Finally got a perfect CA finish on a pen and then...

[Brian Brown]

I finally got a glass like finish on a couple of pens using CA glue. Then I made a third pen, and 6 perfume vials. About an hour after I finished the last pen, it developed a small crack in the CA finish. Then about 20 min after I finished the last perfume vial, it developed about 3 cracks. Now after two days there are hundreds of small spiderweb like cracks on the finish, and there are more coming all the time. The finish is still glassy on the outside, and appears intact except for the cracking. I finished them just like all of the others, but only 2 are cracking. Anyone ever seen this before, or know what is going on? Is there any way to fix it?

I'm not sure I want to finish anything with CA again. It is time consuming and expensive, and now this. Help!

[Brian Effinger]

What kind of wood was used? Maybe oils in the wood?
Just a stab in the dark at this point. Do you have pictures of them?

[Steve Mellott]

Based on your comment "it is time consuming and expensive", I'm thinking maybe you are applying the coat of CA glue too heavily. If done properly (and I am no expert), a C/A finish is fairly easy to apply and inexpensive. When I apply it, I squirt a little thin C/A glue on a paper towel and then swipe the pen 3 times. After the glue dries (about 3-4 minutes), I repeat either 2 or 3 times depending upon the grain of the wood. I then smooth out the C/A finish with EEE ultrashine and usually get a high polish finish. If you have it on too thick, I think the only way to fix it may be to sand it off. You may also be able to remove it with a C/A debonder.

Steve

[David Walser]

Sounds like the CA glue cured on the surface w/o curring fully on the inside. This can happen if another coat is applied too quickly, if the surface is "heat cured" from the friction of paper used to apply the glue, if the glue is too old, or some combination of these.

[Dean Chapel]

If your wood was very dry, and was taken to an environment in which the humidity was higher, the wood could certainly swell and cause a hard finish to crack.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use thin CA on my pens. I soak it the first go round. I sand lightly and add 3 or 4 more coats of thin CA and hit it with aerosol accelerator after each coat. I drop a few drops on one end and make one swipe across. After the 4th coat I buff. Never have had one spider on me except when I used thick CA.

[Brian Brown]

What kind of wood was used? Maybe oils in the wood?
Just a stab in the dark at this point. Do you have pictures of them?

One was olive wood, the other was Bolivian rosewood. The rosewood was 6%, the olive <10%. I use a procedure much like Bernie, except that I use Medium CA. The thin stuff runs right through the paper towel. I heat my garage with propane so the humidity gets a little higher as the day goes on, but the wood is at it's peak humidity when the CA goes on. I think if the wood shrunk after, the finish would peel off. All of your answers seem to have some merit. David and Steve may have hit on something. I might put it on a little heavy. The first tme it was lighter and when I micromeshed it, I went through the finish in a few places. I was also trying with the olive to hurry, and the CA may not have fully cured under the surface. These were to be Christmas gifts. Makes me want to say bad words. I don't have replacement kits/wood for these items, and may not be able to get them in time. That'll teach me to wait til the last minute. I'll try tomorrow to get pics.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Sorry to hear of your finishing problem but (without photos) have to wonder if the crackle finish wouldn't be a cool effect? Kind of an antique glass look.....

[David Cramer]

I am a rookie compared to a lot of the pen turners on this site, but this is the method that I copied. It is "easy" and worked well. No problems ever on Snakewood, Tulip, Brazilian Rosewood, Ash, etc.......

The long and drawn out method that many have described was too much for this buckaroo, until I searched and found this. Good luck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc

David

p.s. I found it by typing "ca finish" in the YouTube search box.

[Rob Young]

Depending on the pen I'll use the method Bernie describes or the one in William Young's video. I use Bernie's method when I don't want the BLO involved.

Otherwise, the only problem I've had was NOT "degreasing" a pen with acetone before starting the CA. It was Padauk and for some reason I skipped the acetone wipe down. After a few days, the CA dulled in patches.

I've even used the CA on acrylic pens and it does a great job with scratch mitigation.

I should mention that I do most of my turning during the cold months in an unheated but insulated garage. I've had no problem (except the one mentioned above) with the BLO+CA method in a garage as cold as 45F. I don't however store the CA or any glues in the garage. They stay in the house and I take them out as needed. While turning, the CA sets in a pocket of my shop apron and seems to stay pretty warm. Haven't glued the apron pocket closed yet. The friction of turning and sanding keeps the pen blanks warm.

[michael gallagher]

I've turned a lot of olive wood pens, but never any rosewood. I used to have problems with olive wood with a CA finish: sometimes it would crack as you described, other times you would get a cloudy patch that you couldn't hide with the clip. All of that stopped after a tip I got from the IAP sote specifically for olive wood - before you apply CA, hit it with accelerator (not after, but before the CA). Use the accelerator only that one time.

I then typically for well-figured olive wood put about 6 coats of thin CA and let it dry overnight. Then I pull out the micromesh and wet sand it, followed by 4-6 (depending on the piece of wood) coats of medium CA which I allow to dry overnight then hit it with wet sanding micromesh followed by the Novus 3-2-1 polish. 99 times out of 100 I then have a super-glassy shine, and don't have CA issues with olive wood anymore.

Good luck!

[Sid Matheny]

Like David I use the same method as the video by Bill Young. I have made hundreds of pens with it and have not had any cracking. Not sure what to tell you.

Sid