# About Pen finishes



## originalbart (Aug 15, 2006)

So which pen finish holds up to sweat & the acid in peoples sweat depending on their PH balance?

Or is there a finished that is not advertised as a pen finishes that will work just as well or better.

I'm am not sure about shell wax , hut pen polish they just don't sound very good to me.


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## mrcook4570 (Aug 15, 2006)

My prefernce is CA.  But I also have good results with Enduro and lacquer.


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## Dario (Aug 15, 2006)

Ditto to what Stan said...though I haven't tried Enduro yet.  I use both CA and lacquer but mostly CA.


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## JimGo (Aug 15, 2006)

I'll second Dario's dittoing of Stan's comments, or, alternatively, ditto what Dario said.


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## bradh (Aug 15, 2006)

I use CA now, but my fisrt pen used a french polish and the colour has darkened considerably in the year and a half since it was made.
Brad


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## ctEaglesc (Aug 16, 2006)

A suggestion:
 Get a beverage of choice and sit down with Russ Fairfields site particularly on finishing small objects.
It will open your eyes to the pro's and cons of the many finishes available.
http://www.woodturner-russ.com/Pen10.html
USe the woodturning stuff at the top of the page


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## chigdon (Aug 16, 2006)

The only finishes that will hold up on a pen are CA, Enduro and lacquer.  I always use CA which I believe is the easiest to apply once you get the method down but there are MANY MANY opionions on this here.  Any of these three will do extremely well though.


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## terrymiller (Aug 16, 2006)

Not to start a argument but there are other finishes that will hold up just as well.  Tung oil will hold up very well once cured and I use the plexiglass finish exclusively.  I still carry the same pen that I first tried it on over a year ago and still looks the same as the day I finished it.  I cant say the same for some of the CA finishes that I have carried.


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## thewishman (Aug 16, 2006)

I agree with Terry, the plexiglas finish is my favorite. It is easy to use, very inexpensive, durable and, to use scientific terms, shiny as heck.

Chris


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## ctEaglesc (Aug 16, 2006)

Wishman and Terry
There is a difference in a shiny smooth coating on the surface of the pen such as a CA finish and your plexi mix as opposed to a hand rubbed lacquer finish.
An example would be a heavy coat of bar top material or polyurethane on a coffee table.
Yes the surface is snooth and shiny but it is not a "Deep Finish" There is a difference between deep and thick.
I'll make a deal with you.
I will try the plexi finish again(I did it the first time a year ago but was not satified with it compared to the multiple coats of lacquer on Pentarsia.)
You in turn might consider trying a multiple lacquer finish and compare it to a plexifinish.
Deal?


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## vick (Aug 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by cteaglesc_
> <br />
> I'll make a deal with you.
> I will try the plexi finish again(I did it the first time a year ago but was not satified with it compared to the multiple coats of lacquer on Pentarsia.)
> ...



Might work better if you exchange pens with what each of you consider prime finishes.  To much chance that slightly different proceedure will result in the finsh not being optimum.  Their is a difference betwean the finish not working as well and someone not being able to apply it as well.  Not meaning to disperage anyones finishing technique I just know that I  have tried many and have only been completely happy with CA, I do not believe that this means other finishes cannot look as good it only means I have been unable to get them to.


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## thewishman (Aug 16, 2006)

I agree that lacquer produces a deep, rich finish that is very different from plexiglas. I love the look of beautiful lacquer finishes, especially those posted by Billy B. (alamocdc). I use the plexi because, for me, it is easy, quick, durable, cheap and shiny.[]

Chris


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## chigdon (Aug 16, 2006)

I like a glossy finish so I would never use a tung oil finish on my pens (I use tung oil on bowls quite often) but I did forget about plexi.  You are right about that.  



> _Originally posted by terrymiller_
> <br />Not to start a argument but there are other finishes that will hold up just as well.  Tung oil will hold up very well once cured and I use the plexiglass finish exclusively.  I still carry the same pen that I first tried it on over a year ago and still looks the same as the day I finished it.  I cant say the same for some of the CA finishes that I have carried.


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## mrcook4570 (Aug 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by chigdon_
> <br />The only finishes that will hold up on a pen are CA, Enduro and lacquer.



There are others that will hold up as well as, if not better than the above.  But their availability and ease of application may not be the same.  I met another turner at the AAW Symposium in Louisville that uses some sort of proprietary clear coat (sorry, I suffer from CRS and can't quite recall the name of the product) that he gets from a friend in the automotive industry.  I've also seen pens that were powder coated.


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## RussFairfield (Aug 17, 2006)

If you were to do a hardness test on the finishes we can put on a pen, you would get something like the following on a scale of ZERO to TEN.

0   - Bare polished wood
2   - Shellac applied as a Friction Polish
3   - Most Oil and varnish finishes
4   - Waterlox
4   - Deft lacquer
5   - CVA Glue
6/7 - Enduro
10+  - Acrylic Plastics

These are the numbers that I get by finding the hardest pencil lead on an H scale that will not scratch the surface of the finish. Others may get something different because of differences in sharpness of the pencil, technique, interpretation, and the hardness of the bare wood under the finish. However, all things being equal, the relative order of hardness will not change.


