CA finish and Polish - A must?

[Jim Eller]

New tothis turning thing and starting with a few pens. I put on a CA finish anddo the MicroMesh thing to 12000 grit and it looks super.

The question: Do I have to put a polish over this or not? It seems likethe polish actually dulls the finish. I have tried Doctor's Woodshop PensPlus, One-Step and Stick Fast satin/gloss. They all seem to make theblanks less shinny.

Thanks,
JimE

[Bruce Pratt]

There are not many rules on polish, some things just work better than others... The finishes you mention are often used on naked wood, not over CA. I initially used a plastic polish after 12K micromesh, but didn't see that it did much good, so I don't use it anymore, just dry micromesh up to 12K and stop. Some folks use micromesh wet, but I don't 'cause I don't like water all over the ways.

With many things in turning, the big divide is between safe practices v. not safe practices; within "safe" it is often a matter of "which pew in which church you choose to sit".... find something that works for you and you are comfortable with...

[Marty Tippin]

For a CA finish, you could finish with a scratch remover compound and buffing wheel.

I polish my CA pens using the acrylic pen buffing system from Arizona Silhouette (Barry Gross) and it works great. http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/product/BG012.html

[Bill Boehme]

My personal experience is that it is unnecessary and often detrimental to follow Micromesh 12000 with anything else. The only exception would be Novus 2 polish, but only IF it is applied with a cotton ball and wiped clean with a cotton ball. A paper towel is like sandpaper and even fine cotton cloth is still too abrasive.

[Jim Eller]

My personal experience is that it is unnecessary and often detrimental to follow Micromesh 12000 with anything else. The only exception would be Novus 2 polish, but only IF it is applied with a cotton ball and wiped clean with a cotton ball. A paper towel is like sandpaper and even fine cotton cloth is still too abrasive.

Bill,

Maybe that is my problem. The paper towel??

JimE

[Steve Doerr]

Jim, sometimes with the MM I will have very fine scratches that I will buff out by using Tripoli with the Beall Buffing system. This is a very light touch on the buffing wheel. If you push too hard, you will dull the finish.

[John Terefenko]

Bill,

Maybe that is my problem. The paper towel??

JimE


I believe using a acrylic polish is a good thing after Micromesh. I use Micro Finish polish. It is designed for acrylics. Some people use auto polishes. But you have to be carefull because thy have grit in them.

Paper towels are important. To apply CA I use the blue shop towels from Walmart auto dept. For polishes I use Viva cotton soft. Some people use a buffing wheel system. have to watch out for flying objects when using them. I do not like that. Hate to work on a pen for hours and have it launched in a matter of milli-seconds.

[Steve Doerr]

John, when I us the buffing wheel, I have the tubes on a pen mandrel and with the nylon bushings. No flying parts that way:-D

[Wes Ramsey]

For what its worth, Cap'n Eddie uses something like Turtle Wax on a CA finish.

[John Terefenko]

John, when I us the buffing wheel, I have the tubes on a pen mandrel and with the nylon bushings. No flying parts that way:-D

I am glad you have a method but I would not use the mandrel. Chance of bending could add problems down the road. I do my buffing right after the MM and it works for me.

[Jim Eller]

I think I will try the cottonball thing next time on one half to see how it compares to just ending with 12000 MM.

Thanks to all. JimE

[Peter Fabricius]

Sanding a pen after the application of CA is a real pain. Here is a method that requires no sanding. Developed by Bill Young and his short video has been watched 50,000 times. Lots of happy campers with this technique. I have used this method for all my pens and it works great. I hope it will work for you.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc

Peter F.

[Bill Boehme]

A lot of polishes look great until you look at the results critically in bright sunlight. The most important thing to keep in mind when using Micromesh is to follow the same rule that you follow when using regular sandpaper: Remove all scratches from the previous grit before advancing to the next finer grit. If you don't do that, you'll never achieve a scratch-free finish.

Concerning auto polishes, most contain various formulations of waxes that typically includes carnauba. Wax hides scratches, but they are still there and I don't care to write with a slippery pen.

[Jim Eller]

A lot of polishes look great until you look at the results critically in bright sunlight. The most important thing to keep in mind when using Micromesh is to follow the same rule that you follow when using regular sandpaper: Remove all scratches from the previous grit before advancing to the next finer grit. If you don't do that, you'll never achieve a scratch-free finish.

Concerning auto polishes, most contain various formulations of waxes that typically includes carnauba. Wax hides scratches, but they are still there and I don't care to write with a slippery pen.

Bill,

I do as you indicated and go through each MM grit and am astonished by the shine in any light. I wet sand by using a little glue bottle of water and towels or paper over the lathe bed. Never tried using them dry. Thanks. JimE

[Joe Ruden]

I use a product called PlastiX which is an automotive product used for headlights. I have never had an issue with it on my pens.

[Belton Garvin]

I wet sand with MM up to 12000 stopping the lathe every 3 grits to sand parallel to the lathe bed. It seems to help in reducing the rings that get imbedded during sanding. I also use the Plast-X with great success but even take it another step. I'm not sure if it really helps but I apply renaissance wax after the Plast-X and find that it dramatically reduces the fingerprints left behind...but I don't think it really makes it any shinier.

[Marty Tippin]

Sanding a pen after the application of CA is a real pain. Here is a method that requires no sanding. Developed by Bill Young and his short video has been watched 50,000 times. Lots of happy campers with this technique. I have used this method for all my pens and it works great. I hope it will work for you.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=orcgOf4siqc

Peter F.

I watched the video and the method makes no sense to me. After the first coat of CA is applied, the wood is effectively encased in CA, so the subsequent coats of BLO aren't doing anything to the wood at all, and I'll bet they don't interact with the (already catalyzed) CA below or the new layer of CA above. I'm no chemist, so maybe I'm missing something.

[Russell Neyman]

This might surprise some people, but I've sprayed CA using a cheap pump sprayer and it works quite well. I get an even finish, no brush marks, and it appllies more easily over irregular surfaces (like bark or a natural edge). When that special method isn't required, I apply it with a blue paper towel or a q-tip. Three thin coats is usually enough.

And, yes, buffing it with a Beall-type system makes all the difference in the world.

[Peter Fabricius]

Marty, Sorry I missed your post on page one...
The video by Bill Young really does show how it works. When the raw wood blanks are sanded to 600 grit, you apply a base coat of just BLO and the friction of very high speed (2200 rpm) and very fast rubbing cures the BLO and you are ready to apply the CA. The little drop of BLO along with a few drops of CA on a multi folded pad of Blue Shop towel allows you to apply 6 -10 coats very rapidly. The drop of BLO with the CA provides a little lubricant and allows the CA to go on without ridges and thus there is no sanding required at all.
When you reach the depth of shine wanted you simply apply a little Ultra Shine Plastic Polish and the pen is DONE.
I know the finish is a little plastic looking but it is the most durable of anything that I have seen.
The polishes that are applied to raw wood simply do not last and then you have unhappy customers.
Hope that helps.
Peter F.

[Robert Willing]

Pete

+1 to the Bill Young Video, I have been using his technique ever since I first saw his video, but sometimes I leave out the polish.