# Hybrid finishing method experiments



## Dan Masshardt (May 29, 2015)

Many of you know that I'm a fan of the pens plus finish.  

One of the drawbacks of this type of finish is that by itself it one fill in pores and build up any thickness if that's needed to overcome imperfections or open grain.  

My solution has been to use pens plus between sanding grits to fill in and build out the pen barrel to apply the lineal coats of finish.   This has worked well enough.  

However, I'm moving toward sometime even simpler.   It comes out of finding that pens plus seems to play well with ca. 

So I've been using just two thin coats of ca after sanding regularly.  And then applying several (4-6) coats of pens plus.   

So far so good.


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## thewishman (May 29, 2015)

Sounds like a good experiment. I fill pores by using sanding dust and ca (with 320 or 400 grit) then sanding clean. For me, that leaves a nice smooth surface for any finish, or no finish.


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## Dan Masshardt (May 29, 2015)

thewishman said:


> Sounds like a good experiment. I fill pores by using sanding dust and ca (with 320 or 400 grit) then sanding clean. For me, that leaves a nice smooth surface for any finish, or no finish.



I do thst when needed as well.


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## Cwalker935 (May 29, 2015)

At our last Richmond penturners meeting, we had a demo using pensplus and some experimentation with walnut.  The best result imo was first slurry sanding with ca and then applying the pensplus.


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## VotTak (May 29, 2015)

by applying couple layers if CA after finish you making something like microstabilizing of surface(is that your intention?) and than apply Pen+ regular way? 
Pens+ is very selective finish (for me) it goes perfectly fine on BO but on walnut and BOW looks horrible after some time. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Anyway... I'm just reading about experiments here and trying them as well... sometimes it works, sometimes it does not


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## Dan Masshardt (May 29, 2015)

I've used pens plus on many different types of wood.  The experience has mostly been positive. 

I feel that pens plus works best on the most stable surface.   Hard and or oily woods like cocobolo, Bocote olivewood.  Stabilized woods. 

But I've also gotten really great results on woods like walnut when using a method to build a solid base. Like pens plus / dust or now ca. 

There's still the other factors of applying the finish as well of course.


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## Souths1der (Jun 2, 2015)

I would have thought having a CA base before applying an oil based finish like Pens Plus would create a barrier and prevent the oil from being able to penetrate the surface and really do it's job.


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## TonyL (Jun 2, 2015)

I was thinking the same. I can write to Ron and ask him.


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## Dan Masshardt (Jun 2, 2015)

Souths1der said:


> I would have thought having a CA base before applying an oil based finish like Pens Plus would create a barrier and prevent the oil from being able to penetrate the surface and really do it's job.



If you're looking for a product to penetrate the surface, pens plus isn't the one for you.  

Why do you think it's best on dense and oily hardwoods.  

And it works well on stabilized woods.  No prett action there either.  

Pens pus will not fill any gaps.  It's a polish and my experience shows me that the more solid the surface it's polishing the better.


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## Dan Masshardt (Jun 2, 2015)

TonyL said:


> I was thinking the same. I can write to Ron and ask him.


Ron just sells it.  Ask mike Meredith - he's the chemist who makes it.


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## Souths1der (Jun 4, 2015)

Dan Masshardt said:


> If you're looking for a product to penetrate the surface, pens plus isn't the one for you.
> 
> Why do you think it's best on dense and oily hardwoods.
> 
> ...



I wasn't arguing.  I like Pens Plus.  The product description describes how it uses the heat from the friction to help the oil penetrate the wood.  Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe in your application the heat from the friction helps combine the Pens Plus with the previous coats of CA and help embed the CA into the wood for a great finish.  I'll have to give it a try.


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## Dan Masshardt (Jun 4, 2015)

I know you weren't arguing I didn't mean to sound that way either. 

Only time and trial will tell but you asked a very valid question!


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