Thread: Finishing touches, ends, polishing CA, etc.

Originally Posted by Matt88s

Do you bevel the end of the wood there to flow into it or do you leave it sharp?

I'd definitely profile the wood to flow into it. Sharp, unsupported edges chip too easily and just don't look right.

It came out allright, there are still some fine scratches on it though, not many, but enough to bug me. Do I just need to go finer on the sandpaper?

Is this how you traditionally apply CA?

I like Tung Oil too. As for the CA, is tounds like you need to go down a few more grits. Most people here use micromesh for the finer grits, I think, although one or two of us also use cutting compounds.

Personally I try to avoid CA as I'm not overly fond of high gloss finishes and, of more import to me, I've started to develop an allergy to CA... probably from overexposure. There are times when it is "the" finish of choice though.

For me thats a 2 part question. It all depends on what im finishing. I make all my own polyester resin blanks, so for the most part I use that. Although I have done many wood pens so ill explain both. I also tend to stay away from CA as a finish. I just think its to messy and i get the same shine from other methods. For my poly I use a skew as a final on the lathe. Sanding I use regular wet dry sandpaper. Just regular old stuff from 3M mainly. I sand up to 800 dry, then 1000, 1500, 2000 wet. Then I use Mothers chrome polish (the liquid type). Finally I finish with Meguirs carnubba wax, then Meguirs mirror glaze. I have never seen scratches, so this is what works for me. Some people feel the need to sand higher, but for me the polish does the sanding for me.

For wood I sand up to 800 dry then apply sanding sealer. Finally I apply bees wax, allow it to set for a minute or two then buff it with a soft dry towel.

hope this helps someone.

Keith

what you do at the end of the blank depens on what trim is used with the kit , what shape you are doing and what diameter you turn the end too.

some of the rings have groves others are flat & square.

i will sometimes turn them sharp, others I will part down to the edge of the bush with the skew, sometimes I will put in a small V grove.

If i am working on soft or unstable material I will coat the ends of the blank with CA to stabalise.

withy CA you most certainly have to go to at least 1200 gritt and then some abrasive polish of some kind.
What sort of polish varies.... eveyone has their favorite.
Some use EEE... I use automotive buffing compound.

cheers

Originally Posted by Matt88s

Most ends I would assume are finished flush. But how about the middle ring on the Cigar pens where it buts up against the round spacer? See how sharp it is?

Do you bevel the end of the wood there to flow into it or do you leave it sharp?

Hi Matt

The Pen turning book I have suggests to lightly bevel/chamfer the ends with some fine sandpaper after you take the barrels off the mandrel. With the sandpaper on something flat, twist the end of the barrel on the paper keeping a constant angle.


cheers
BD

MATT what's the wood? flush with the bands if incorporated in the pen , but if as in slim lines the band is seperate slightly rad the edge after sealing the end of the blank.