CA Finish Application - Easier way?

[Mike Rinelli]

Hi all.

I found a really easy way to apply a CA finish this weekend. I was working with one of those crushed sunflower seed blanks which are pretty delicate to work with. A lot of light cuts and gentle sanding.

Well, during my cutting process, I would occasionally run a fine glaze of CA just to make sure I wouldn't get a blowout while using my skew.

The thing about this was that I had sanded away the CA during the final shaping and finishing.

I use mineral spirits to clear the slurries and dust before I move to the next grit in line. This is what my normal order of operation is.

Well, at the end CA finish application, I continued to use a Mineral spirit saturated shop towel while I was applying the CA. To my amazement, this process applied the CA magnigficently. No drag, very even coating, and a more gradual curing that seemed to help the CA "settle."

I will hopefully be posting a picture soon, but I was really suprised at how well this worked. I put 5 coats of CA on and it came out very well, without the discoloration that sometimes appears for me when I used BLO.

I noticed no weakness in the final finish, and the layers were crystal clear.

Just wanted to share this as the application of CA was always kind of tricky for me, and this method worked great.

-Mike

[robert hainstock]

I'll have to try that soon. :)
Bob

[Mark Burge]

Thanks for the info Mike. I had just tried a CA finish for the first time two weeks ago and had some difficulty getting an even finish. It was a rather large piece. I will give this a whirl. - Mark

[John Terefenko]

Hi all.

I found a really easy way to apply a CA finish this weekend. I was working with one of those crushed sunflower seed blanks which are pretty delicate to work with. A lot of light cuts and gentle sanding.

Well, during my cutting process, I would occasionally run a fine glaze of CA just to make sure I wouldn't get a blowout while using my skew.

The thing about this was that I had sanded away the CA during the final shaping and finishing.

I use mineral spirits to clear the slurries and dust before I move to the next grit in line. This is what my normal order of operation is.

Well, at the end CA finish application, I continued to use a Mineral spirit saturated shop towel while I was applying the CA. To my amazement, this process applied the CA magnigficently. No drag, very even coating, and a more gradual curing that seemed to help the CA "settle."

I will hopefully be posting a picture soon, but I was really suprised at how well this worked. I put 5 coats of CA on and it came out very well, without the discoloration that sometimes appears for me when I used BLO.

I noticed no weakness in the final finish, and the layers were crystal clear.

Just wanted to share this as the application of CA was always kind of tricky for me, and this method worked great.

-Mike


Interesting. Never heard this one. If you are going to do another pen project I was wondering if you could do us a favor. If you have a good micrometer or even calipers can you measure the blank in its get ready for the top coat phase and then after you applied your layers of top coat??? Curious to see what the thickness is when using a product like MS. Woulkd be nice to track the performance of that finish after a some time also but sometimes that is not possible. Always looking for new things. Good job.

[Mike Rinelli]

That's a great idea, John. I'll give that a shot and report my results. It may turn out that my layers are much thinner.

While I'm at it, anyone know if laquer sealer is an option underneath a CA coat? I'm doing a cocobolo cigar right now, and along with wiping it down with acetone then applying laquer sealer, I'm wondering if it will react to CA.

-Mike

[Jeff Nicol]

I have used lacquer sealer or just brush on lacquer thinned out a lot as a base coat many times. It will actually build up like the CA too. It gives a very deep finish, but not as hard as fast as the CA. The lacquer is better a week or so later then buffed out to a great shine!

Should be O.K. Works for me
Jeff

[Jerome Hanby]

Sorry if this is a silly question, I know zilch about using CA in turning , but have been thinking of trying it.

Are you applying CA to a cloth that's been previously soaked in MS then using that cloth to apply the CA to a turning blank?

[Allen Neighbors]

Jerome, I apply CA, by holding the end of a Viva paper tower folded 4 times (to about 1.5"wide) under (against) the pen (with two fingers). Then, with rpm about 1000, dribble the CA just along the top of the pen, moving the towel to catch it, so it doesn't sling off on you. Quickly swipe the towel back and forth a couple of times, spreading the CA evenly as possible, and quit.
He's using the MS soaked rag instead of the paper towel. I'm going to try that tomorrow on a couple of pens I'm working on now. It sounds like a good idea to me...
Thanks for the idea, Mike. :)