# CA finish is cracking?



## dobber1919a4 (Apr 3, 2014)

I am relativly new to pen turning. I have been using CA to finish my pens and for the most part have been having good luck with it. The last fee pens I have finished looked good on the lathe, but after I assembled them the CA looked liked a shattered piece of glass. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? And I am using an accelerator.


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## Fireengines (Apr 3, 2014)

First, I would search the forum for the answer.

What wood are you using?  I like to start out with thin CA a few times and let that soak into the wood without using accelerator.  You can then move to medium.  However, don't overdo it and make sure it is dry before you assemble your pen.


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## Gary Beasley (Apr 3, 2014)

It may be a moisture issue or the age of the CA. I seem to have solved my issues by going back to regular CA instead of the wood finish variety.


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## jedgerton (Apr 3, 2014)

I believe it's the age of the CA.  I have had the same problem recently when I used CA that had been sitting in my garage unused for several months.  I used my same technique (with accelerator) later with some newly opened CA and no cracking was observed.


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## BayouPenturner (Apr 3, 2014)

This happened to me after using CA over Corian to cover my decal.

The pen was about 6 months old with no cracks them all of a sudden I noticed the cracking.  

My only thing is someone may have dropped it during a meeting show and tell.

interesting thread


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## BCnabe (Apr 3, 2014)

Did the blanks go through a quick temperature change?

I had some cracking last winter and I think that's what caused the cracking.  

I had put on 5-6 coats of thin and 5-6 coats of medium while in the house on a drill (no accelerator).  I then took them to my unheated shop to do the finish sanding and buffing.  Within a few minutes I had cracks.


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## Charlie69 (Apr 3, 2014)

I joined the IAP about a year ago to  use the search function and I can't tell you how many threads I've seen on cracked/cloudy CA finish.   So many that I decided after finishing a half dozen wood pens with CA that I would use the same varnish on wood pens that I use on my other wood turnings.

The only advantage I can see to using CA finish is it's rapid application time; great if your a production turner but not so great if a client comes back later complaining about the cracked finish.   I don't make many pens and the one I do make I give away.  My hope is that the person I give the pen to takes pleasure in using the pen.   That means carrying it in a pocket and exposing it to temperature swings.   Varnish is flexible and will expand and contract with the wood.   If your after a glass like finish varnish is every bit as glossy as CA and if you prefer a satin or satin/gloss finish it can be easily buffed to the desired sheen.   The downside to using varnish is it takes days to finish a pen.   That's a huge drawback if your a production turner but not such a big deal if it's just a hobby.

Fwiw the pens I finished with CA have been "house" pens and have not cracked or had cloudiness problems.   The CA finish on them isn't nearly as glossy as it once was but I wouldn't expect any gloss finish that gets handled daily to be glossy after a year of use.


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## Ted iin Michigan (Apr 3, 2014)

Agree totally with the suggestions above regarding CA age. I've been doing CA for several years now and ran into what you are describing this past winter. I. Had been having god success and the cracking got to me. Thought it was technique. Thought it was the cold. Thought it was accelerator. Nothing I tried worked until I got some fresh CA and accelerator. Problem disappeared. Go figure.


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## mtcsss (Apr 11, 2014)

You are probably putting your CA finish down too thick. I have started backing off on the number of layers I apply and the problem with cracking is gone. Moisture in the wood is a big contributor to cracking and also if you are applying CA to very oily woods like cocoblo or olive you will have problems. A lot of exotics are loaded with oil and do not take CA finishes very well. If the humidity is high on the day you apply the finish (raining outside) you will have problems as well.


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## RLK (Apr 25, 2014)

Has anyone tried using white glue to seal a Decoupage onto a pen and then finish it with CA?


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## DaddyO (Apr 25, 2014)

let me ask you, are you using a BLO (boiled linseeed oil) as well?


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## SDB777 (Apr 26, 2014)

dobber1919a4 said:


> I am relativly new to pen turning. I have been using CA to finish my pens and for the most part have been having good luck with it. The last fee pens I have finished looked good on the lathe, but* after I assembled them the CA looked liked a shattered piece of glass*. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? And I am using an accelerator.


 

I would think it had something to do with the assembly, perhaps some CA inside the tube forcing the expansion, thus cracking.




Scott (my dog is not home....she's visiting people) B


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## ed4copies (Apr 26, 2014)

We (IAP) have seen dozens of threads with the CA "cracking like glass", sometimes long after the pen was made (so for those who have not had the problem, you might want to add "yet" to your statement).

And we have had many "solutions" "decided upon".

Fact is, no one KNOWS what causes the problem, here is a partial list of factors to consider:
Temperature and humidity when pen was made
Water content of the wood when it was made
CA consistency (thin, med, thick)
Was accelerator applied (including BLO)
Brand of accelerator vs brand of CA
Age of CA
Age of accelerator
Number of coats
Actual build-up depth in thousandths of an inch
How were the ends treated (potential for humidity to affect wood)
Tightness of components when pressed in
Type of pen made (kit type)
Diameter of kit tubes

Handling of pen:
Was it ALWAYS next to the owner (body heat is somewhat constant)
Was it left in a car or a purse 
Temperature and humidity at the exact moment it cracked
Exposed to sunlight?
Exposed to other chemicals?

And, of course how was it handled?  Dropped on cement floor?


Cyanoacrylic is formulated to be a quick acting adhesive.  One property is it dries clear.  But, aside from one company who made a "special formula" for finishing, which had problems from the start, I have seen no industry experts condoning it's use as a finish.

So, don't be surprised when it fails.

When you see statements of "this is what caused my failure", realize there are dozens of variables and someone has chosen only ONE of them as THE cause.  While he could be correct, he is overlooking dozens of other possibilities.


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## bekeeper (Apr 27, 2014)

I use BLO by itself for the first coat then vary the the amount of BLO. It seems to end up giving you a feel of the wood if desired. 
I make sure the inside of the pens tubes are clean so when you push in the parts it doesn't crack anything by expansion. CA is probably the stiffest of all finishes. The thicker the more likely to have issues. I don't go past 6 coats of thin CA.  If you have use Gorilla glue to glue the tube, I believe it adds a little stress. 
Just a little BLO adds flexibility. Like said above, lots of variability
 and lots of opinions.


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## rodesigner (May 1, 2014)

I am not a pen turner. I admire the beautiful work I have seen you all do. I am starting to get ready to make fishing reel seat inserts and have been slowly accumulating  some figured wood to do that with. I have turned a few seats and struggled with putting on CA finish that some times went on fast and sometimes took a while but was getting better. A few days ago one of the rod builders that posted on the fishing rod building site said he had stopped using CA for a finish because of cracking he was seeing and thought it was from Sun exposure and had switched to urethane. I figured I would use a one part urethane type that cures from taking moisture out of the air and dries very hard. My question is if I use CA to solidify the structure of the wood or fill voids like with spalted wood will the urethane adhere to the CA ok? Since I plan to only have a very thin layer of CA do you think that would eliminate the cracking?
Thanks


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