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## terrymiller (Aug 17, 2006)

Eagle I am not going to argue about the lacquer I dont have the patience to wait for it to be done properly.  Lacquer if done properly is probably far superior in depth and shine than other finishes I use the plexi because like Chris said it is quick and easy and produces a shine as good if not better than the CA.  I dont do pens that take days or more to complete.  If I did I would probably use the lacquer on those pens but still use the plexi on the more standard blanks.


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## garriv777 (Aug 24, 2006)

Hi,
I'm new to turning and was just reading these posts and was wondering what exactly is this " plexi " finish that you guys are talking about? Who markets this stuff and what is the trade name?

Thanks
Gary


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## Dario (Aug 24, 2006)

Gary,

The plexi finish is a home made one.  Just dissolve some plexiglass in acetone and you have it [][^]


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## wdcav1952 (Aug 24, 2006)

Gary,

Terry Miller who has posted in this thread is the developer of the plexi finish, and probably would be willing to give a spot of advice on the process.


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## EPC (Sep 6, 2006)

The more I read the threads on this board the more I find out I don't know. Explain something to me if you can. If I turn a stablized blank, what reason can you give to use a finish other than friction polish?



> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />If you were to do a hardness test on the finishes we can put on a pen, you would get something like the following on a scale of ZERO to TEN.
> 
> 0   - Bare polished wood
> ...


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## ctEaglesc (Sep 6, 2006)

(Sorry I hit the wrong button)


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## ctEaglesc (Sep 6, 2006)

> The more I read the threads on this board the more I find out I don't know. Explain something to me if you can. If I turn a stablized blank, what reason can you give to use a finish other than friction polish?



To ansawer this would takes volumes and yet the answer is simply put
There doesn't have to be one.
What do you expect out of a pen finish?Something indestructable, good looking, easy to apply, impervious to harsh chemicals and low maintainance?
Forget it, it isn't out there.
CA or plexi may be hard as nails but it doesn't have the depth of finish as a multiple coat rubbed lacquer.
Friction finish (Sealer, shelac and wax as in Mylands 3 step) is relatively easy to apply but not as long wearing as other finishes.
If you bought an expensive piece of wood furniture would you not clean and polish it on a regular basis and give it an occasional coat of wax?
Well there goes the low mantanance aspect.
Stabilized woods are just wood with plastic in the pores.The plastic may buff up and shine but there is still wood on the surface.No matter how much plastic is forced into the fibers you still ahve an organic material that needs some type of protection.
A little over a year ago I made a pen called "Stirred not shaken"




I glued it together wit CA glue and then covered it with thin CA glue and "stabilized it with mre CA as I turned it.
I never put a final coat of CA as a finish.
Take a look at the picture I posted.The original blank was a piece of flaming box eleder(with no flame)
Do you see any of the original blank?There aren't many pieces to see.Every glue joint in that blank is CA and the other woods are bloodwood, purple heart and a little yellow heart.The strips were glued on both sides with CA and clamped.That pen has as much CA in it as wood.
The point I am trying to make is I never put a finish on the pen because it shined like a new penny. But after time the "wood" takes over and the shininess wears away. I say wears tongue in cheek because I Don't carry this pen, it just sits on the table.I give it a coat of TSW and buff it and the shines comes right backbut not the same as if it had a "finish"
WE ahve become used to "factory perfect" finishes made by manufacturers on semidisposable objects.
The pens we make I like to think are more like a Stienwas that sits in the parlor, I gets used but not abused and we take care of it because we enjoy it.
If you are striving to compete  with a Walmart pen, save your money and buy yuour pens at Walmart.


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## DCBluesman (Sep 6, 2006)

First, it would be easier to know who to address a response to if we have a name or at least a nickname/screen name.  As relates to a finish on stabilized wood, it's important to understand that stabilized wood is not the same as an acrylic blank.  Many parts of the blank are still pure wood.  As an example, I recently sent some thuya burl out to be stabilized.  The blanks weighed 2.2 ounces when sent and 2.9 ounces when returned.  Even at that, when finished sanding and polishing, you could see the portions of the wood where the resin had not penetrated.  Something protective should be put on the blanks.  Friction polish wears off quickly.  Your customer will not be able to replicate your finish once that happens.  Sanding sealer (at a minimum) will help with that problem.  Better still is a complete finishing job.  For CA and lacquer finishes, you should not need as many coats of finish since the a significant portion of the wood is already impregnated.  At least that my experience and thoughts.


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## EPC (Sep 7, 2006)

Thanks for the heads up. I had no idea that friction polish wears off quickly. Guess it's time to do research on longer lasting finishes. p.s. my name is now in my auto sig


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## EPC (Sep 7, 2006)

Eagle,

By no means do I want to compete with Wal-mart. Some of my question my seem lame or dumb at times. But I ask them so I can get answers. When I say I'm a novice, I'm not kidding. I just started this a few months ago and have lots that I can learn. My technique at tbe preset is a spin off from a video I got from Bill Braumbeck. 

By the way....love your pen. Definitely something I will have to attempt once I enter into my expermentation phase.


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