# Alternative pen finishes.



## soundman (Jul 2, 2007)

I've had a bit of a brouse about in this here finish forum & and elsewhere.
There seems to be a number of popular finish alternatives & then not much else seems to be spoken about.
So what alternative finishes are people using and how have they found them.
I want to hear about the bad ones too.

when I started my first couple of pens were done with wax specificaly Ubeaut traditional wax.
It looked ... allright.. but soon looked grubby (hardly surprising) one of those pens is a daily user... since then it has been thru the wash (and the tumbel drier)at least twice... almost all traces of the wax are pretty well gone...it doesn't look bad.. not flash either...just looks like a workin' mans pen....testiment to the mechanism and the insert it still works fine and didnt leak (although one other did leak)

I moved on to shelawax cream... which I was never happy with the result (hardly surprising) Mr Beaut put me straight on that one.

then on to shelawax and shelawax glow liquid...which I have had some very happy results with. I can't comment on the long term durability ( I must stick one in my pocket)... but I have seen quite some discussion on the matter elsewhere...the concensus is thet is will perform below par if you don't get it hot enough under friction to do its thing.
I find it quick and relativly easy.. some skill and care is required to get a good result... I use it with EEE.
I don't think anybody would sensibly argue that shelawax would be as durable as any of the hard resin finishes.
Using it over other finishes is not a good thing.

i've been using a bit of CA lately and it most certainly is a worthwhile finish. good and hard and comes up to a good gloss.
I seem to think it doesn't have the crystal clarity that I would prefeer, I cant seem to get a deep clear crisp BILNG out of it.
I havnt had it go milky on me though.
I tend to run thin coats applied with the lathe stoped using a cotton bud & sand between coats up to 1200 then micro abrasive.
I understand that long term durability (10 years &  more) may be a problem as the CA degrades... does anybody know.
I've tended away from the accelerator except when filling holes As it seems to realy disturb the finish and add lots of extra sanding.
Because I lay it on fairly thin with extraction going it seems to go off quick enough anyway.

I read stories about acrilic, disolved in acetone, plastic epoxies, poly U, danish oil blends and others..... how have you all found these.

I've been thinking about trying hard white shelac because that might give me the clarity I seek and some reasonable durability.
has anybody tried nitro laquer.


cheers


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## jeffj13 (Jul 2, 2007)

Soundman,

At the present, all I use is lacquer.  I spray it on.  I think it provide provide excellent clarity and adds depth.

jeff


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## thewishman (Jul 2, 2007)

I use a plexiglas finish (plex dissolved in acetone) and my finishes from a year ago still look very clear.

Chris


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## gerryr (Jul 4, 2007)

I think you're making too much work for yourself with CA.  When I use a CA finish, I apply it with the lathe running, normally 2 coats of thin, followed by 2-3 coats of thick.  THEN I start sanding.  The trick is to use air to blow off the sanding dust before putting on the first thin coat.  I used to use DNA, but after getting an air compressor I quit using it.  Since discontinuing the DNA every CA finish I've completed has been crystal clear.  Do a search on CA finishes and you'll find lots of information on how to do it.  My method works for me, but it might not work for anyone else.  Having said all that, I don't use CA much anymore.  I now use a water based lacquer that I wipe on.  It takes a lot longer than CA, but I really like the results.


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## soundman (Jul 4, 2007)

I'm happy with my method of applying CA.
the time it takes to apply the coats is quite short and I save a lot of extra sanding.... I would be sanding those grits anyway.
additionaly it reduces the amount of CA used, the amount of fumes and eliminates the need to use accelerator.

For a balance of speed, durability and apperaance shelawax glo takes quite a bit of beating, the glow has a higher percentage of shelac aparntly.

I guess one of the major considerations is speed..... I hve no problem spending some extra time on an upmarket pen, but for basic pens speed is an important factor.

I've been thinking abou t nitro laquer, because here in summer it goes off pretty damn fast.

I have considered getting a couple of extra mandrels so I could just pop the whole thing out while I waited for it to cure between processes & mean time go on with another.
This would save the fiddle of rethreding the blanks.

cheers


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## Tanner (Jul 4, 2007)

You should check out Finishing Secrets by Russ Fairfield.  I have them and was glued to the TV for hours.  He takes you through several methods to finishing a pen and even rates them for durability.  Here is a link. http://www.woodturner-russ.com/FinishingSecrets.html


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## rherrell (Jul 5, 2007)

All I use is lacquer but you need to have patience for it. I apply 9 coats,3 coats 1 min. apart every hr. so it takes 2 hrs. to apply.Then I wait 7 days and sand with 600,800 and MM to 12,000.
Works for me!


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## rherrell (Jul 5, 2007)

Forgot one thing. I apply the lacquer with an air brush. It seems to atomize finer than the rattle cans and is easier to control.


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## Jerryconn (Jul 6, 2007)

I have used CA almost exclusively to this point. But recently I have begun to try Enduro and I really like it.  It seems easier to get a smooth gloss finish than CA, but you can't finish a pen in a day. The Enduro seems to have a different feel than the CA. I will be trying lacquer very soon both spraying and dipping. I want the have two or three different finishes in my bag of tricks.  But I think if you need a pen tomorrow nothing will beat CA for least time to complete and for durability/longevity for the time invested.


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## mdburn_em (Jul 6, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Tanner_
> <br />You should check out Finishing Secrets by Russ Fairfield.  I have them and was glued to the TV for hours.  He takes you through several methods to finishing a pen and even rates them for durability.  Here is a link. http://www.woodturner-russ.com/FinishingSecrets.html



Better yet, (IMHO) buy the video.  I did and don't regret it.


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## redfishsc (Jul 7, 2007)

I have a bit of a hybrid method that has proven to be a killer finish. I have a LOT of trouble with hazy CA finishes, mine nearly never buff out correctly. 


I put on two coats of the CA/BLO method, verbatim with Russ Fairfield's tutorials. Takes a whole 3 minutes. This partly fills the grain and leaves a smooth, sealed finish. I do this with 5-10 pens and toss them in a "ready to spray" box.

Next, I spray them with a product called conversion varnish-- I spray with an airbrush or small HVLP gun (depending on how much I spray at a time). Basically it is lacquer on steroids. Once cured, even moderate contact with acetone or lacquer thinner won't harm it. This finish is designed for cabinet makers and furniture makers, and you have to have good ventilation. The vapors are much more noxious than lacquer, but the final product can be micromeshed in 5 hours if cured at 70F or higher. 

I hopefully will work up a tutorial since the method I just described is only a snapshot and not quite as easy as I make it sound. 

The benefits are 
1) incredibly durable
2) feels "warmer" than CA
3) satin finishes can be done easily
4) never, ever a cloudy spot or "blush"
5) Confidence. I know of kitchen cabinets that are 10 years old in heavily used/abused kitchens and this finish has held up. 

I have seen pens I gave away two years ago that had one coat of this stuff just swabbed on and they still look shiney (though the crappy 24K plating I used then has suffered necrosis)


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## Jerryconn (Jul 10, 2007)

redfishsc
I don't think I have seen conversion varnish before, where do you get it?
Thanks


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## vick (Jul 10, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Jerryconn_
> <br />redfishsc
> I don't think I have seen conversion varnish before, where do you get it?
> Thanks


Pretty sure you have to have a contrators or painting contractors license to get Conversion varnish.


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