First attempt at ca finish

[Karl Card]

It did not do what I wanted it to do.... kinda reminds me of my children...
I have heard of people using a drop of blo in with the glu to help it glide better, does this really help? I need help....LOL

[Scot Roberge]

Yes, Carl, BLO helps a lot. Put a small drop on your applicator pad (I use a small piece of paper towel) and position it below the spinning pen blank. As you begin dribbling CA accross the top of blank, make light contact with the applicator. Follow the glue bottle accoss the bottom of blank with the applicator and immediately make a couple light passes back and forth with the applicator - keeping the drop of BLO centered under the blank. A chemical reaction will occur and you'll see some smoke come off the applicator when the CA "kicks". (Protect your finger - I sometimes get burned and stuck all at once!) I find it best to remove the applicator as soon as I see the smoke. It's a quick, easy finish that varies from wonderful to frustrating. Actually sounds harder than it is - and if you mess up, just let the stuff dry, sand it down and go again. My standard finish is presently applications of CA/BLO followed by four coats of lacquer - but just one coat of CA/BLO makes a very nice quick finish.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Karl that is a great looking pen. I am just the opposite. I think using BLO is a pain and doesn't do anything for me. Some still use it but on the pen turning site IAP more and more are going just CA. I use strictly thin CA and put on 3 coats or sometimes 4. I hit it with accelerator inbetween coats. Never have had a problem at all. Once I am ok with that I then Beall buff with tripoli, white diamond and then Ren Wax. I don't like carnuba because it water spots and leave finger prints.

[Belton Garvin]

CA/BLO is my finish of choice...except on some Figured Narra that I have. I've tried everything on that wood and just can't get it to cover evenly.

A lot of success is determined by the grain of the wood you are using. If it is closed grain the finish goes quickly...2 or 3 coats of thin and it's done. Open grain may take a couple coats of thin and a couple coats of medium. I don't use the thick much anymore (not much success).

The one thing I never vary from is the first coat is always thin. It acts as a sanding sealer and locks in the color of the wood. If it is really light wood I don't use BLO for the first 2 coats.

Hope that helps a little. Good luck

[Paul Douglass]

I use to use the "just CA" finish until I watched this and gave it a try. Now this is my current favorite finish. I can do it and not have to do any sanding on the finish. Sometimes, fact most the time, I don't even polish.

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

[Karl Card]

I am thinking I may have found out some of the problem then... The ca I have is probably considered thick.
It is amazing though that when I use ca to put a tube in a blank it dries so quick... put it on the outside of a pen blank and you gotta wait for it to dry...lol

[James Combs]

Yes, Carl, BLO helps a lot. Put a small drop on your applicator pad (I use a small piece of paper towel) and position it below the spinning pen blank. As you begin dribbling CA accross the top of blank, make light contact with the applicator. Follow the glue bottle accoss the bottom of blank with the applicator and immediately make a couple light passes back and forth with the applicator..

I use a method similar to Scot's except without the BLO. I fold a paper towel to about a 4-6 layer 1/2 wide tapered applicator point. However, I place a small pea size bead of "medium" CA on the applicator then apply it to the pen with a side to side motion but no more then 3 passes. It will start to set after the third pass and will get rough and lumpy. I will do this for 3-4 layers with some light 1200 grit sanding in between layers and finish it off with a coat of wax.


...The one thing I never vary from is the first coat is always thin. It acts as a sanding sealer and locks in the color of the wood. If it is really light wood I don't use BLO for the first 2 coats...

I like Belton Garvin's process of a thin coat first so I think I will incorporate that into my process but with and adjusted application method for the thin. A bead of thin on a paper towel would obviously not work well since it would soak into the towel before you could apply it. I will probably go with the drizzle method.



BTW there is nothing wrong with the looks of your pen.

[Peter Fabricius]

Paul, you beat me to posting the perfect BLO/CA finishing technique. Bill Young from "Woodworking Friends" developed this technique and it is fantastic. There is no sanding required and after 4 -6 coats you can polish a little with Brasso or Hut Ultra Gloss etc. Then apply a little Carnuba or Ren wax for finger print control.
Your pens will look fantastic and "No more boring sanding". You only have to go to 400 grit, maybe 600 if you are keen.
As for bushings and how to protect them, TAKE THEM OFF when you get close to final diameters. Then use Corian cone shaped bushings and an electronic caliper to cut to the finished diameter, for sanding and for applying the BLO/CA. No more stuck bushings or bushings that have been sanded below specification diameter.
Try it.
Peter F. P.S. There is a MS Word file with the Tutorial for this.

[Harvey Ghesser]

Karl,
I've never made any pens yet so I can't give you advise but your's sure looks nice!:)

[Edward Bartimmo]

My brother sent me this link. I found the article and notes were informative. Good Luck

http://www.woodturnerruss.com/FinishingPens-CAglueVideo.html (http://www.woodturnerruss.com/FinishingPens-CAglueVideo.html)

[Karl Card]

Now here comes the questions after watching the you tube video... first of all very informative and wow so different than how I did it...

Does it have to be blo and ca? can it be danish oil?

[Paul Douglass]

I don't know the answer to your question, but what is the harm in trying on a scrap piece of wood?