment and buffing - but that only works well if I wait 24 hrs.  So are the times you folks quoting including an immediate buffing/polishing?  Or are your finishes good enough without any polishing?


JimB said:


> About 30 minutes or so to apply it. I do final polishing the next day.


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## ldb2000 (Nov 26, 2009)

As long as it takes to get it right :wink:


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## GoodTurns (Nov 26, 2009)

between 5 minutes and forever.


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## GouletPens (Nov 27, 2009)

It really depends on what kind of finish you're after. Sure, CA is CA, but one person's CA is not the same as anothers. You can throw some BLO on the wood and crank the speed up to 100,000 RPM, glop some thick CA on a paper towel and rub it on there for 20 seconds and call that a CA finish. But if what you're thinking of is a smooth, glassy CA finish that makes it so the wood almost looks like it was cast under resin, well then you're talking some real time and work. For the hardcore CA finishes, expect 30-60 minutes depending on the style of pen and wood (a pine slimline will not take as long as a buckeye burl Majestic...). If it takes you an hour and it comes out looking awesome, then I say all you can do is practice to get the time down a bit. Having a buffer will help, as will Delrin bushings. Bottom line is there is no magic to a glassy finish, it just takes time!!!


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## leehljp (Nov 27, 2009)

tool-man said:


> I find my CA finish usually needs some very light micro mesh treatment and buffing - but that only works well if I wait 24 hrs.





GouletPens said:


> For the hardcore CA finishes, expect 30-60 minutes depending on the style of pen and wood (a pine slimline will not take as long as a buckeye burl Majestic...).  Bottom line is there is no magic to a glassy finish, it just takes time!!!





ldb2000 said:


> As long as it takes to get it right :wink:



Something in toolman's response reminded me of some situations that are alluded to in Brian's post and really comes to Butch's quote: Some woods take longer to reveal its character, and if they are in pens that are for sale, especially on mid to high end pens (and even low end for me) caution needs to be noted. Burls and knots will often "telegraph" through even a thick CA finish several days later. In other words - what once was a nice smooth perfect finish can have indentions at a specific swirl or knot several days later. This is due to wood movement, which is another subject, but the finished CA product is tied in with this. 

Kinda like the sports slogan: "It ain't over til its over." . . . and as Butch said: "As long as it takes to get it right."


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## nava1uni (Nov 27, 2009)

It was good to read through this thread.  I have thought that I was really doing it all wrong because it takes me a lengthy time to do my finishes, but my time appears to be in the basic ball park here.  I find myself redoing them until it is perfect and that takes redoing it sometimes so that it can take as Butch said as long as it takes.


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## Roy_Quast (Nov 27, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> But if what you're thinking of is a smooth, glassy CA finish that makes it so the wood almost looks like it was cast under resin, well then you're talking some real time and work. Bottom line is there is no magic to a glassy finish, it just takes time!!!




This sounds like me.  I am doing something very right or very wrong. It takes me at least 2 days to get my finishes the way I want them, at least to my satisfaction. But when I am finished.....it's good for life. Well.....at least 2 years of everyday use, in and out of pockets, being dropped on concrete, spun around on counters...you get the picture, and it is still just as shinny as the day I gave it to him for his birthday. 

The way I do my finishes starts with 2-3 coats of thin CA with the lathe at the highest speed. I fold a paper towel until it's about 1/2 inch wide. Break it in half and just use one half at a time. Fold the paper towel over a pop-cycle stick or other small stick and soak the end of the paper towel with thin CA. 10-12 drops should do. Apply that all the way down the blank. Centrifugal force will keep the CA from going in between your bushings and your blank. To help it cure faster, I use a hair dryer on low speed. HEAT cures CA glue. I will not use any other accelerator. There is a difference between dried and cured. You can tell if it is cured by sticking your nose right down near the blank and taking a big whiff. If you get that burning sense in your nose...it not cured. When you can do that and not smell any of the CA fumes that cause the burning, then it is cured ready for the next coat. Curing can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes with the thin CA.
Next is medium CA. This time run your lathe on the slowest speed. Use your folded paper towel under your blank and run a beed of med CA all the way down the blank. The paper towel is there just to keep the CA from dripping off. Spread it evenly but very thick. Turn the hair dryer on low and have it about 2 feet away from the blank. You want to have a nice warm, not hot, flow of air hitting the blank. You do NOT want to cook the blank. Learned that one the hard way. This should take from 45 minutes to 1 hour. Test to see if it is cured by smelling. Repeat. I usually put about 7 to 10 coats of med CA. No sanding in between any of the CA coats. MM sanding from 1500 through 12k. I look through a jewelers loop to see if I need to re-sand with some of the higher grits of MM. After that, I use plastic polish. 
Take the blank off the lathe. The bushings have never stuck to the blank with this method. A gentle tap and they come right off. To square up the blank, I use 400 grit sandpaper and stand the bland up on its end. Holding it close to the bottom, go in small circles until it's flat. 
I know that this seems like a very long time to spend on one pen, but it's the best I can do and I won't settle for anything less.
Roy


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## Builderguy (Nov 27, 2009)

*Thanks for the opinions!*

I really appreciate all of the input!


