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Thread: CA glue finish
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6th November 2020, 05:54 PM #16SENIOR MEMBER
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6th November 2020, 05:58 PM #17
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6th November 2020, 11:19 PM #18
Sorry, I know nothing of these things. I only really care about the chemistry and the "what" of it.
The things that I look for are clarity, longevity and availability. I've used BSI for a while. While it can be expensive, it goes a bloody long way. I use thin CA for the first 3 coats, to get it "wicked" into all the capillaries and gaps, then medium or thick (whatever is at hand) to rapidly build a good coating.
I only made the recommendations I did as they were easily available from the local hobby store PLUS it worked exactly as I claimed.
CA is CA is CA. Its a simple chemical. The hard part, mostly, is getting a bottle that's a decent size!
The first one to three coats with thin CA are super important as they give the timber the colour, strength and adheres everything properly. After that its just slapped on to build volume. The first sanding process very quickly removes any hills. It is ppeerrffeecctt after a few seconds of sanding. No need to grind it all back, or over-processs it. Its just like clear on the cars paintwork.... thick enough is good enough... more is not better.
I honestly think people over think the entire process and surround it by arcane mysticism and hoodoo.... CA is set in seconds after a whiff of activator. If one can't do 10 to 12 pens in an hour they are playing around with it.
One but in all of this rhetoric is that I believe that the CA does get a bit harder during the 24 hours after setting, or at least that is my perception of things. It may not be so either
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7th November 2020, 08:47 PM #19SENIOR MEMBER
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Woodpixel have you tried the CA glue at Hobbyking.com
They have "bigger" bottles that are very cheap.
I'd be interested to know what people think of them.
I've been using them for years but for pen finishes I have been "talked into" using far my expensive stuff!
I seem to be getting better results but maybe its more in the technique then the glue.
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8th November 2020, 11:37 AM #20
There are many people here who are vastly more experienced than I on these things.
My opinion is only one perspective, so do shop around.
The CA offered by this mob is a nice selection GOOOOD prices too! Hobby King - 'CA glue'
My use of finishes is one of simply getting a nice presentation with a minimum of fuss. There are a few threads here where I talked about the time and process taken to thump out a few pens. I dont remember it exactly, but if you said less than 10 minutes from glued-blank-to-finish I wouldn't be surprised.
Others swear by other finishes such as BLO, Livos kunos, waxes and such.
These are excellent for boxes and other objects - my personal opinion is that hands are filthy things, the pens are used in hostile environments, thrown into handbags, and not particularly cared for either. The tougher the finish the better. CA can easily be cleaned and refurbished.
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30th November 2020, 03:27 PM #21Senior Member
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I need some help here to sort out some confusion - what CA glue in the BSI range are you all calling "Thin"? I couldn't get any thin from Amazon so ordered thin from Gary Pye - and received Super thin - its all getting a bit confusing!
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28th July 2021, 09:04 PM #22SENIOR MEMBER
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woodPixel you there?????
I used your CA method when you first posted your link in this thread and got great results.
Now after not using for awhile I'm failing! Pens get a white coating after the wet sanding, what am I doing wrong!!!!?
I've tried very light sanding and still the same.
Am I not letting the CA cure enough first? Is it too cold? Help!!!
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28th July 2021, 10:52 PM #23
I'm not sure, but I do know these things from a combo of experience and others wisdom:
-- White is caused by moisture
-- If one doesn't cap the CA tightly between sessions that it adsorbs moisture from the atmosphere
-- I've been TOLD that it "goes off" after time. I have NEVER experienced this myself. In fact, I've three bottles of CA right here I was using last week for a repair job (mate pranged his motorbike and we did the fairings) and it was perfect. It's over 3 years old and has been opened many many times. It is the 2oz BSI thin, medium and thick.
-- The Thick CA is getting a bit gluggy, but it is 3/4 used. For the $8 it cost me and years of use I'm not perturbed.
-- Some people keep it in the fridge. I don't know why this is. I leave it on the shelf, in a ziplock plastic bag. I live in Canberra. It gets bloody hot and cold here.
-- I use the Hafele Aktivator and always have. Love it. I have a box of it, but prices now are NUTS ($10.86 a can) and I'd find another if I had to buy more.
Ive seen the TimberBits guy set his CA with steam from a kettle. So how does this work for the anti-moisture wisdom? Geez, I don't know. I cannot reconcile it, but my own experience is that I've had a lliittllee more trouble on humid days than not.
Then again, my technique is pretty basic and is as I've put in that little writeup. It has worked well for me for all the different CA's Ive used. I cannot recall getting a bad result.... not terribly helpful! Soz!
I found during my process that I need only the tiniest fluff of Aktivator... the meerest puff. I mark the can with the number of puffs I get and I think the current can has 180 (???) It feel quite full still.
The reality of the using the paper towel, swooshing left right fairly rapidly, seems to set it off pretty fast anyway. The Aktivator seems just to harden it up and finish it off.... then its immediately off to the next coating, no delay....
Sorry I can't help more!
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28th July 2021, 10:56 PM #24
Just had a thought.
you are in Canberra. Are you doing this TODAY? You do realise its been 6 degrees and about 98% humidity for weeks? No doubt the pen blank may have sucked up a ton of moisture. Everything is wet.
Why not let friction solve these woes.... get a bit of paper towel and buzz the lathe up high. Friction that pen blank after doing the CA! zzzzzzzzzzzz, cook it!
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29th July 2021, 06:18 PM #25SENIOR MEMBER
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It didn't feel as warm as 6
you're probably onto something there.
how long do you wait until the first sand at 800 grit?
it's from then I go white even with the shortest lightest of sands.
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29th July 2021, 06:41 PM #26
I wait no time.
The final ppfftt is done, then it straight to the WET paper.
I put a try under the pen (with a towel under the pan to protect the lathe, and immediately use soppy wet and dry. I do it JUICY
It is only to level off the CA and should be quick. Once its white, its then onto the higher papers (micropads) then car polish.
I don not wait for any additional hardening like others say. I see no point. I've never had trouble regardless of which CA I've used.
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30th July 2021, 02:37 PM #27SENIOR MEMBER
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wait once it's white??????? So after the first 800 grit wet sand it's meant to go white??????
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30th July 2021, 06:57 PM #28
Hehe. Yes, of course, its an acrylic, you have scratched the buggery out of it with the 800 sandpaper.....
The very first step is to take the freshly lain down CA and flatten it. It will not be perfect, though it will be close. The 800 takes off the high spots. They will be white. The low spots will still be clear.
-- Use the 800 until the whole pen is white, not a second more.
-- It doesn't take much. It doesn't need pressure, just juicy 800 W&D.
-- The instant the whole blank is flat (you'll see it, and feel it) start with the higher grits.
-- Others go through a whole routine of every paper, but I found it completely unnecessary. I just jump accord to the paper I use (not every 1500 is the exact same and YMMV)....
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I was shown this technique a million years back by an old (ex?) forumite before he moved to Vic.... I've shown it to many people since.... BUT the reality is its the same technique that is in the videos by Timberbits.
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5th August 2021, 11:59 PM #29SENIOR MEMBER
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I think I've come good!!!! I'll do some more this wknd and check I'm back on track!!
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