Need help with Pen scuffing

[Shane Sura]

So I started making pens and using them at work and invariably a friend at work wanted a pen for free :eek::eek:

Being I am such a nice guy :cool: I went ahead and made him one out of a Cigar Pen Black kit and some 2 dollar blank from woodcraft. The pen came out beautiful and how I finished it was I sanded it using micromesh, used CA, sanded again, used friction finish, then used CA again. The pen had a beautiful shine and my friend loved it so much now he is willing to pay for a pencil !!


Now here is where you all come in. Today he hits me up and shows the pen he has been using regular for weeks now and it appears as if it is starting to scuff up and it appears like the final coat of CA is coming off. Two questions for you all. First how can I fix it reapply the CA? Secondly, what should I use in the future for everyday use pens/pencils to prevent this from occurring?

Thanks in advance.

[Jason Hallowell]

I would guess that the friction polish in between the layers of CA is the culprit. I don't think that the polish has much of a bond, and I don't think the CA is able to bond to the previous layers with the polish in the way. I would either skip the friction polish step, or do it after all of your CA is applied.

[Jonathon Spafford]

I suspect Jason's diagnosis is correct... you might be able to pull the pen apart and sand it down and reapply the finish. There are kits for pulling pens apart... but it might be a pain! I wonder if buffing would take the last coat of CA off... might be worth a try!

Sorry about the pen... I for one am the master of learning things the hard way ;)

[Stan Cook]

I agree with the above about the friction polish. Skip it all together - it's not suited for pens, IMO. Also, is it possible that your friend was carrying the pen in his pocket along with keys, coins, etc?

[Mike Vickery]

Yep I am with them the waxes in the friction polish is causeing the final coat of ca to not adhere. I do sometimes use friction polish over ca on pen finishes but I would never put a finish over friction polish.

[Joe Melton]

I've never heard of using friction finish along with CA. More is not always better.
Both Harbor Freight and Enco (www.use-enco.com (http://www.use-enco.com)) sell sets of what are called "transfer punches". These are rods of steel about 6" in length that vary in diameter by a few thousandths of an inch. These sets are indispensable when disassembling pens - you can knock a cigar pen apart in a matter of two minutes without harming any of the components. After refinishing the barrels, you can reassemble with the same components. You can probably just go through the micromesh sequence to get the finish off, and then apply only CA. Some people put Renaissance Wax over the CA.
The transfer punch sets sell for about ten bucks. Get a set.
Joe

[Benjamin Dahl]

I agree with what has been posted previously.
I do two thin coats of CA, then a little buffing compound, then friction polish. so far, that has really worked for me. for the polish, I just use a dab as too much can cause problems. done properly I find it gives a really nice top coat.
Ben

[Shane Sura]

Thanks guys I appreciate all the feedback. I was playing around with this finish this time around and thats why I did it the way I did but oh well lessons learned. I think I will pick up the transfer punch and pull it apart and redo it. This time I think I will stick with the CA and see how it goes. Gotta at least love the fun in experimenting!!!