# Dear Abby can you help my BLO/CA finish?



## Hayseedboy (Dec 18, 2007)

Dear Abby,

I am new and just finished my 7th pen.  I did a cigar pen in BOW and it was looking really good on the mandrel last night w/a BLO/CA finish.  I waited until just a few minutes ago (noon) to assemble it, about 12 hours.  Now after assembly, I am seeing splotches on the finish that I didn't see on the mandrel.  Don't think it is fingerprints as it won't wipe off.

Thought I kinda had figured out this BLO/CA finish until the last two pens.  The last one I did before this was an Asian Ebony that polished up shinier than a new nickel up a goats rear end.  Yet after assembly it was cloudier than Bill's car when he didn't inhale.  I attributed this to my handling it with my grubby hands before it had a chance to cure good.  But, this one... just don't know....

Sincerely,

Down and Discouraged


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## rherrell (Dec 18, 2007)

Sounds like moisture. Did you use alcohol to wipe the blank prior to applying the ca? Alcohol has alot of water in it and I don't use it anymore. Also ,BOW is a little oily . Try wiping with acetone and let it dry thoroughly.


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## cowchaser (Dec 18, 2007)

I have done 2 BOW's and the oil got me both times. Ended up having to sand them down and start over.


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## Brewmeister35 (Dec 18, 2007)

If you're mandrel was "wobbling" at all while finishing and sanding, you could have sanded through the finish at the dull spots.  I've been having that problem quite a bit lately when doing pens on the mandrel.


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## toolcrazy (Dec 18, 2007)

Switch to Enduro.


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## n7blw (Dec 19, 2007)

Where do you get Enduro. Is it like going on a Snipe hunt? I've been to lots of paint stores and nobody knows where to get it.


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## Ligget (Dec 19, 2007)

> _Originally posted by toolcrazy_
> 
> Switch to Enduro.



Steve is right, any oily woods swith your finish to Enduro!
Saves a lot of frustration![^]

I get my Enduro from Ernie, here is a link:

http://www.beartoothwoods.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=35_46

He is out of stock with the small, but should be in soon!


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## Brewmeister35 (Dec 19, 2007)

Or you can check out this thread:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=28672


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## RussFairfield (Dec 19, 2007)

Enduro is now made by General Finishes and is available at all Woodcraft stores


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## Hayseedboy (Dec 19, 2007)

Dear Abby,

Thanks for all your comments!  Ya'll got me convinced I need to try Enduro.

Only catch is, I can find general finishes products online but, which ones are the ones you use?  On the woodcraft site I don't see just "Enduro" and I cannot get the General Finishes website to load. 

Anybody have a link?

Thanks Again!!!
lr


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## Brewmeister35 (Dec 21, 2007)

Still hoping someone answers this.  My woodcraft doesn't know what Enduro is.  Though they have lots of General Finishes products, Enduro does not seem to be one of them unless it's under a different name maybe?


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## MrPukaShell (Feb 3, 2008)

I would not give up on the CA/BLO finish.  Here is a YouTube link and the way this guy does it is really simple.  I have only about 15 or so pens under my belt but on my first try with CA it turned out awesome.  Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBTbCOL4npg

The guy has 9 videos on turning a slimline from start to finish

Safe Turning.........


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## RussFairfield (Feb 3, 2008)

Enduro is an excellent finish for pens, but it never has been easy to obtain in small quantities. I have tried several other waterborne polyurethanes, but none of them were equal to the Enduro in hardness, color or clarity. 

It was apparently wishful thinking that it would be easier to find after being purchased by General Finishes. I would swear that I saw it in quarts in the local Woodcraft about a year ago, but I seem to be the only one who remembers seeing it.

It is on the General Finishes website and it is called "Enduro", but it is only available in gallons. We will have to use one of the folks who advertise it on this site if we want it repackaged into something smaller than a gallon.


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## Proud_Poppa_of_2 (Feb 3, 2008)

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> 
> Enduro is an excellent finish for pens, but it never has been easy to obtain in small quantities. I have tried several other waterborne polyurethanes, but none of them were equal to the Enduro in hardness, color or clarity.
> 
> ...



Russ -

I found a company in Cleveland called Homestead Finishing that appears to sell Enduro in quarts for $19.00 a pop.  Here's a link to the company's entire price list in .pdf format:  http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/pdf/pricing_jan2008ver2.pdf.  The Enduro clear poly is on page eight of the document, item number EF-CP32G.  

The URL for the company's web site is http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/.


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## Dan_F (Feb 4, 2008)

The "fellow on ther site" Russ referred to is Mikey, but he hasn't posted in months, and I believe I read that he moved at about the same time as he stopped posting here. I have another recent thread in this forum, trying to find out which of the four or so versions of Enduro is the one people have been using for pens. So far no one seems to know for sure, at least one guess though. 

Dan


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