# Cant keep my CA finish level!



## philb (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi,

After applying 3-4 coats of medium CA/BLO to a blank its pretty uneven, with a few higher rings. These take a fair bit of sanding to get back to level, by which time the good areas are back down to the wood!

There must be something fundamental wrong with how im applying it!

Ive tried to do it as per russ's videos. But if i dont use a hell of a lot more BLO than he does my paper towel grabs and sticks to the blank? Could it be that i am applying to much BLO? Or am i not rubbing the blank hard enough (although have tried to do i hard and soft!)

Only other thing i can think of is too much CA, but then i keep sanding through it to try and remove the rings! So a bit stuck here!

Any help would be great!

Cheers PHIL


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## mrcook4570 (Feb 2, 2008)

Try it without BLO.  Apply with even pressure and move at a fairly quick pace across the blank.


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## philb (Feb 2, 2008)

Do you not need to rub it till you get the smell? As described in Russ's vid?


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## mrcook4570 (Feb 2, 2008)

Some people use BLO, some don't.  I do not.  I also do not keep rubbing - just a a couple of quick passes.  Only enough to get it smooth.  Then I hit it with accelerator (from a distance), although you can just wait for it to cure.


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## mrcook4570 (Feb 2, 2008)

Experiment with your technique.  I bet there are at least 958,627,344 different ways of applying a CA finish.  Might as well come up with one more


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## philb (Feb 2, 2008)

yeh suppose, trial and error!

Just annoying have tried the same blank 4 times! and on the four, the paper towel has snagged out of my hand and helpful glued itself solid around both the blanks as the lathe span! Great!


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## Larry Gottlieb (Feb 2, 2008)

Try thin CA, applying one drop as the barrel slowly rotates, and spreading rapidly using a small baggy on your finger.

I find that when I use too much CA I get the uneven spots.

I also use a piece of brown paper bag to burnish the CA when it is dry. Rub at the highest lathe speed. You will see a small amount of white powder on the paper as the CA is smoothed.

Larry


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## leehljp (Feb 2, 2008)

A few people use flat pieces of flexible nylon (about a bandaid size) to apply the CA; some use the small plastic bags that the pen parts come in; some use rubber gloves - to flow the CA onto it. 

The ridges are something that I experienced in my 1 1/2 year journey to learn how to perfect a CA finish for me. IMO, the ridges are NOT the problem, - it is the lower smooth areas that does not have enough CA build up. IF you sand the ridges down to the level of the other and get sand through, then you probably don't have enough CA build up overall. Any time there is sand through to the wood, it means either too much pressure, out of round or not thick enough layer of CA.

One problem that causes sanding down to the wood - is that most people are using a minimum amount of CA without realizing it. Russ Fairfield is a well experienced pen maker. He knows his lathe and the tools and the tolerances. He knows the "feel" and "touch" that comes from experience and a good eye and technique. He shows how to efficiently apply the CA with good results and his methods can be duplicated. 

Russ's method works for him and for many, but it doesn't for others. This is one area that each user has to work through and figure out for himself, unless there is another turner present to help. 

It sure would be helpful if "amounts" and "pressure" and "touch" and "feel" could be more defined, but those terms are "relative" to each individual - Example:
A - "You are taking tooo big of a bite with your skew!" 
B - "I AM NOT, I am barely touching it!"
A - "Look at the ribbons, far too big."
B - "What? Those are small; you want to see big?" 

The same descriptions applies to CA application and sanding.

If I were you, I would experiment with different ways of applying the CA to get it more consistent levelness during application. One thing that worked for me was not having the goal of "finishing a pen" in mind. That kind of thinking initially caused me frustration. I changed my goal to:  "How can I get a consistent finish and level application?" So, I worked on that - over and over. My goal was just *that*, - not a fine finished pen. When I learned that step (that was so easy for Russ and many others) I was able to use that experience in getting a fine finished pen.


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## Monty (Feb 2, 2008)

And to keep from ruining pen blanks, take a piece of 1X1 pine (or any piece of waste wood). Turn it round, between centers (don't drill and put in a tube). Once it's round, practice with the CA. If you sand too far don't worry, just sand everything off and start over. Repeat until you get a good even finish with no high spots or sanding lines.


