# Walnut Oil and CA finish



## KenV (Jul 16, 2015)

I did not have any linseed,oil handy and tried using some walnut oil with CA to finish pens.

It was successful and works for me using both Mahoney and Doctors Workshop versions of walnut oil finishes.

Less amber color is good on light colored wood.  Lower viscosity makes it easier to apply.  

Try it. -- You might like it.

Final polishing process works the same.


I use walnut oils on bowls and have plenty.


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## Charlie69 (Jul 16, 2015)

M. Graham Walnut alkyd medium works with CA also.   I don't use CA too often because of it's brittleness but it works great on oily woods so I occasionally still use it instead of poly or mcu.   One night I turned some Cocobola and didn't have any BLO so I looked in my box of wood finishing/varnish supplies and saw the walnut alkyd and decided to give it a try.   Worked great and like you mention it's lighter in color than BLO.


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## NittanyLion (Jul 16, 2015)

I do this occasionally on lighter colored blanks, using the straight walnut oil from Woodcraft. works great for me.


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## TonyL (Jul 16, 2015)

KenV said:


> I did not have any linseed,oil handy and tried using some walnut oil with CA to finish pens.
> 
> It was successful and works for me using both Mahoney and Doctors Workshop versions of walnut oil finishes.
> 
> ...


 
This is good to know. Thanks, Did you find that the combination provides more of a semi-gloss finish as opposed to a straight CA high-gloss finish?

I also think his Pen Plus is mostly walnut oil, but I never tried combining it with CA.


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## KenV (Jul 16, 2015)

Tony --  Flat and Semi-Gloss in oil based varnishes is done by addition of Silica into the varnish.  The silica changes the reflections and the surfaces.   Let the varnish settle and not mix it before use, the top part is more glossy.  

Silica is not practical with the different CA finish processes, but light abrading with 4-O steel wool takes the gloss off.   Old trick on flat work, and Les Elm uses it with his dipped finish processes when he want less gloss.  

I have used scotch brite and 4-O steel wool to get less shine, or I have stopped the abrasive polishing processes early when I have just the right amount of reflectance.


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## TonyL (Jul 16, 2015)

KenV said:


> Tony --  Flat and Semi-Gloss in oil based varnishes is done by addition of Silica into the varnish.  The silica changes the reflections and the surfaces.   Let the varnish settle and not mix it before use, the top part is more glossy.
> 
> Silica is not practical with the different CA finish processes, but light abrading with 4-O steel wool takes the gloss off.   Old trick on flat work, and Les Elm uses it with his dipped finish processes when he want less gloss.
> 
> I have used scotch brite and 4-O steel wool to get less shine, or I have stopped the abrasive polishing processes early when I have just the right amount of reflectance.



Thank you. I actually want high-gloss. The BLO and CA furnish less that high-gloss. I was wondering if the walnut oil-CA combo would produce high-gloss which is what I want. Did you combine the walnut oil and CA before applying or alternate?


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## KenV (Jul 18, 2015)

TonyL said:


> KenV said:
> 
> 
> > Tony --  Flat and Semi-Gloss in oil based varnishes is done by addition of Silica into the varnish.  The silica changes the reflections and the surfaces.   Let the varnish settle and not mix it before use, the top part is more glossy.
> ...





Tony -- Went back to the shop and double tested.   I have a run of modified Cigar pens (without the center band) and a couple are using ebony and blackwood.   I used 50 cps CA and Doctors Workshop walnut oil.   -  

Sand to P800 or P1000,  I sand both radially and longitudinally (or on the diagonal to be more precise) to assure there are no scratches visible.

CA seal with 50 cps  sand to a smooth undercoat to P800  (usually start at 320 or 400).  Use folder paper towel for application.

Inspect with care an wipe blank clean

fold a new paper towel and add a couple drops of walnut oil and apply - with lathe running and under hand hold add a few drops of CA moving rapidly - repeat 4 times.

Inspect

Pretty darn good shine -- and I can see the grain of the wood with great clarity.

Go to polishing routine

Nice outcome


Do not know how to measure brightness of shine -- but the barrels were "gleaming"

Fr

CA sealer coat and resand


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## Wildman (Jul 18, 2015)

The gloss of a surface is measured by using a tool called sheen meter or gloss meter. Gloss is usually expressed with value ranging from 0 sheen to 90 sheen. Sheen 90 is the highest gloss when the surface is reflecting the almost all the light that is received. Sheen 0 means is the lowest gloss when the surface absorbs all the light that is received.

In case you are interested can buy a gloss meter, I will stay with depth of sheen!

Gloss Meter Introduction | Choosing a Gloss Meter


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## TonyL (Jul 19, 2015)

KenV said:


> TonyL said:
> 
> 
> > KenV said:
> ...




Thank you Ken. I am eager to try this! What does 50cps mean? And it appears that you alternated between applying the walnut oil and the CA(?). Or did you combine the walnut oil and CA, and apply the mixture to the paper towel and then to the barrel?

Sorry to ask more question, in the face of a comprehensively described process. I want to be sure that I repeat when you did.

Thank you.


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## Charlie69 (Jul 19, 2015)

cps is a measurement of viscosity.   water is 1 cps, SAE 10 oil around 100 cps.


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## KenV (Jul 19, 2015)

CPS is a viscosity measure that is shown on the bottles of CA -  The really thin is 5 cps.  Medium is labeled as 100 cps.   (CPS=centistokes per second per memory)

Exotic Blanks :: Shop Supplies :: Glues & Epoxies

I apply the walnut oil laden paper towel (Kirkland) from the bottom and a few drops of CA from  the top as lathe is running at a fairly fast speed (full speed at the lower speed headstock setting) moving the towel back and forth rapidly with light to moderate pressure applied.  

My theory (as an engineer who has taken a few chemistry courses) is that the walnut (or other oil) is in place on the surface and the CA is reacting with the oil as it is added and distributed by movement of the towel.  I suspect the oil helps spread the CA (my analogy is the mineral oil with french polishing).  I think I can see the change in the surface as the initial reaction is happening.   My expectation is that the reaction continues for some time after the surface is set (curing) until either the oil or the CA components are exhausted. 

Just a few drops will do it -- but the


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