# I can't believe the towels made this much difference



## hilltopper46 (Aug 16, 2009)

I've been using the big square boxes of Scotts shop towels pretty much ever since I started turning pens. The last box I picked up I noticed they changed their design. When I took the first towel out of the box I wasn't very impressed because it seemed thinner and flimsier.

However, when I used this new style to apply CA to a blank for finishing, I couldn't believe how much differently the finish went on. First, it set up much more quickly than with the old style towel, and second, it leaves a much shinier finish than with the old style. 

I've also noticed that the CA reacts with the towel much more quickly and strongly.  The downside to this is that I get fewer "wipes" from one towel than I did with the old style.

This post is not to say that the Scotts shop towels are the thing to use - in fact, your mileage may vary greatly.  What I learned from this is that it pays to try different things.  Now I wish I had experimented more with different brands of towels some months (years?) ago.


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## its_virgil (Aug 16, 2009)

Save your experimentation time and use Bounty...Bounty Rocks!:biggrin::biggrin: Or was it Viva or the blue shop towels? Now once again,let paper towel wars begin. :wink::wink::wink:
Do a good turn daily!
Don



hilltopper46 said:


> Now I wish I had experimented more with different brands of towels some months (years?) ago.


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## Texatdurango (Aug 16, 2009)

its_virgil said:


> Save your experimentation time and use Bounty...Bounty Rocks!:biggrin::biggrin: Or was it Viva or the blue shop towels? Now once again,let paper towel wars begin. :wink::wink::wink:
> Do a good turn daily!
> Don


Bounty schmounty!  The BEST paper towels I have found for doing CA finishes are the WOS brand which I pick up in the double roll packs and I can easily find them anywhere I shop here in the metroplex.  I've been using WOS and am totally satisfied with them!

SO, there's three opinions, anymore? :biggrin:


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## leehljp (Aug 16, 2009)

Next there will be someone who says that there is no difference in shop towels. . . and others who say a towel can give you 6 pens per sheet if folded right; And a few that claim it takes at least 3 towels to a pen!  :biggrin: As Virgil said, let the papertowel wars begin!  :biggrin:

Anyone for Japanese washi paper towels? Got some of that too! :biggrin:


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## Daniel (Aug 16, 2009)

Towels! Paper towels no less. Hrmph, I use only the finest cotton T-shirts. As long as they belong to my Wife.


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## Marc Phillips (Aug 16, 2009)

Nooo... nooo... nooo.... y'all got it wrong.

It's Viva! ...and folded in thirds with the pattern on the inside... and you have to face North when folding


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## rjwolfe3 (Aug 16, 2009)

Viva works for me but only the white. I tried the blue but didn't have the same luck. I think the only thing that matters is no patterns.


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## GaryMadore (Aug 16, 2009)

What's WOS?

Anyway, I just use my fingers and a bit o' spit...

Cheers!

Gary


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## IPD_Mrs (Aug 16, 2009)

Oh come on "Man Up" use a bare finger or two.  Save a bunch of money on paper towels and better yet it is eco friendly!



Disclaimer:
This is a joke, do not attempt this.  It scares me that I feel the need for a disclaimer.


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## IPD_Mrs (Aug 16, 2009)

Gary you do realize what your avitar looks like don't you??????

I feel like I am being mooned every time I see one of your posts.


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## Texatdurango (Aug 16, 2009)

GaryMadore said:


> What's WOS?
> 
> Anyway, I just use my fingers and a bit o' spit...
> 
> ...


 Finally........ someone asks! 

*WOS* is......... *W*hatever's *O*n *S*ale! 

Actually I don't know the brand I use off hand but they come in half sheets and are solid white.  

This is of course a light hearted thread but in all seriousness, different paper towels *DO* make a difference.  I was at a friends shop teaching him how I apply a CA finish and didn't bring my towels and used his instead.  Geeze, these things were so thin that even folding them in thirds, the ca soaked right through to the finger.


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## RussFairfield (Aug 16, 2009)

Paper towels are like turning tools and CA finishes. We learn to use what we have, and then stand around arguing that it the only way to do it. Personally, I have used everything on the market, including the cheap brown roller towels at the Woodcraft store. They all work, and I doubt most people could tell the difference in the dark, or after finishing the first pen. It's kinda like the Jack Daniels drinker not knowing he is being served the cheap burbon for the well after the 1st double shot. 

