# CA Finish Problems



## JonnyFever (Oct 17, 2015)

All,

I have recently been attempting CA Finishes. Currently, after sanding, I apply the CA to the blank while still between the bushings and on the mandrel. However, when I am done, I find that the bushings end up being glued to the blank and any attempted removal of the bushings ends up cracking the finish. What do you recommend I do to avoid this in the future? 

Thanks for the suggestions!


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## Drewboy22 (Oct 17, 2015)

They make bushing for this purpose.  It made a big difference in my CA finish when I started using these.


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## MikeL (Oct 17, 2015)

I also use those non stick bushings mention by Drewboy. I have also just turned between centers with no bushings at all (just the 60 deg live and dead centers in the pen body). Having done both, I prefer the non stick bushings.


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## JonnyFever (Oct 17, 2015)

Thanks!


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## Skie_M (Oct 17, 2015)

You can pick up a delrin rod and make your own non-stick bushings.

The usual method, however, involves grabbing your skew or a cut-off tool and very gently, just outside the blank, cutting through the CA .... and then doing your final sanding/finishing on the lathe.


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## Dalecamino (Oct 17, 2015)

Use an EXACTO knife point to score through the CA near the end of your blank but, NOT on the blank....on the bushing. Take the blank off the lathe and, rock the bushings back and, forth while holding the blank (may need some pliers for this) The CA while snap and, you can pull the bushing out. Then....lay a piece of 320 sand paper on a flat surface and gently rub the blank ends on the paper to smooth and, square the ends. :wink: You can soak your bushings in Acetone to remove the CA. I use a little plastic tub with a lid like, veggie dip or, something. Couple hours should do it then, wipe them off.


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## Dalecamino (Oct 17, 2015)

Skie_M said:


> You can pick up a delrin rod and make your own non-stick bushings.
> 
> The usual method, however, involves grabbing your skew or a cut-off tool and very gently, just outside the blank, cutting through the CA .... and then doing your final sanding/finishing on the lathe.


 Sorry....didn't see this one.:redface:


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## edstreet (Oct 17, 2015)

These 'special' bushings you will find Ca will still stick to them.  The better and superior choice is to wax the bushings you use.  With the right method they will come off like this.







If you remove the tube say after 400 grit and clean up the ends it is way easy to profile the ends to be near perfect every time.

In case anyone is wondering yes you can use the overage on the steel bushing as a guide reference point so you will know exactly how thick your CA is when you are unable to see the blank itself.







Work WITH the equipment not against it.  Using delrin is working against the CA.


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## Dalecamino (Oct 17, 2015)

Yes indeed, wax is another great option. I forgot I used it in the beginning of using CA. Don't get it on your wood.


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## jallan (Oct 17, 2015)

I use both the wax and the non stick bushings and find the was works much better and as  Chuck said don't get the wax on the wood.


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## jttheclockman (Oct 17, 2015)

Finish your blanks between centers with you dead and live center and eliminate bushing all together. That in my opinion is the best method. Or make some derin cone shaped bushings.


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## edstreet (Oct 17, 2015)

jttheclockman said:


> Finish your blanks between centers with you dead and live center and eliminate bushing all together. That in my opinion is the best method. Or make some derin cone shaped bushings.



That only works with a very small subset of the finish arena, which is thin film coverage.  If you have any gap filling going on then the game is off without bushings.  You NEED that stop gap support to do a good buildup on the end of the tubes.


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## jttheclockman (Oct 17, 2015)

edstreet said:


> jttheclockman said:
> 
> 
> > Finish your blanks between centers with you dead and live center and eliminate bushing all together. That in my opinion is the best method. Or make some derin cone shaped bushings.
> ...



Say what. Works for all kinds of finishing. I will say this I would never want my blanks to look like the one you shown and have to deal with trying to trim those ends without cracking. I will once again stick by my opinion and not be told differently. I too have done this for quite some time and feel I am well accomplished in what I do. 

Now this is where Smitty jumps in and says I am too personal.


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## Dale Lynch (Oct 17, 2015)

Bushingless is a good way to ensure the ends get finished as well as the rest.If there is a bushing butted up against the barrel finish will not be able to get to the ends.


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## edstreet (Oct 17, 2015)

A good CA finish is flexible and that excess in the photo's I posted can easily be trimmed off.  I did a few short vid clips showing how flexible it is.

Being personal? Not at all.


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## jttheclockman (Oct 17, 2015)

edstreet said:


> A good CA finish is flexible and that excess in the photo's I posted can easily be trimmed off.  I did a few short vid clips showing how flexible it is.
> 
> Being personal? Not at all.



Just another way of doing a CA finish in a long line of methods. Add it to the list.


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## Rockdust (Oct 19, 2015)

*A way to get it apart without hurting your wood is*

Put your blank with the glued on bushings in a zip lock bag then put that in your freezer for a few hours and it will come right a part. I used to glass bed rifle stocks and when one would not come apart I would put it in the freezer over night and the next day just give it a little tap and it would come right apart. It saved my butt many times, Chuck


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## csr67 (Oct 26, 2015)

jttheclockman said:


> Finish your blanks between centers with you dead and live center and eliminate bushing all together. That in my opinion is the best method. Or make some derin cone shaped bushings.



After using a mandrel/CA bushings for months, I finally wised up and bought a 60 degree live and dead MT2 centers for my lathe. About $25 total on Amazon.  Why did I wait so long????

Soooooo much easier to do CA, and no more bonding with the CA bushings and resultant end damage when breaking the finished blank free!

I had 12 bolt action blanks to finish this weekend, and the live centers made it so much easier.  They came off perfect, with no build up on the ends.  A quick turn of the tailstock screw and I could release the blank and load up the next one.  No more mandrel and CA bushings for me, ever!


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## jttheclockman (Oct 26, 2015)

csr67 said:


> jttheclockman said:
> 
> 
> > Finish your blanks between centers with you dead and live center and eliminate bushing all together. That in my opinion is the best method. Or make some derin cone shaped bushings.
> ...




There you go. I am glad it worked out for you. It is the way I do all mine and I too learned from someone before me who tried it and am sure it went down the line. Someplace there was that one person who thought of it first. Always has to be a first.  Good luck and happy turning.


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