My sixpenny worth.
Its not the fact that the wood is oily - if it was then the whole pen would have been affected. Also there is no adverse reaction with oil, per se, and ca, many use a CA BLO mixture. I dont know what the chemical changes that occur to Linseed oil are when you boil it but I cant see this affecting the CA either way. Lots of woods are oily and I cant see any factually based recommendations anywhere. Goosle the issue and you will find lots of opinions and no facts.
Chemically the most likely reason is that the curing of the CA has been inhibited by some acidic compound or liquid. However as you probably didnt manage to finish it and package and despatch within two minutes this should have shown itself before you sent it, or at least immediately on receipt by the client. I believe from this thread that the situation developed and the marks appeared over a period of time?
If this is the case and the finish was perfect at the time of it being made, then something has attacked the wood or the finish to change the appearance. The CA cured and was stable at the time of production so I think it is reasonable to summise that the issue is not with the CA, or the curing of it. Issues with the whitening or clouding of CA happen almost instantly and are associated with accelerators or inhibitors. Logically then it must be something that is in or on the wood, and for it to appear as it has, it would have interfered with the wood after it was turned.
On a side issue, I (with FP), as Terry does, use a sealer of some sorts before finishing, but I do this as bare wood draws the oils out of friction polish making it dull and being the main reason for the claim that it is not as durable for a pen finish. Record friction polish is the only one to claim that it should be applied direct on to bare wood, but frankly, I think that this is wrong, if bare wood will draw the oil out of friction polish it will out of records friction polish as well, IMHO (which means - I could well be wrong, or, there is no basis in fact to my claim, or this is what I think!!). However CA works best on porous surfaces, and as the sealer makes it a less porous surface, what is the point in applying a sealer to a pen that you are going to coat with CA? Seal it from what, cured CA is inert and acts as a sealer anyway.
All said and done, I don't think that you are going to deduce, with any certainty what caused it, but I wouldnt alter anything you do as a result of this, an unusual fluke I think caused by some contamination of some description.
Me thinks Eamonn has been having a sneaky Haddock and Chips in the workshop and has mucky fingers! Now, if it were Jim, then the problem would be Black pudding.