My advice is to use what works best for you, and forget abpout what others are doing.

I too prefer cotton T-shirt material, but do a lot of finishing besides pens. I use Viva because it is cheaper and feels the most like the cloth in my hand, and it has better absorbancy than some of the less expensive paper toweling. 

There is a lot of difference in paper towels - thickness, absorbancy, wet strength, fiber length, dirt content, linting, and a few other properties. These differences can make one particular towel better suited to our individual technique.



I use paper towels for finishing other wood turnings, and prefer Viva because of its wet strength and being less likely to leave fibers in the wood than some of the cheaper towels.


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## bitshird (Aug 16, 2009)

What Russ said!! not that I've done many pens lately..


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## JimB (Aug 16, 2009)

You are all wrong:wink:. I use wax paper to apply CA.


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## hewunch (Aug 16, 2009)

leehljp said:


> Next there will be... others who say a towel can give you 6 pens per sheet if folded right;



Um I CAN get at least 6. from one towel, and I have gotten 9 :tongue::biggrin:


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## GaryMadore (Aug 16, 2009)

MLKWoodWorking said:


> Gary you do realize what your avitar looks like don't you??????



Nope, no idea. All I know is that LOML pulled it from the firewood pile and told me that it reminded her of me... How romantic, huh? 

Cheers!

Gary


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## Ligget (Aug 16, 2009)

BOUNTY for me too! Especially the Christmas stock with the little Santas on, cool! LOL


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## RussFairfield (Aug 25, 2009)

The best applicators are made from synthetic dressmakers batting stuck to little pieces of masking tape. It works like a paper towel, and there is absolutely no acceleration of the CA by the cellulose in the paper. The only reason I use paper towels is because I am too lazy to make up a new supply of the applicators.


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## Rollerbob (Aug 25, 2009)

I have found that the best part of using the cheap paper towel is after the CA application, the remaining pieces stuck to my finger allows me to wipe my runny nose from the Ca fumes!:biggrin: So for me, the cheaper the better, worth twice the price!!:wink:


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## barkisini (Aug 25, 2009)

MLKWoodWorking said:


> Disclaimer:
> This is a joke, do not attempt this.  It scares me that I feel the need for a disclaimer.



Thus the creation of the Darwin Awards...have you looked lately at how many warning labels are now on a stepladder?


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## Phunky_2003 (Aug 25, 2009)

I use the box of rags from auto store.  Basically they are a box of t'shirts material.  Box cost 6.00 for 50 rags, still using same box after 6 months.

James


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## Billman (Aug 25, 2009)

Paper towel - shmaper towel... For the last few weeks I have gotten away from using paper towels and started using the left over little parts bags that the pen kit parts come in.  It allows me to get a much thicker application of the CA and it helps cut down on my material usage and waste.


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## jleiwig (Aug 25, 2009)

I used to use the cheapest towel I could find.  I tried Viva and I think I'm hooked.  They don't tear apart as easily, but they work a lot better than the cheap waffled stuff, and they smoke and stick to your fingers a heck of a lot better too!


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## jedgerton (Aug 25, 2009)

I think only the blue shop towels work!  My instructor (who shall remain nameless) said that any other type of shop towel would cause my finish to cloud up, make the bearings in my lathe wear out faster and probably cause the fuel consumption of my truck to increase by 20%.  I don't know if all of this is true but when I run out of blue towels and try to get by with something else, I've noticed that drought conditions occur, the stock market tends to lose value and the neighbor's kid gets a bad case of acne.

I can't be responsible for all of these things happening so I'm sticking to blue shop towels!

(Note that my tongue is inserted firmly in my cheek 

John


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## chriselle (Aug 26, 2009)

I'll play the... "it's all snake oil"..... card now.


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## jleiwig (Aug 26, 2009)

chriselle said:


> I'll play the... "it's all snake oil"..... card now.


 
Does that work like BLO?  Can you put a CA finish over snake oil?


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## Gagler (Aug 26, 2009)

Towels are over-rated: I recently started using the styrofoam padding-like stuff that computer and similar product makers use to package their material, after cutting it up into 2x2 squares or so.  The CA goes on really smooth, and you use less as it is not absorbed so much by the paper towel (especially when using thin CA).

