Thread: Pen Finishes

Hi Arry,
Some people like Glossy others like Matt finishes. Personal choice.
Make some with different polishes, i.e. Friction Polish, Bees Wax etc etc.
I feel that the CA finish as you described above, which is exactly what I do, has a longer life and protects the wood. Perhaps use 0000 steel wool to make the finish look matt. I will give it a go next time I'm making pens. Happy turning.........

You and your wife would not be alone in preferring the alternative to a high gloss finish. I finish all of my pens with ca, I love the look. Other local pen makers prefer the wax finishes and they turn out a beautiful product, personal choice, it's all good. Anyway how about a pic so we can have a look for ourselves, cheers, Des

I agree with Seriola with the CA finish but have also lately been thinking about using some different finishes.

Cheers Ian

You could also use the Wipe on Poly from Bunning's in the satin form

Originally Posted by Simomatra

You could also use the Wipe on Poly from Bunning's in the satin form

I have tried that, but the coat is very thin and you need to wait forever between coats.

How to you apply it?

A stunning alternative to a CA finish is, sand to 600, then either use Micro mesh (dry) through the variouse grits, or use EEE from u-beaut finishes. Then when silky smooth apply some Shellawax Glow and friction polish it in. Then, apply some Traditional Wax, and gently friction polish that onto the wood.

One option is to not use all the MM pads. Stop a few from the end of the series and you will have a little less gloss while still having the protection of a CA finish.

Originally Posted by Arry

I have tried that, but the coat is very thin and you need to wait forever between coats.

How to you apply it?

Arry
I apply my WOP using a good quality camel hair brush available from all good artist supply companies. I cut back with 0000 steel wool for the first few coats and then apply as many coats till I get the depth that I am looking for. let set hard for at least 24hours after final coat wet sand with mm 6 - 12k, then your choice of polish I use the Novus 3 part syatem

yeah i am still around , just been quiet .
what i have been doing on some of mine lately for a satin finnish is 3 or 4 coats of thin CA and maybe one coat of medium depending on the wood then a quick light go over with the 0000 steel wool then 1 more coat of thin CA and then finish off with " #### hot wax " can i say that word in this context it is the name of the product after all . before i started using that wax i was using a block of a wax mix that i got from the gap in brisbane many years ago . only takes a few minutes to do .
oh yeah i always give the last coat of CA a spray to harden it off before i put the wax on .
i do the same thing with antler too.

johno

What does the finish look like Texx. Can you post a photo.

CA is great for protection of the timber but you have to live with the plastic look. The waxes are good and fast to apply but the timber tends to stain through them with sweat from hands. Copper pen kits are a real bugger if CA is not used.

Hank Lee over on the IAP did some development and layed out a process to get a great satin finish with CA. He simply does a CA finish, sands up thru all the MM grits to 12,000 and then starts working back down the grits until he gets the level of gloss he likes.

Originally Posted by plantagenon

What does the finish look like Texx. Can you post a photo.

CA is great for protection of the timber but you have to live with the plastic look. The waxes are good and fast to apply but the timber tends to stain through them with sweat from hands. Copper pen kits are a real bugger if CA is not used.

sorry for the delay mate just finished this one this morning hairy oak streamline .
2 coats of thin then 0000 steel wool then 1 coat medium then another thin and a very light go with 0000 wool again ( after a short burst of hurry up spray ) the "shot hit wax " with plenty of speed . whole shebang only takes a couple of minutes .
i like the feel of this finish more than anything , it has a nice warm feel the way wood should .

johno

Thanks for the photo Johno. That pen looks really great. It seems a simple and quick method. But why do you sand with 0000 after the first 2 coats of CA? Is it just to smooth the surface after the CA has penetrated for the first time?

Also a question and forgive the ignorance - what is shot hit wax?

greg

i dont do it every time ,but some times depending on the timber i find it makes for just a bit better finish , knocks back any spots that the grain may of raised a bit . some times i just plain forget to do it still turns out good though .
dont know how to say it , i just do what feels right for each pen .

johno