Using CA (Superglue) as a finish

[Adal6]

Nice set of pens Rob

 

[DuncSuss]

Thanks for that; I've just been on the dog n'bone to the techno weenies at Ax and sorted out a suitable JSP half face respirator with appropriate filters (103083 if interested) - Rob

Unless I landed on a different product page, that one seemed to be particulate (which I'd call "dust") only. I think it was the ABEK-2 model that did the full monty - dust, organic volatiles, and inorganic volatiles. The filters I use are rated to block dust ad volatile organics, they eliminate the fumes from CA completely.

Of course, if I'm leaning over the lathe bed and the fumes get in my eyes, it doesn't make much difference what I keep out of my nose!

 

[Dalboy]

Just a side note on fumes when using the CA finish when I do use CA I have my extractor unit set up so the suction inlet is near the work and a pipe on the exhaust out of the door this pulls all the fumes out to fresh air.
This is only any good depends on the extractor used

 

[Bill Mooney]

I’ve had mixed results using. Ca is so I use melamine or acrylic lacquer as a finish using Phil Dart’s method.
Before you assemble your pens always run a small round file inside the ends of the brass tubes to remove any burrs from the inside of the tubes.

 

[Rob Stoakley]

Pen turning with a CA finish now on the back burner until I get hold of a half face respirator + cartridges from Ax. This afternoon though, I found some gash bits of 15mm nylon round stuff and made a couple of non-stick bushes for CA finishing. I tried them out on a Bubinga blank prepped with a tube already glued in place and they worked a treat on the mandrel. I also found some really fine (9, 5, 3 & 1 micron) 3M scary sharp films (now surplus) for finishing off the polished blanks once the CA has been applied - Rob

 

[Tigertommr2]

I think it’s the lack of expansion as you press the figments in. They are a push fit and theCA is brittle . If you’re even slightly out pushing the tube will flex but the CA will not , hence end cracking.

A reamer and secure the fittings with a drop of CA perhaps but tubes MUST be scrupulously clean internal DAMHIKT 🫣

Im still learning with CA and like Phil much prefer melamine lacquer.

I apply 50% thinned first and leave overnight to penetrate and cure .
You do ( or rather I found I do ) need very good quality brushes to flow it on though. There is little as frustrating as the” set stray hair “ in the surface when you come back to assemble one

Mercury and Glu Boost make flexible CA that's not Brittle. So much better than stuff from Lowe's or HD plus the amount is substantialy more, and better Caps means it doesn't go bad in a couple weeks.

 

[alpha1]

I have never used CA for a finish I have never had the need to use the stuff I can get a satisfactory finish with out sucking in CA fumes.

 

[Paul-H]

Mercury and Glu Boost make flexible CA that's not Brittle. So much better than stuff from Lowe's or HD plus the amount is substantialy more, and better Caps means it doesn't go bad in a couple weeks.

Those flexible CA's do look interesting, unfortunately neither are available in the UK and shipping from the US from the dealers to do international shipping is just prohibitive. Like 50 bucks for a 10 buck bottle of CA

 

[MikeC]

I think GluBoost is available from Amazon in the UK and other places according to a Google search

Mike

 

[Phil Dart]

I'll just drop this here.

Starbond Flexible Medium-Thick CA superglue - 2oz

Starbond Flexible Medium-Thick CA superglue is a high performance, industrial grade ethyl cyanoacrylate superglue, for use in heavy duty bonding applications that require impact and shock absorbance. ...

www.beaufortink.co.uk

 

[Pierre]

I dunno... Walter Hall and I used to use CA and boiled linseed oil (BLO) many years ago before some of the 'better' finishes became cheap enough for the small users to afford. and before Micro mesh etc was cheap enough for pen turners.

Basically you start with BLO so as to replace the water evaporation from the wood and to keep it supple for as long as possible; note this only works with open grain wood, (woods like lignum vitae and azobe don't benefit from it) . The first coat applied is BLO which is applied with the lathe at about 1500rpm and buffed across with either a hard paper towel of a soft rag to a shine, then you apply CA as the next coat and do this about 5 times alternating each coat (much more and you end up with a plastic looking coat which is not aesthetic) . The application of each coat should be done fast because the BLO acts to speed up the ca glue drying. You should end up with a nice shiny finish which is neither too glossy nor too matt but which, to the fingers, is dead smooth. I recently was asked to repair one of my pens which had that finish (mechanism bent by mis-assembly after replacing refill) . There was no cracking etc and the finish feeling was just as though it had been made. To be fair the lady had followed my instructions and buffed it with beeswax every 6 months or so, it was made in 2006.

I stopped using the CA finish after I bought the beal buffing system which produces just a good a finish, and doesnt smell as much