# Question for those who "Finish" with CA



## Mike_in_CA (Jan 14, 2006)

I'm going to admit there is much I don't yet understand about the multiple steps in a great finish. After dozens of pens, I still feel that there is much to learn about turning pens & finishing with a great glossy look. I'm coming from a Micro-Mesh &gt; EEE &gt; sealer &gt; friction polish habbit. 

As read in many threads, there are a dozen subtle ways to apply the CA. I suppose these steps are common;
1. Seal the wood with a brand of sanding sealer or thin CA. 
2. Apply CA, wait to dry. Choosing weather to sand or not between several coats.  
3. There is often additional steps such as wax, auto polish, HUT, buffing compounds, etc. If there are steps needed after CA, then is CA really the finish, or is it really a build under the last step to make the finish look deep?
I probably would not do this, but, wouldn't the finish be the same, or nearly the same if only friction polish, HUT bars, buffing compounds, etc. then another polish were used? I guess the point is CA is much more durable.
I'm going to jump into the CA pool, get a fan for fumes, and start applying what I've read. My biggest concern - I just hope my blanks don't stick to the mandril.

 All comments and suggestions much appreciated.


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## wudwrkr (Jan 14, 2006)

Mike,
I just started trying the CA finish.  My first pen looked great, then I tried plastics polish on top of it and my high gloss turned into a satin finish. [:0]  I'm using the CA/BLO method and it is easier than I thought it would be.  I think the BLO really brings the grain out while the CA seals it.  Obviously not a scientific opinion.  I am buffing with white diamond after the CA dries and it looks sweet.  I'm not sure that I will do anything else to them after the plastics polish mishap.

The fumes weren't too bad, but the smoke rising from the paper towel was a bit unnerving!  I did have  the blanks stick to the madrel, but a saw a trick from Bill Baumbeck's video and it worked: just pull the blank out on the mandrel so the bushing is still on the mandrel and the blank is off of it and then a little downward pressure and snap, the blank releases! I plan on posting some pictures as soon as I get the pens together.   

The reason why I am trying CA is because I have seen some of the pens I did last year and confirmed that the friction polish really doesn't last.  I've tried the Deft spray, but I'm impatient and wanted something faster.  I am sure I will develop a finishing method that is a bit different from everyone else and you will probably do the same.  It just takes some experimenting to see what works for you.

Let us know how it goes.


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## KC (Jan 14, 2006)

I wipe CA medium on with a blue paper shop towel.  Big drop on the towel and then one swipe, maybe two across the blank.  Then while it's still wet (hurry!), I sand with 400G wet/dry paper.  Then repeat with 800G wet/dry...then through the MicroMesh grits (nom more CA).  I use Deft spray.  One 'spit' coat of Satin, light touch with 0000 steel wool, then a 'wet' coat of Satin, lightly with steel wool, then a wet coat Semi gloss.  From the first shot of lacquer, this takes maybe 10 minutes.  After another maybe 10 minutes, I use a HUT stick.  I read about folks letting the lacquer cure for a week...but having built furniture for many years, I think that's a bit over the top.  I do try to leave the blanks alone to 'cure' for an hour or so before assembly.

KC


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## Skye (Jan 14, 2006)

Eh, I suck at it. I've only tried 3 times so far and I have no oil. Oh, and my glue is thin because it's what the guy at woodcraft suggested. Mistake.

Oh, and to show my noobieness, I was applying it (in my living room while the wife was gone) and my eyes were stinging! I didnt know what the heck was going on till I realized I left my lathe on full blast. [:I]


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## Monty (Jan 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Skye_
> <br />Eh, I suck at it. I've only tried 3 times so far and I have no oil. Oh, and my glue is thin because it's what the guy at woodcraft suggested. Mistake.
> 
> Oh, and to show my noobieness, I was applying it (in my living room while the wife was gone) and my eyes were stinging! I didnt know what the heck was going on till I realized I left my lathe on full blast. [:I]



Your wife lets you turn in the livingroom??????? COOOOOOOOOOL.
And if you bought your CA at Woodcraft, you paid too much. Check out my site.


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## its_virgil (Jan 14, 2006)

I don't understand how you can sand the CA while it is still wet. Neither do I understand why deft on top of CA and then HUT sticks on top of the deft. Why not just skip the CA and deft and use the HUT sticks? NO, don't really do that, I'm being fecitous. Try 3 coats of CA, sanding to 1200MM after the thrid coat and buff with white diamond, or 5 coats of lacquer and do let it cure for 3 or 4 days, sand and buff with white diamond. Put a wick in the HUT sticks and make a candle with them. Or, continue to do as you are if you are really happy with the finish you are getting. My suggestions can be totally ignored with no ill effects to you or me. 
Do a good turn daily!
Don




> _Originally posted by KC_
> <br />I wipe CA medium on with a blue paper shop towel.  Big drop on the towel and then one swipe, maybe two across the blank.  Then while it's still wet (hurry!), I sand with 400G wet/dry paper.  Then repeat with 800G wet/dry...then through the MicroMesh grits (nom more CA).  I use Deft spray.  One 'spit' coat of Satin, light touch with 0000 steel wool, then a 'wet' coat of Satin, lightly with steel wool, then a wet coat Semi gloss.  From the first shot of lacquer, this takes maybe 10 minutes.  After another maybe 10 minutes, I use a HUT stick.  I read about folks letting the lacquer cure for a week...but having built furniture for many years, I think that's a bit over the top.  I do try to leave the blanks alone to 'cure' for an hour or so before assembly.
> 
> KC


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## its_virgil (Jan 14, 2006)

No, NO, a thousand times NO! but a good b8ffing compound make the finish really shinny.