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## jhs494 (Feb 2, 2008)

I learned to apply Ca just as Mannie described. Use scrap wood and practice. The delrin strip method works well and I have used wax paper and it works well. Sometimes the more I fuss with it the worse it gets. I try to put it on and get it even and let it go. I apply it with slow RPM's also.

If you get the high rings you are talking about try using something to back your sand paper, like a sanding block. Cut a small strip of scrap wood about 1" wide and wrap your paper over it lengthwise. This can help you from sanding all over and just on the high spots.


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## bradh (Feb 4, 2008)

I find the amount of BLO needed depends on the type and thickness of towel. Rather than use someone else'd number for the number of BLO drops, figure out what works for you. If 3 drops still sticks, try 4 or 5.


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## philb (Feb 4, 2008)

Cheers for the advice guys!

gonna have to keep playing I think!

Ive tried soaking the towel in BLO and that didnt seem to work! But did make a nice smooth area on the towel, where the CA and BLO set together!


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## wendell (Feb 4, 2008)

I am sold on the delrin strips for applying a CA finish.  I feel like I can spread the CA much smoother with them.  I also don't have trouble with the strips sticking and messing things up.  I can usually get the finish leveled and ready for polishing with MM with a quick bit of sanding with 400 grit.  When I tried paper towels, the ridges were so bad I had to resort to 240 to knock them down.

Wendell


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## philb (Feb 4, 2008)

That sounds similar to how mine are at the moment! Also i have areas that are thinner in CA, mainly the ares where the blank is thickest, like the top of a curve in the barrel!

Where can i get these delrin strips?


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## bbqncigars (Feb 4, 2008)

I wonder if some of this (www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=902) might be useful.  I'll have to try it this weekend both by itself and stuck to a small block.

Wayne


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## wendell (Feb 5, 2008)

I bought my delrin strips from Joe at Turncrafts.  Here's a link to his business classified post on IAP: http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=32940
I also bought some of the delrin rods he sells to make bushings for CA finishing.  I use the metal bushings to get to the correct dimensions and switch to my homemade delrin bushings to apply a CA finish.

Wendell


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## leehljp (Feb 5, 2008)

> _Originally posted by philbaldwin_
> 
> That sounds similar to how mine are at the moment! Also i have areas that are thinner in CA, mainly the ares where the blank is thickest, like the top of a curve in the barrel!
> 
> Where can i get these delrin strips?



Curves come with experience, but you do have to let go of flat strips for certain size/radius curves. 

Overall, delrin strips help a lot. I use flat delrin like strips at times but I also use rubber/latex gloves as well as the smaller pen parts bags for curved surfaces. Don't worry about the different methods of application just yet. Get used to using one method (i.e. delrin like strips) until it works well. From there expand your experience with a different method until it works consistently also. 

Curves:


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## philb (Feb 5, 2008)

Those calls are awesome! The curves aren't that extreme, I just mean the the curve put in a blank to make it a little fatter in the middle!

I wouldn't even know where to begin with the sanding of those never mind the finish!


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## Squeaker (Feb 5, 2008)

Hi Phil:  I've not been using CA for finishing very long but I use the "Masking Tape on Quilt Batting" method to apply mine.  It goes on really smooth if you use a slow speed (about 500 RPM) and move across the work quickly.  I rarely need more than about 3-4 drops for any pen.  Light pressure is plenty so you dont "burn" the finish when the CA goes off.  I then polish with MM and hit it again if I need another layer.  Just go slow and try to perfect the process - not the finish - as was mentioned already before.

Best regards,
Squeaker


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## Squeaker (Feb 5, 2008)

Also forgot to mention that the CA should be completely dry before you use the MM or start a second layer.  If it isn't dry it will look cloudy when you put the next layer on.  It takes a few minutes to dry fully between coats but that gives me time to make a new applicator or get a cola or whatever - grin.

Squeaker.....


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## wudnhed (Feb 7, 2008)

I used to have trouble with CA rings and I realized I was turning my lathe speed up too high.  I started applying my CA at the lowest lathe speed, leave it at that speed to apply BLO or cure/dry.


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