# Sanding through a CA finish.  Question on refinishing.



## Joe Burns (Jan 14, 2013)

Sorry everyone.  I know we have been beating the CA finish horse to death recently.   I just finished using MM to 12000 on a blank that had 12 layers of thin CA.  

It looks like I did sand through in one spot.  My question is do I have to sand all off and reapply or can I go ahead and apply about 5 or 6 new layers and then MM again.

Any tips or suggestions is greatly appreciated here.

Joe


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## Emery (Jan 14, 2013)

No need to sand all off.  Every time I have sanded all of the way through I regretted that I hadn't put on more coats in the first place. I now put 20 coats of thin CA and haven't sanded through it yet. There is a YouTube on 20 coats of thin CA from which I got my method.


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## leehljp (Jan 14, 2013)

Joe,

It depends upon the wood, situation and you. There are times when a "sand through" will work well with a few layers of CA re-applied and sanded down lightly. 

Then there are times with a few woods in which the "sand-through" will be lighter in color, and in which additional layers of CA over the "sand-through" will leave a light spot. It will not be blatantly noticeable but noticeable enough. In these cases, I use a scraper and barely take all of the CA off (or sand all off) and start over.


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## woodgraver (Jan 14, 2013)

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I have gone to putting 4 coats of medium on using craft foam,  spraying accelerator between coats, then very lightly sand with 400 abranet to get a uniform layer followed micromesh from 1500 to 12000 and I'm done it less than 5 minutes.  I have had excellent results with this method and can't imagine going back to the layers and layers of thin CA.


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## jttheclockman (Jan 14, 2013)

I highly suggest use the thin CA for the first 2 or 3 coats and then switch to med CA. You will not regret it. Thin CA is a good sealer but it takes way too many coats to build any kind of film. Too much time lost. Just an opinion.


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## Joe Burns (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks everyone.  This has been extremely helpful.  I got a little sloppy in my first application and it took too long with the 1500 MM to get it smooth, hence the burn through.  

I went back and applied 15 more coats.   Was able to MM through 12000, applied HUT polish and then used the buffing wheels with no issues.

Ive looked for the craft foam at Hobby Lobby.  Haven't been able to find any.  Probably because Im not sure what Im looking for.

Joe

I used to use med CA but had some issues in applying it smoothly.  Might have to try it again.  Presently using the orange label stuff that Monty used to sell.  Its not the real thin stuff.  CPS is 50.   Usually has worked real well for me.


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## woodgraver (Jan 16, 2013)

*Craft Foam*



Joe Burns said:


> Ive looked for the craft foam at Hobby Lobby. Haven't been able to find any. Probably because Im not sure what Im looking for.


 
Here is my lifetime supply of craft foam.


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## Joe Burns (Jan 16, 2013)

Appreciate it.   That shows me exactly what to look for.

Joe


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## gomlin (Jan 16, 2013)

They sell the craft foam at dollar tree with the stationary supplies and at walmart with the craft supplies. The foam allows a much smoother and even application from my experience. I use stickfast and use one thin, four medium, followed with a final layer of thin. 

Jim


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## Justturnin (Jan 16, 2013)

When I CA I turn/sand down to -0.10mm below the finished size then I apply my CA to +0.10mm.  I allow it to cure for 2 days then I polish it down to the finished size.  This way I know when I am done I have a 0.10mm thick finish.  I have no idea how many coats it takes to build up but when I am done I know how thick it is.

+1 on the Foam pads.


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## navycop (Jan 17, 2013)

Brian (Nikitas) told me about this foam for appling CA. It works pretty good.
Morning Glory Foam Seat Cushions 4-Pack, 16"L x 16"W x 1"H: Crafts : Walmart.com
I do one or two thin coats then 3-4 med..


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## randyrls (Jan 17, 2013)

For what it's worth, when I sand a built up CA finish, I use a flat stick of wood as a sandpaper backer on the first one or two grits to make sure I am only sanding the high spots.


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## robutacion (Jan 17, 2013)

One of the problems with CA from various manufactures is that, they don't tell you the viscosity of the CA in the bottles, one of the reasons why I started using E-Z Bond products that Mannie (Monty) did until very recently sell (now in the hands on Exotics/Ed), is that they supply from the thinnest to the thickest CA available out there and the bottle are clearly labeled with its viscosity,  measure is "cups".

The 5 cup -super thin (the thinnest) is the very best for wood soaking, the 50 cup - thin is ideal to use on the first couple of coats on the CA finishing process.  Then the 300 cup is what I use for the main coating using the craft foam.  The 700 cup and 1500 cup are little too thick for CA coating, you may get away with them in cold environments but certainly not in hot environments...!

This is not a rule, this is ONE of the dozens of options and this is, the way I do it however, while the most common mistake is to not put enough coats before the sanding starts, the major culprit is people trying to smooth all the ridges but sanding while the lathe in turn turning 100 miles an our...!

The small ridges, which are normal after many CA coats, should be smoothed out with the lathe turn off and use 400 gri twet and dry sand paper, sanding with the grain, which is in the majority of cases, through the blanks length.  After these ridges are 90% removed, then the lathe can be turned on and the next grits applied in a rotating fashion.

HOWEVER, there is one small trick to make those ridges smooth out by 50% or more, before touching it with the sandpaper and there is, use the 50 cup CA capabilities to set quit fast, and use it to coat the blank another 4 or 5 times before the sanding starts.

What this does, and is important that is done immediately after the medium CA application/coats, as the ridges at the point are not set/hard so the thin CA is like using a soft brush of solvent to smooth a thick coat of varnish or paint that has deep brush marks, and extra material in some spots, which in this case are the ridges.

The thin CA will flatten part of those ridges by filling in between valleys, resulting in a much less rough surface to smooth with the sand paper, while adding extra thickness to the finish so less risk of sanding through...!

I keep repeating this over and over, giving a rich deep gloss to a pen barrel/balnk, is the easiest things to do, as soon as you done it enough successful times, it becomes second nature and you get the same result time and time again.  The problem is, the initial learning process is agonizingly sticky and messy, putting people off from the start when, all it takes is, a hand full of cheap blanks, invest in a couple of 2oz bottles, thin and medium and some accelerator, dry sandpaper from 240 to 400 and wet and dry sand paper, 600-800-1000-1200-1500-2000 & 2500, some good polishing compound, a couple of paper towels, some craft foam and a day put a side for "PRACTICE".

Put the blank between centers and get it round, start your first attempt while you still have lots of wood, if you don't have many practice blanks, as soon as you done all your steps and mentioned, regardless if it come out OK or not, turn it down again to clean wood and start again, thing on each step before you execute it, if the first time didn't work too well, who cares, try again slightly different, and again, and again until you know that, you have mastered it and you can repeat the process any time you feel like...!

At this point stop and have a break, so make yourself a cup of coffee a drink of water, whatever takes you fancy, simply seat down and relax for an our or so then, go and make yourself a real pen, by the time you are done with it, you will realize that you took yourself over the fear and anxiety of having to do a nice CA finish, from that moment on, your CA finish problems disappear, unless you took a short cut and or, the CA/accelerator/or other product used, as become contaminated or lost its original characteristics but that, is beyond your control and easily rectified, it happens to all of us...! 

This is my story, and I stick to it...!

Cheers
George


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