I have never had blanks glued to the mandrel and I don't use anything to prevent it. Thin CA will wick into every crack and glue it all together. Be careful when using thin CA. Med or thick is what I Use for my CA finish. 

Do a good turn daily!
Don



> _Originally posted by Mike_in_CA_
> <br />, but, wouldn't the finish be the same, or nearly the same if only friction polish, HUT bars, ....
> 
> I just hope my blanks don't stick to the mandril.


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## PenTurnerJohn (Jan 14, 2006)

Virgil,

1. When you buff is this on a separate buffing machine or on the lathe?

2. What compound do you use for buffing?

John


> No, NO, a thousand times NO! but a good b8ffing compound make the finish really shinny.


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## Fangar (Jan 14, 2006)

Here is my setup.  Costs under 5 bucks to make the shaft, the wheels are about 3 dollars to 5 dollars a piece at HF or lowes. 






Note the wheels are black as they are the ones I use for aluminum.  I have a few sets of different wheels for different applications. (Aluminum, another set for brass, and one for wood / plastics). 

Cheers,

Fangar


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## PenTurnerJohn (Jan 14, 2006)

Is there an inexpensive way to make a separate buffing setup so you don't tie up the lathe?  I'd like to keep the lathe free for turning the next pen while using a separate buffing system for turned barrels.  Sort of like an assembly line approach, I guess.

John


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## chigdon (Jan 14, 2006)

I do all my pens with CA and I don't have nearly the steps of most other people.  I am not saying that mine is the way to go but I don't have the patience for too prolonged a process and I have yet to see the difference.  I do between 3 and 5 coats of thin CA (more if the wood is not dense as it will absorb the first few coats).  I only sand after the last coat starting with 400 or 600 then micromesh to 12000.  I then leave it on the mandrel and buff with white diamond using a 3" goblet mop ($3.99 from Northern Tools) while the lathe is turning full speed.  Then I use 1 or 2 coats of friction polish to really make it glow.  This is quick and easy once you get the hang of it.


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## its_virgil (Jan 14, 2006)

I have a couple of homemade buffers like fangar just posted...one for wood/plastics and one for the brass cartridges I make pens with. I buff with a brown buffing compound called tripoli. Its grit equivalent is somewhere close to 2400MM or so. I do a second buff with a white compound called white diamond which is a white jewler's rouge. HF and the box type home centers carry a good variety of buffing compounds. I do a final buff with HUT Ultra Gloss Plastic Polish and then TSW. I have become a real fan of TSW in the last few months. I like it much better than RenWax.   Some use an automoble swirl remover cream made by McGuires. The name is McGuires Scratch X...fine scratrch and swirl remover. I also have a second minni lathe that I leave the buffing wheels attached to most of the time. Although it is no big problem to remove the mandrel and mount the buffing wheels. I did that a long time until I obtained the second lathe.

I also have a buffer I made from a two wheel grinder. We have a store here called...Big Lots. The have a grinder for $19.95. I removed the wheels, added a couple of arbor extenders and put buffing wheels on the extenders. The extenders were $5 each from WC...Lowes or HOme Depot did not have them in the 5/8" size, just 1/2".

I also have the buffer from PSI and wish I didn't. I should have read more. It looks big in the catalog, but the wheels are only 4" wheels, or maybe smaller. I wish I had that money back.

do a good turn daily!
Don




> _Originally posted by PenTurnerJohn_
> <br />Virgil,
> 
> 1. When you buff is this on a separate buffing machine or on the lathe?
> ...


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## woodpens (Jan 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by chigdon_
> <br />I do all my pens with CA and I don't have nearly the steps of most other people.  I am not saying that mine is the way to go but I don't have the patience for too prolonged a process and I have yet to see the difference.


Chris, I am with you. If I spend more than an hour, start to finish, on a pen without inlays, something went wrong. I also use thin CA most of the time. Different woods can require different treatment, but most of my pens get thin CA, friction polish and a coat of TSW. More complex pens such as the Stars & Stripes or Shark pen would get medium CA with the lathe running at slow speed. I cannot imagine taking a day on each pen during the Christmas season when my backlog is high. Regardless of how you get there, when you use clean micromesh over a clear CA finish, the results are beautiful. I tried the BLO/CA method, but found it to be no better than just CA for me. Everybody needs to experiment and settle in with what they like. Time is very precious to me, so I am using a method focused on getting the pen completed quickly without compromising quality.


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## chigdon (Jan 14, 2006)

Jim, I am glad to see that I am not the only one.  I could never get as good of a result personally with BLO/CA as straignt CA.  The only reason I was trying it was to find something easier but when I went back to CA and got the hang of it is really is easy and relatively quick.


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