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## GouletPens (Dec 3, 2009)

Roy_Quast said:


> This sounds like me.  I am doing something very right or very wrong. It takes me at least 2 days to get my finishes the way I want them, at least to my satisfaction. But when I am finished.....it's good for life. Well.....at least 2 years of everyday use, in and out of pockets, being dropped on concrete, spun around on counters...you get the picture, and it is still just as shinny as the day I gave it to him for his birthday.
> 
> The way I do my finishes starts with 2-3 coats of thin CA with the lathe at the highest speed. I fold a paper towel until it's about 1/2 inch wide. Break it in half and just use one half at a time. Fold the paper towel over a pop-cycle stick or other small stick and soak the end of the paper towel with thin CA. 10-12 drops should do. Apply that all the way down the blank. Centrifugal force will keep the CA from going in between your bushings and your blank. To help it cure faster, I use a hair dryer on low speed. HEAT cures CA glue. I will not use any other accelerator. There is a difference between dried and cured. You can tell if it is cured by sticking your nose right down near the blank and taking a big whiff. If you get that burning sense in your nose...it not cured. When you can do that and not smell any of the CA fumes that cause the burning, then it is cured ready for the next coat. Curing can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes with the thin CA.
> Next is medium CA. This time run your lathe on the slowest speed. Use your folded paper towel under your blank and run a beed of med CA all the way down the blank. The paper towel is there just to keep the CA from dripping off. Spread it evenly but very thick. Turn the hair dryer on low and have it about 2 feet away from the blank. You want to have a nice warm, not hot, flow of air hitting the blank. You do NOT want to cook the blank. Learned that one the hard way. This should take from 45 minutes to 1 hour. Test to see if it is cured by smelling. Repeat. I usually put about 7 to 10 coats of med CA. No sanding in between any of the CA coats. MM sanding from 1500 through 12k. I look through a jewelers loop to see if I need to re-sand with some of the higher grits of MM. After that, I use plastic polish.
> ...


This is a classic example of many roads leading to the same place. I basically don't do anything the way Roy does it, but what works for me might not work for him. The thing that will really help you to understand CA finishes is don't try to follow any one person's method to a T, but rather understand why each person does what they do, and what the consequence of each variance is. When you understand the basic principles of the CA finish, you can then adapt different techniques to best suit your equipment, environment, and personal techniques.


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## 1080Wayne (Dec 4, 2009)

``15 - 20 minutes, assuming I don't screw it up and have to sand back down and start over. Which seems to happen about 5% - 10% of the time these days ``
    This I don`t understand . I`ve seen numerous mentions over the last few years refering to the need to sand the original CA coat completely off before applying a new one . I have never done that , even on CA that was a month or more old , without encountering any problems . I assume poor adhesion would be the most likely problem . Can anyone shed any light on this , or is it just another urban legend ?

       Wayne
         Wayne


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## leehljp (Dec 4, 2009)

1080Wayne said:


> ``15 - 20 minutes, assuming I don't screw it up and have to sand back down and start over. Which seems to happen about 5% - 10% of the time these days ``
> This I don`t understand . I`ve seen numerous mentions over the last few years refering to the need to sand the original CA coat completely off before applying a new one . I have never done that , even on CA that was a month or more old , without encountering any problems . I assume poor adhesion would be the most likely problem . Can anyone shed any light on this , or is it just another urban legend ?
> Wayne



Wayne,

That is not necessary in every situation, but it is necessary in many cases (woods). When a person sands down to the bare wood in SPOTS, the new CA over the bare spot will cause a noticeable coloring difference for the spot! The only way to eliminate spots and stripes is to start over. I don't have this problem on ebonies and holly but I do on BOW and bloodwood along with some others. 

And in many of these cases, some people don't notice the problems but with a hobbiest's background in graphics, those spots stand out to me but my wife doesn't notice them unless I point them out.


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