# Number of CA coats



## bjbear76 (Apr 6, 2014)

I know we all have our own methods of applying a CA finish and the number of coats we  apply.  I'm interested in the reasoning for the number of coats you use.  It seems to me 4 coats of medium would give you the results visually as 10-12 coats.  In my experience, the more coats I apply, the more I create chance for error.  Do you get more durability with more coats?   Just looking for justification for the "extra" coats.
Thanks


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## lorbay (Apr 6, 2014)

The more coats the deeper the depth affect. Check out some of CharlesH pens, I think he uses 20- 25 coats.
Lin


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## Mintman (Apr 6, 2014)

I agree with Lorbay.  I typically apply 10 coats of medium and am happy with the results.


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## Cmiles1985 (Apr 6, 2014)

I agree with the above two statements. However, I also believe more coats gives you less opportunity for error when it comes to sanding and polishing. I use 8 coats thin, 8 coats medium.


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## Hendu3270 (Apr 6, 2014)

I use 8-10 coats of med. I've tried less, but when I start sanding, if I've only applied a few coats, I end up sanding through in a couple of spots. 8-10 just seems to work better for me.


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## Karl_99 (Apr 6, 2014)

I usually apply 2 coats of thin followed by 5-7 coats of medium.


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## tomas (Apr 6, 2014)

16 coats of medium for me.  I like the depth.

Tomas


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## longbeard (Apr 6, 2014)

I apply 10 to 12 coats of med using satellite city med CA depending on if i can keep count :biggrin:



Harry


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## knowltoh (Apr 6, 2014)

I think the "law of diminishing return" comes in to play here.  3 or possibly 4 coats are my most common application.


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## Jim Burr (Apr 6, 2014)

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f28/ca-blo-not-building-121116/


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## rd_ab_penman (Apr 6, 2014)

I apply 6 coats of Med CA.
Found that apply 10-15 coats makes the finish prone to chipping and cracking.

Les


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## mmayo (Apr 6, 2014)

I must be up talented because medium CA and I don't get along. When it is important I use 20+ coats of thin and get great results. I am not a patient person, but the results are worth it.

I would love to see and read about how you guys that use medium apply it without get ting thick ridges.  I want to learn and improve.


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## attie schoeman (Apr 6, 2014)

I have made about 1000 pens to date. My experience is that 4 coats is all you need depending on how much sanding you do. I set  my lathe on its slowest speed and then start with 400 grid.Be very careful as this grid is all you use to remove material. Only sand until you have a smooth surface. This is followed by 800, 1000 and 2000 grids. Finally a touch on a cloth polishing wheel.
attie schoeman


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## bjbear76 (Apr 6, 2014)

I knew there would quite a range of coats suggested.  The 2 problems I've encountered with numerous coats (8+ coats):

1) the rings and uneven coverage with the medium CA, with requires more sanding to get the finish where it looks even
2) the more coats I apply, the more I have issues getting the finished size of the blank back to where it needs to be.

I've been experimenting with 2 coats thin followed by 2-3 coats medium and have been having good results both visually and in size.  I sand lightly followed by going through the MM grits and have no worries about sanding through the CA.  Also, no chipping or clouding.
In the long run, will it hold up?  I don't know, but I'm going to use my latest pen daily to see if I notice any problems. 
If this test is successful, I would be prone to use CA finish more often.


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## kovalcik (Apr 7, 2014)

The other variable is how thick your coats are.  I apply 10-12 coats of medium CA, but they are very thin coats (2-3 drops).  I basically use the standard rule of thumb for most wood finishes:  many thin coats are better than a few heavy coats. I also make sure I let a coat dry completely before the next one.  I don't use accelerator.  I believe it make the CA brittle, and I am not in so much of a hurry that I can't wait a couple minutes between CA coats.  Thin coats and adequate drying eliminates the problems of rings and uneven coverage.


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## keithbyrd (Apr 7, 2014)

I typically use 3-4 thin and 6 med  - guidelines don't apply when there are voids or very open grain!


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## bradh (Apr 7, 2014)

3 to 5 coats of medium. The look of depth comes from the buff quality, not the number of coats.


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## Ted iin Michigan (Apr 7, 2014)

I'm thinking Hendu3270 has the right idea. The number of coats depends (in part) on how much you sand and how aggressively you sand. Lately I've been trying to ease up quite a bit on the sanding. Less and less with the lathe running and more very light sanding with the grain. This requires less CA buildup and I really like the results. I'm down to 8 coats of thin, just a little accelerator if the curing slows down too much.


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## Bill in Buena Park (Apr 7, 2014)

I had varying results with CA, and CA/BLO, before finding this site and my final method based hereon - key to which, for me, is that I now use accelerator.  Based on all the methods I've seen described on this site for CA, I've tried the following with good results.

Since I like the effect BLO has on wood grain, I use about a pea-size drop on the blue towel (which I let absorb into the towel a moment) then use that to apply two coats of thin CA, and then accelerator.  Then 6 coats of the medium/flexible CA using clean towel area for each, no BLO, but accelerator on each coat. Each coat of medium is about just under a pea-size drop - applied, but not "rubbed in".  Degree of ridge sanding varies on how evenly I applied the CA, so after last coat, I let sit a while, then wet sand - starting with this Norton sanding pad to remove any ridges.  As the Norton pad is aggressive, I'm careful about pressure, wipe off CA sludge frequently and check for level-ness (i.e., no ridges.) Then wet-MM all grits, finish with PlastX.

Been working well - good, even finish, decent depth, no chipping.


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## BJohn (Apr 7, 2014)

I usually use 12 coats, have used up to 20 just all depends.  As mentioned in an earlier reply, more coats will give you the appearance the the shine is coming deep inside the blank. It is a matter of the light reflecting or refracting through the finish. However there is a point of diminishing returns. I have had trouble with 20 coats building up to the point were it effects the transitions between the blank or blanks and the hardware.


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