# BLO over  final CA coat?



## penbros (Jul 26, 2006)

yes?                         no?


                thank you


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## Ligget (Jul 26, 2006)

Maybe!! lol[)] Just kidding, I use blo on each stage but it is always before an application of CA.[]


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## GBusardo (Jul 26, 2006)

I am far from an expert on finishing, but I can not think of one advantage of using BLO after a coat of CA. Just my thought. 
Gary


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## penbros (Jul 26, 2006)

O sorry i thought the BLO came after CA.[:0]Ok i get it now. Thanks. Also i was putting BLO on right after the CA and it dried fast which i liked. Someone here said that i dunno.


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## mrcook4570 (Jul 26, 2006)

Wax over CA, sure.  BLO under CA may have its advantages, but I can't think of a reason to use it over CA.


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## punkinn (Jul 26, 2006)

In my process, I apply the coats of thin CA and afterwards wet sand with a 600 grit lubricated with BLO.  That smooths and perfects the CA layer before I move on to the rest of my finishing procedure.  

Nancy


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## GBusardo (Jul 26, 2006)

Hmmmm,  I didn't think of that Nancy.  BLO is an oil, so I guess it would work. I am guessing it helps your finishing process too. How long do you have to wait before you start finishing again?  Sorry Penbros, I hope i didn't step too hard on your post.
Gary


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## punkinn (Jul 26, 2006)

> _Originally posted by GBusardo_
> <br />Hmmmm,  I didn't think of that Nancy.  BLO is an oil, so I guess it would work. I am guessing it helps your finishing process too. How long do you have to wait before you start finishing again?  Sorry Penbros, I hope i didn't step too hard on your post.
> Gary



Gary:  

It works very well, actually.  []   

Wait?   Wait?   I'm not good at this waiting stuff.  So I don't. [] After the wood is sanded to 400 and cleaned with DNA, I apply the CA (after changing to the Delrin bushings!) coats, a few light sprays of accelerant and then I do the BLO sanding w/ 600 grit (then the rest).  I don't wait for any part of my finishing procedure; I know lots of people do, but I don't, and my finishes are (if I do say so!) like glass.  Given my success with this procedure, I'm okay with my impatience.  []  

HTH!   Nancy


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## vick (Jul 26, 2006)

I think their is a little confusion here.  If I am correct Will is talking about putting the BLO on before the CA dries.
Well many of us do not do this that was the original CA/BLO finishing method.  Supposedly the BLO acts as an accelerator and makes the finish smoother and more flexible.  Russ Fairfield has discussed this several times.

If this is indeed what you are talking about you will have to be the ulimate judge if it is worth while.  If you meen after the CA has dried I see no reason to add BLO.  Maybe friction polish or wax over the CA but not BLO.


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## gerryr (Jul 27, 2006)

If you use BLO to smooth out an uncured CA coat, that works and many people do that.  If you literally mean to apply BLO after the CA has cured, I don't understand what you would accomplish.  The BLO can't penetrate the CA so it won't make the grain look any different and it will just make the pen real greasy feeling.


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## RussFairfield (Jul 27, 2006)

When the Boiled Linseed is put ON TOP OF uncured CA glue, it acts as a lubricant for the applicator cloth similar to what you would be doing with a friction polish. The resulting CA finish should be smooth enough that no further sanding or polishing is required, unless you want a higher gloss. The BLO also acts as an accellerator for the CA glue, and that is the reason for using the SLOWEST  possible glue formula.  Using a glue that is too fast to get smoothed out before it is cured is a common problem with this finish. 

If you want a higher gloss, you can use the 12,000 MicroMesh, a piece of grocery bag paper, or a buffing wheel with White Diamond to give it a higher shine. Remember that it takes 24-hours for a CA glue to reach its full hardness, and waiting overnight before polishing or buffing gives the CA a chance to fully harden; and it will result in the highest gloss.

Putting Boiled Linseed Oil under any finish is not a good idea unless you do it right. 

When the Boiled Linseed Oil is put on under the CA glue, it can act as an enhancement for the grain, BUT it has to be totally dry before application of the CA because CA doesn't stick to uncured oil very well. This means waiting a couple days or more for the BLO to be fully cured and buffed with steel-wool before putting the CA, or any other finish, over it. 

