CA finish

[Harry]

I was practising my CA finish yesterday and decided that it needs some work. After I have have applied all the layers, I had to sand it down so much that I went down to the wood. I checked the IAP library and found various ways of doing this but the CA/BLO method appealed to me as it seems easy to get a really smooth finish with little or no sanding and no need for accelerator.

I wondered if any of you guys used this method and what your opinions are. I just hope I haven't opened a can of worms

Harry

 

[Woody]

Hi Harry I hate the bloody stuff and never use it LOL there the can is open

 

[Grump]

little or no sanding

You are so funny init?

The only way to do that is to leave it smooth from the tool.

Yes you have opened.



You might be lucky though it is still holiday season.

If you rubbed it back to wood, you didn't put enuff ca on or you rubbed to much off which would indicate it needed rubbing down before applying the ca.

Stand back and wait for the flack init?

 

[Jim]

Harry, i have never sanded a CA finish, having added all the coats that i feel sufficient i go straight in with the micro-mesh pads, then use the burnishing cream for the finish ..

Mico-Pads​

​

 

[Jim]

Forgot to add this link of David over at Timberbits, i sort of adapted this but now use about six coats of medium CA..

Timberbits CA Finish

 

[paulm]

I've never used BLO but always use ca. I have sanded it when I've had ridges but only to get rid of the ridge not back to wood. I use wet and dry normally to 1200 and then polish.

 

[Harry]

Forgot to add this link of David over at Timberbits, i sort of adapted this but now use about six coats of medium CA..

Timberbits CA Finish

My trouble is I tried it this way, but I always get big ridges that need a lot of sanding. I need to find a way to get a smooth finish.

 

[ataylor]

I bet you are putting to much on mate.

 

[Woody]

my trouble is i tried it this way, but i always get big ridges that need a lot of sanding. I need to find a way to get a smooth finish.

use polish like wot i dose

 

[Harry]

I bet you are putting to much on mate.

3 drops/layer

 

[bassethound]

I have used C/A and Blo but ! don't bother with Blo now! my pens are still crap

 

[Dalboy]

When I make a pen I use the BLO/CA finish and have had no problems with it, I always seem to get a good finish and normally give it a quick rub with burnishing cream after it has been applied. If I do have to sand back rarely that is I use the same pads as Jim.

 

[rayf6604]

I find ca too hit and miss, ruins my pens more often than not so I now find that friction polish gives better and easier results.

 

[Harry]

Just got back from the shop having tried again, closely following the Timberbits video that Jim sent me but using 6 coats of medium CA as Jim does. Same result, a fairly rough finish that needed a lot of wet sanding with 400 grit to make it smooth. I rubbed through to the wood again while I was polishing with car rubbing compound - maybe I rubbed too hard? A lot of this may be down to the fact that I am using scrap bits of pine for practising with. The bare bits are the dark grain lines which are probably harder than the rest and are ending up a bit "high" after I have sanded the bare wood.

 

[glenpen]

Try sealing you wood first.
Glen

 

[Twister]

are u using thin ca ?
are u running slow on lathe 3-400?
i put ca on blank in the middle(not the towel) rub left rub right fast as i can
new bit of kitchen towel each time
i dont use accelerator
i use a whole cheap tube at a time £1 for 8 tubes
just polish with the micro after start at 1200 upto 12000 (use it wet,i store in a jar with water)
then use G3 scratch remover

sand blank to 600 before ca

 

[Harry]

When I make a pen I use the BLO/CA finish and have had no problems with it, I always seem to get a good finish and normally give it a quick rub with burnishing cream after it has been applied. If I do have to sand back rarely that is I use the same pads as Jim.

Do you know if this finish is ok to use with waterslide transfers as this is something I fancy trying?

Harry

 

[Dalboy]

Not tried it with transfers. But I should imagine that you would need to find something to seal it first before using the CA/BLO or just the CA finish

 

[Jim]

To use transfers just add a few coats of CA, and the last few pads of the micro-mesh Harry, once the transfer is on let it dry then use the CA finish .. If you are getting lumps from the CA finish you may be running to slow. I run the lathe at 1500rpm and as Twister says run the pad along the blank at a good speed this should give you the finish you are looking for ..

 

[Bill Mooney]

I had your trouble when I first started using ca, I was putting too much on in one go. Cracked it now.