How do I get a glass finish on my pen turnings?

[Tom Henry]

I am trying to get a that glass like finish on my wood turned pens? I am new to the black hole and I am making regular Saturday trips to PSI which is only 20 minutes from my house. I threw my keys to my house and told them just to take it all my last visit. :eek: My latest pens are turning out glossy but not that glass finish that I have seen on some pens. I am currently sanding through the grits up to 600 and then applying eee 3-4 times then applying shellawax about 5-7 coats. it is really shinny but not glass. I did buy a fiction high gloss lacquer that almost gave me the same look as the shellawax. I want a glass finsih??? What to do????

[Ben Gastfriend]

I too buy most of my pen supplies at PSI, as I only live about 5 minutes away (I can bike there), and they do push the Shellawax as a "miracle finish". However, IMO, no friction finish is going to give you that glass-like finish you're after.

What I would recomend is a superglue (CA) finish. It involves applying a small amount of thin or medium viscosity CA glue to a paper towel, and applying it with one smooth stroke onto the pen barrel, spinning at low speed. Don't try to do too many strokes, because you'll end up having to sand that layer down and apply another one.

There was just another thread on this, but I can't seem to find it. I'm sure the others will fill you in on the particulars.

[Maria Alvarado]

Tom,
Ben is right. You need to build an actual finish and CA glue is a popular method. Dipping in lacquer is another, but that takes a lot more time. If you want an idea of the process there are a couple short videos on youtube. If you search CA/BLO you will get some snippets of Russ Fairfield's video for applying the finish. There are as many variations as there are pen turners (possibly more) but this will give you a solid foundation. You might also check out the international association of penturners (penturners.org) for many tips and examples.
Good luck!

[ROY DICK]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=46223

[Tom Henry]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=46223

Thanks for the link.

[John Terefenko]

Tom you got the answer you were looking for. You will not achieve that glass look with a friction polish finish. There are many finishes that people use and CA is a very popular one but there is a learning curve to it. Also which is more forgiving but does take time to apply and that is wipe-on poly. Many use Minwax. Another finish which takes as little time as CA is Behlen's wood finish. It is more on the lines of a shellac but stands up well and is use exclusively by Barry Gross who is a well reknowned pen turner. Laquer is also another choice. All have their good points and bad points. Good luck.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with the others. Friction polish is not going to look like glass. CA can give you that glass look as can gloss lacquer.

[Tim Cleveland]

CA is the best finish that I have seen for a glass-like finish on pens. I have never been able to get CA/BLO to work for me (the oil always makes the finish come out cloudy) but many people use BLO in conjunction with CA with a great deal of succes... I always have been an expert when it comes to screwing things up:o. My method of application involves first cleaning the blank with acetone (after turning and sanding), if it is a very oily wood I will clean it several times. After cleaning, I apply it like Ben said, with one smooth stroke at a slow speed (I use paper towels, rags will leave lint in the CA). I usually use 12-15 coats of CA and then polish up to 12000 grit with micro-mesh. I have found it to be a fast and incredibly durable finish (but I guess most finishes would be durable with 15 coats). Also, I don't know how often you make pens, but it will not take me long to build up an allergy to it. The CA fumes make me very dizzy andbother my eyes alot. I have read that the fumes can induce an athsma attack (I don't have athsma so I can't verify this) and that eventually they will destroy your upper respiratory tract. Having said all this, I still recomend this as a finish...I have found it to be an excelent finish, well worth the trouble that it takes to really be completely succesful with it. I simply recomend that you use a full-face respirator when applying this finish.

I have also heard of people melting plexi-glass in acetone and applying that to achieve a glassy finish, but I have no idea how it is applied. I have no experience with lacquer other than having seen it on pens. I agree with everybody else that it will give the same look ( but maybe not the same durability) as CA. Hope this is able to help.

Tim

[Greg Cuetara]

I will fifth the CA finish to start with. Even with a CA finish you will not get a super glossy finish. The CA is a great start and is actually very easy if you follow the videos and do some reading from the penturners website.

After you get the CA finish applied and sand right up through all the Micro Mesh you need to take the next step. The next step is to use a buffing system. Most people like the beall buffing system with 3 wheels but I think PSI has their own system. I don't have a buffing system yet but hope to get one. The buffing will bring out the gloss you are looking for.

I would not use EEE and shellawax on pens. The finish will not last very long. I speak from experience. CA will give you a much better finish.

[Brian McDermaid]

PSI now sells a CA starter kit called "I Can't Believe This Finish (http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKCAFINSET.html)"... IMHO its a bit over priced.

[Paul Douglass]

Ya, CA make a great and durable finish. But it is not the only finish to make the glass like finish. I can think of two other I have seen that make such a finish. Some people dissolve plexiglass in acetone and are able to get the same type finish. I've see the results and it compares to CA. Another is using Minwax polyurethane. I have tried to do it with the Minwax, but I have never been able to get the finish other have.

[Tim Cleveland]

Here is a pic of three of my pens. The pen on the left of the second pic is an acrylic, but I thought I might as well show it too since the gloss I get off of bare CA is the same as an acrylic assuming that you use all the grits of micro-mesh. The gloss on these pens is normal for me when I use all the micro-mesh grits. These pics are simply to show the gloss that you get off of bare CA when polished with MM.

Tim

[Dean Thomas]

CA is definitely one way to achieve that glassy, glossy finish. The reason has to do with the fact that it is after all is said and done, an acrylic. When you polish an acrylic like an automotive finish (because you can, after all), you're gonna get glossy. You can do the same with a lacquer finish, but you have to be more careful with lacquer because lacquer layers are thinner and easier to sand through and create multiple layer edges. Not as easily seen as on a piano lid (where I learned to do lacquer!), but they are there and visible under the right circumstances.

If you wet sand your high build friction polish and put on 4-6 coats after you've sanded flat, you can get really, really glossy. Darned near as glossy as an acrylic. I'll try to get a fat pen done this week (or weekend??) in walnut and see if I can get a close up of a super flat, super glassy finish that is not acrylic or lacquer.