The other thing that happens is that the CA cannot penetrate into the wood because the wood is already filled with the cured Boiled Linseed Oil. In that case, the CA will just be sitting on top of the cured oil, without being locked into the wood. Furniture folks solve this problem with a barrier coat of shellac between the BLO and any other finish.

There are a lot of folks who have turned the CA/BLO finish upside down because they didn't get a bright finish with the BLO on top. Yes, the CA on top can have a higher gloss, and there is nothing wrong with reversing these finishing products. Just be aware that you may be compromising the CA finish. And, if you are having to sand and polish the CA finish, you are missing the reason for using this finishing technique, and you might be better off not using the BLO.


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## melogic (Jul 27, 2006)

By not using BLO on the blanks and bushings, how do you keep from sticking the bushings to the pen blank creating one large and ugly pen?


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## gerryr (Jul 28, 2006)

I have never used BLO when I do a CA finish which I use on most pens.  Maybe I've just been lucky, but so far I have always been able to get the bushings off.  Sometimes they just pop right off with little or no effort, sometimes it takes some serious wiggling to get them off.  I'm planning to make bushings from Delrin so I don't have to worry about it at all.


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## punkinn (Jul 28, 2006)

> _Originally posted by melogic_
> <br />By not using BLO on the blanks and bushings, how do you keep from sticking the bushings to the pen blank creating one large and ugly pen?



I never found that BLO helped at all on the bushings.  Wax does somewhat, though.   Best solution I found was turning matching bushings out of Delrin rods and switching them for the metal ones after I've finished turning & sanding.  

Nancy


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## dozer (Jul 28, 2006)

> _Originally posted by gerryr_
> <br />  I'm planning to make bushings from Delrin so I don't have to worry about it at all.



Ok I give up what is Delrin? I'm new to turning and I am sill a little lost on somethings.

Thanks Mike


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## wdcav1952 (Jul 28, 2006)

Mike,

I have  never used Delrin, perhaps because I am lazy!  The short version is that it is a fancy plastic like material that nothing will stick to.  You might want to try a Google http://www.google.com/ search on Delrin for more information.


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## ncseeker (Jul 29, 2006)

Search on "Tap Plastics"  They sell Delrin in 4 foot lengths.  Which is more that you should ever need.


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## aggiengr (Jul 30, 2006)

I have used Russ' method on finishing pens for the last year.  It has worked out great!  The BLO/CA approach (same time) has provided a great finish that has seemed to last.  I also sand to 12,000 with the Micormesh, which may seem like overkill.  However, it has provided a great pen and many compliments!!


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## bradh (Aug 12, 2006)

Interesting comments, lots of different methods here. I use BLO first and last. The BLO pops the grain, the CA is applied immediately. I have never had issues with the CA not sticking to the BLO.
  I find the last coating of BLO over a curing coat of CA smooths the CA. This is especially important on hard to finish woods like African Blackwood.
I wait an hour or so then wipe the BLO off with a paper towel before moving onto the wax. I do not buff most of the time, I do not find that buffing improves the gloss.
Brad


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## jben (Aug 13, 2006)

Thank you Russ, I too could not see putting BLO under CA, the CA should penetrate the wood making a stronger surface, the BLO simply makes the CA smoother and if done properly will assist in setting.  The BLO is then wiped off.

James


> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />When the Boiled Linseed is put ON TOP OF uncured CA glue, it acts as a lubricant for the applicator cloth similar to what you would be doing with a friction polish. The resulting CA finish should be smooth enough that no further sanding or polishing is required, unless you want a higher gloss. The BLO also acts as an accellerator for the CA glue, and that is the reason for using the SLOWEST  possible glue formula.  Using a glue that is too fast to get smoothed out before it is cured is a common problem with this finish.
> 
> If you want a higher gloss, you can use the 12,000 MicroMesh, a piece of grocery bag paper, or a buffing wheel with White Diamond to give it a higher shine. Remember that it takes 24-hours for a CA glue to reach its full hardness, and waiting overnight before polishing or buffing gives the CA a chance to fully harden; and it will result in the highest gloss.
> ...


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