# Hut Crystal Coat finishing



## RIPPIN45

I have a couple of questions on finishing with the Hut Crystal Coat.  When I am sanding I start with 180-240-320-400-600, them MM w/12000.  I usually touch the blanks on the lathe with the last two finest grits with some denatured alcholol and a t-shirt patch to take off the sanding powder that is left on the blanks.  Then I use the Hut, which leads me to my two questions.  I don't have a buffing wheel, I only finish it on the lathe.  If I want a glossy appearance, I have use CA finish and that is a seperate issue that I am not addressing here.

1.  How much "pressure" is used and will the "gloss" change with each wood as some come out with a gloss appearance and some (noticed burls) will come out with a "satin" finish.  I have tried 2-4 coats and sometime my finish feels tacky.   

2. Should I use a sanding sealer before the Hut?


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## rjwolfe3

I have some experience so here goes.
I have not been able to get a gloss shine with it but I do use enough pressure that I feel the heat through the towel I am using.
I don't use sanding sealer but you probably should on open grained items if you want a smooth finish.


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## aggromere

I have not been able to get a finish comparable to the CA finish with hut.  I only use it when someone wants a natural feeling wooden pen.


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## GouletPens

Congratulations, you've done the Hut Crystal Coat right of passage to pen turning. Now that you recognize its limitations, throw it away and learn CA like the rest of us:biggrin: I put mine up on a high shelf as decoration along with my PPP sticks and my Grizzly mini lathe that no longer works. You guessed it, I'm a packrat.:bananen_smilies008:


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## HawksFeather

I have used Hut and also Myland friction polishes on several calls and other turning and have found that (at least for me) it does help to use a sealer that will give a smoother finish, which leads me to getting a smoother and glossier final finish. 

Jerry


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## its_virgil

It'scalled friction polish for a reason. Friction is needed to create the heat to evaporate the solvent and leave the shellac finish. So, heat is the critical part of friction polish. 

Less is more...it doesn't take much friction polish to work. And, too much is not good. several light coats are better than one heavy coat. Using too much friction polish for each coating is a common mistake. 

Also, you should let the blanks dry overnight or longer to totally cure and harden before assembly.

It can go bad also. The bottle has an expiration date. 

I like Myland's High Build and Shellawax much better, but the Shellawax is not cheap.

You can make your own. Check Russ Fairfield's site for a ton of finish information: http://www.woodturnerruss.com

Do a good turn daily!
Don



RIPPIN45 said:


> I have a couple of questions on finishing with the Hut Crystal Coat. When I am sanding I start with 180-240-320-400-600, them MM w/12000. I usually touch the blanks on the lathe with the last two finest grits with some denatured alcholol and a t-shirt patch to take off the sanding powder that is left on the blanks. Then I use the Hut, which leads me to my two questions. I don't have a buffing wheel, I only finish it on the lathe. If I want a glossy appearance, I have use CA finish and that is a seperate issue that I am not addressing here.
> 
> 1. How much "pressure" is used and will the "gloss" change with each wood as some come out with a gloss appearance and some (noticed burls) will come out with a "satin" finish. I have tried 2-4 coats and sometime my finish feels tacky.
> 
> 2. Should I use a sanding sealer before the Hut?


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## programmergeek

Hunts need heat to melt on and coating even, CA hates heats and may fog or get gummy.  I wouldn't use hunts, unless you are not doing CA at all.  Just CA micromesh and maybe some 20/20 or plastic polish just a dro to buff.


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## wdcav1952

programmergeek said:


> Hunts need heat to melt on and coating even, CA hates heats and may fog or get gummy.  I wouldn't use hunts, unless you are not doing CA at all.  Just CA micromesh and maybe some 20/20 or plastic polish just a dro to buff.