Then again, when I run out of the styrofoam stuff I will be going back to Bounty!


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## RAdams (Aug 26, 2009)

I like to use my tongue. 


 with the extra tears from the burning eyeballs due to the fumes going STRAIGHT up my nose, the CA doesn't stick to my tongue at all! 

If i can't use my tongue for whatever reason, I have found that if you can get bat feathers from a bat, on Friday the 13th, during a full moon, then you can't go wrong! 

If no bat feathers then i use the seat stuffing from Rolls Royce front seats! 

P.S. i offer no disclaimer, other than... I am not responsible if your tongue isn't as well suited for CA application than mine. 

P.S.S. If you use the tongue application technique, Keep someone handy with a camera and PLEASE SEND ME OR POST THE PHOTOS!!!


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## nava1uni (Aug 26, 2009)

I also use the closed cell foam for applying CA.  I bought a package at the 
post office packing store and will have enough for the next decade since I usually use such a tiny piece.


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## mbroberg (Aug 26, 2009)

I've learned alot from this thread.  Not only do I now have the benefit of your collective wisdom concerning the best CA applicators, I feel confident using the words "schmounty" and "shmaper" in general conversation.


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## Rollerbob (Aug 26, 2009)

mbroberg said:


> I've learned alot from this thread. Not only do I now have the benefit of your collective wisdom concerning the best CA applicators, I feel confident using the words "schmounty" and "shmaper" in general conversation.


 YUP, a wealth of knowledge around every corner!:biggrin:


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## tbroye (Aug 26, 2009)

I learned from Cindy the closed cell stuff works great.  A little goes along way.  I use my Shop Vac/dust collector to suck the fumes away. I also have a door or window open in my shop.


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## TurnedAround (Aug 26, 2009)

I understand that cotton acts as a catalyst for CA. I believe it because I place a cotton rag under the pen to catch any drips. Every time the CA hits it a plume of smoke goes up. I wonder if the towels in the original post didn't have more cotton fiber content that the previously used ones.


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## Chief Hill (Aug 27, 2009)

I typically use newspaper to apply, Med ca, and then sandings starting at 220 gr.  I have had luck using high gloss clay bar polish after 1100 grit wet sand.


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## jfrantz (Aug 29, 2009)

Texatdurango said:


> Bounty schmounty! The BEST paper towels I have found for doing CA finishes are the WOS brand which I pick up in the double roll packs and I can easily find them anywhere I shop here in the metroplex. I've been using WOS and am totally satisfied with them!
> 
> SO, there's three opinions, anymore? :biggrin:


George, What is WOS? Jeff


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## rjwolfe3 (Aug 29, 2009)

I'm not George but it's What's On Sale!


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## bneff (Sep 2, 2009)

The custodian at work gives me a bundle of paper towels about once a month when I walk by his cart & he's checking the status of the restroom.  Sure is a nice fella.  :wink:


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## bitshird (Sep 2, 2009)

Joe Collazo used to sell inch wide by 3 inch long strips of .010 delrin it is great stuff to put CA on with, it cuts down on the amount of CA used and you can keep cleaning the CA off, I've been trying to find another source for it, if I do I'll share.


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## Chief Hill (Sep 2, 2009)

There are way too may ideas here.  I am going to come up with a new exotic style of applying CA.  Cat fur... Yes CAT FUR...  While it's attached to the cat.  It's body heat will help cure the glue while the smooth fine hairs should act like a 12000 grit micro fiber polish. I don't care what PETA says.  If I get any complaints I am going to have someone here that does acrylic make cat fur blanks too.   

Sorry all but I am frustrated here with my little kitty and everything being a scratch pad.....


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## woodchip (Sep 3, 2009)

I just apply with latex gloves.


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## GaryMadore (Sep 3, 2009)

jleiwig said:


> Can you put a CA finish over snake oil?



BOILED Snake Oil (BSO) .... can't be too emphatic about this.

Cheers!

Gary


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## GaryMadore (Sep 3, 2009)

RAdams said:


> If no bat feathers then i use the seat stuffing from Rolls Royce front seats!



Bastard! I divulged that technique to you in strictest confidence and you promised that you'd never, EVER tell....

Last time I trust you OR let you near my Phantom V

Cheers!

Gary


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