Looking for Pen Finish Suggetions

[Joel Sauder]

So far I have used 2 types of finish on my pens: Hut Crystal Coat and a basic CA finish. I like the glass smooth finish that you can get with CA and the Crystal Coat just never seems to hold its shine like CA. But I been having problem with getting the CA to adhere well to oily tropical woods. Does anyone have any suggestions of an alternative finish that would polish up like CA but adhere better to oily woods?

Also, on a seperate topic, I have never used a sanding sealer, can someone tell me what they are and what they are best used for?

Thanks for the help.

Joel

[Kevin McPeek]

CA is the most durable finish I have ever used one pens. When using it on oily woods I usually wipe them down with acetone right before I finish. I have also used some danish oil and burnish dry then let it set for a few days then finish with CA. Haven't had any finish failures that I know of.
I guess you could try an oil based finish and buff at the end. May or may not have the same sheen.

[Jon Lanier]

Wipe pen down with DNA or Acetone. CA is a great finish. I'm going to experiment with some Plexi-finish here soon. I'm still melting down some plexi... process takes a few days.

[robert hainstock]

I thread a piece of wire through the blanks, and as suggested dip them in acetone for a few mins. this usualy cleans the surface enough for the finish to adhere. some realy oily woods take longer. I believe acetone works better fot this than DNA. :)
Bob

[John W. Willis]

I wipe mine down with acetone or lacquer thinner then burnish in lacquer sanding sealer. I apply coats of the sealer (usually 2-3) until I get the finish I want then buff.

[Bobby Perry]

I thread a piece of wire through the blanks, and as suggested dip them in acetone for a few mins. this usualy cleans the surface enough for the finish to adhere. some realy oily woods take longer. I believe acetone works better fot this than DNA. :)
BobHow does the CA glue(if you use CA that is) that holds the tube in the blank react to the acetone??

[John Terefenko]

Bob

That is a very good point and that would be one reason not to dip. But just wiping down is plenty. Sealing the wood with a quick light coat of thin CA will solve the adhering problem. Just light sand it before using the med grade CA to do the finishing. There are many other finishes that hold up just as well but are a bit more time consuming because you have to wait for them to dry. Such as poly both water based and oil based and lacquers both water based and nitros. As Jon has mentioned there is plexiglass finish that has a bit of learning curve. Plexi and CA are odor producing finishes that some people have reactions to. You can buy odorless CA but cost more. All the above finishes will adhere to oily woods.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use either CA or spray can lacquer. Both seem to hold up well so far.

[John Grabowski]

I prefer the CA Glue or Lacquer...Waxes rub off b/c your fingers act as sander paper to the finish...Requires more maintenance!!

John G

[Wayne Kuhn]

Am I the only one that enjoys the patina of a well sanded pen, after the friction polish and wax wears off?
I have a daily user I made in January at the local ww show. It was sanded through 600 (if I remember correctly) hit with brown hut, friction polish, triple e, and renasance wax. It still looks great, although not as shiny.
Personally, I don't like the ca finish, I feel it removes the feel of the wood and turns it to plastic.
Wayne K
Columbia, MD

[robert hainstock]

I use epoxy to glue the tubes.
Bob

[Dan Forman]

For cleaning off oily blanks, you will have a better chance of success using CA accelerator, rather than DNA or Acetone, either of which may contain traces of water absorbed from the air. This is from the IAP penturners site.

Alternatives to CA are Unaxol or Enduro, both are waterborne lacquer/sealer systems. Unaxol seems to be getting the nod from those who have used both. If you go to IAP (International Association of Pen Turners) and do a search, you'll find information on both products. The main drawback to using these products is that you really should wait about a week or so for the finish to cure before buffing out and assembling the pen.

Dan

[Nancy Laird]

Am I the only one that enjoys the patina of a well sanded pen, after the friction polish and wax wears off?
I have a daily user I made in January at the local ww show. It was sanded through 600 (if I remember correctly) hit with brown hut, friction polish, triple e, and renasance wax. It still looks great, although not as shiny.
Personally, I don't like the ca finish, I feel it removes the feel of the wood and turns it to plastic.
Wayne K
Columbia, MD

Ah, Wayne, a man after my own heart. I don't like the CA finish either--it looks too plastic, like an acrylic (yuck).

[Ralph Lindberg]

Am I the only one that enjoys the patina of a well sanded pen, after the friction polish and wax wears off?
I have a daily user I made in January at the local ww show. It was sanded through 600 (if I remember correctly) hit with brown hut, friction polish, triple e, and renasance wax. It still looks great, although not as shiny.
Personally, I don't like the ca finish, I feel it removes the feel of the wood and turns it to plastic.
Wayne K
Columbia, MD
Nope, I'm with Nancy... If I wanted a plastic pen I would have turned it out of plastic.

[Scott Lux]

Add me to that crowd. I have a Honeylocust Euro I turned to sell. But it fit my hand so well I had to keep it. I use it daily, and it's better now than when I made it 9 months ago. Not as shiny, but nicer.

I can tell a pen is good when people keep rubbing it while they're talking to me.