Is that programming language??? :biggrin::tongue::biggrin:


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## ColoradoHermit

I must be doing it wrong. I use BLO first to get the grain to stand out then a sanding sealer if its a real porous grain. Then I put at least a couple layers of the CA/BLO finish. Top that with the Crystal Coat then Mylands Friction polish. Most of the time I will do several alternating layers between the Crystal Coat and Mylands. Like the other guy said, friction is the key. So I use a little pressure and crank up the speed till I can feel the heat through the paper towel that I'm using. (I don't know if it makes a difference but I use the Brawny brand) I usually get a deep looking glossy finish.
The one problem I have now is that I learned to do the CA/BLO finish using the USA Gold thick CA glue that I got at the local Wood Craft store. I ran out a couple of months ago and went to get some more and they have quit stocking it. I cant remember what brand they changed to and I don't have it handy to look at right now so I cant tell you what it is, but it sucks. I cant get it to stay on the wood. It wants to kinda go grainy and roll up in little balls and come off. It wont stay on the wood or only a little of the first layer will. So does any one know where to get some more of the USA Gold brand CA glue?


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## leehljp

COHermit: Where to get "great for pen finish" CA - Many many people here buy from Monty at:
http://woodenwonderstx.com/WWBlue/NewGlueWS.html

I get good service from him all the way over here in Japan.


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## Midi O

Anyone know the grit equivalent of Hut?


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## penicillin

Midi O said:


> Anyone know the grit equivalent of Hut?


To the best of my knowledge, there is no abrasive in Hut Crystal Coat, so the question is moot. Hut Crystal Coat is alcohol, shellac, and carnauba wax.

The best use is to apply it sparingly, then quickly bring up the temperature with friction. Your goal is to "flash off" the alcohol while buffing. If you are slow, the alcohol will evaporate on its own and your results may not be as glossy as you would like. How do I know this? I called Hut and asked, in an attempt to get glossy results.

Note: I have had mixed results with Hut Crystal Coat. Even with careful application as I described above, sometimes I get a very glossy finish, sometimes not. Getting a glossy finish as advertised is neither consistent nor predictable enough for me.

I originally bought Hut Crystal Coat because it was half the price of Mylands or Shellawax and was recommended at the store. I plan to replace it with Mylands or Shellawax when the time comes.

Bottom line: Hut Crystal Coat - Okay at best, not recommended by me.


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## Midi O

Thanks for your reply. I agree with you on Hut. It is inconsistent. I'm going to move on to a CA BLO finish.


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## penicillin

Agreed. I finish nearly all of my pens with CA (Gluboost). I have BLO (boiled linseed oil) at home, but haven't tried it on pens. My CA finishes are only CA, no BLO. I will give BLO a try on my next pen.

I like friction polishes for certain very dark woods. The dark woods turn black and featureless with a CA finish, but they look good under friction polishes. Such woods include ancient bog oak, very dark rosewoods, etc.

CA is far more durable than the friction polishes, but you go with what works.


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## Midi O

That's interesting about dark woods and CA. I am following Russ Fairfield's CA/BLO instructions that I found on YouTube. I'm looking for a pen finish that feels more like wood than a CA finish that has durability. He says this method creates that. We'll see.


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## penicillin

Midi O said:


> That's interesting about dark woods and CA. I am following Russ Fairfield's CA/BLO instructions that I found on YouTube. I'm looking for a pen finish that feels more like wood than a CA finish that has durability. He says this method creates that. We'll see.


I have had some success experimenting, trying for a more natural look by creating a "matte CA" finish. Basically, I don't build-up the CA as much. I use Gluboost Fill 'n' Finish - one coat medium and two coats thin. The key point is that I stop about halfway through the Micro-mesh pads, around pad #4 or so. (You don't want to use those finer grit pads beyond #5 to #9, or it will yield a more unnatural glossy finish.)

It is just something I thought of. Give it a try for yourself. Rough a pen blank to a cylinder and try that "matte CA" finish. You can always turn it off and start over if you don't like it.


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