Thread: The Evils of CA

A close shave Russ. I use a full face shield from Bunnies when turning because I wear spectacles too.

I prefer the "Home Brand" towels from Woolworths, the Coles variety seem to be a better quality which I don't like as much for applying CA.

It might be worth you adding BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) to the process. It works as an accelerant to set the CA and obviously as a lubricant for smoothing it out.

I prefer to apply it in many thin coats, eg. just a couple of drops of CA per tubes is enough. I certainly don't want CA being slung off the lathe.

A cheap pedestal fan behind my shoulder gets rid of the CA fumes, including when I'm using CA to glue in tubes. Its filthy smelling stuff and gives me a shocking headache.

I use a full face Trent helmet when I turn. When I first started experimenting with CA, I found that the helmet did not stop the CA fumes from coming in. It actually sucked in the fumes and pushed it through the helmet which caused a lot of discomfort.

I now no longer use a full face helmet, instead I only use safety glasses when making pens.

When applying CA, turn down the speed to about 300 rpm. I found this helps a lot. I only found this out when I started using my DC variable speed. My old jet was a real hassle changing speeds by adjusting the belt, this meant I never use to change speed.

Also, before you put the towel to the barrel, make sure a drop of thin CA hits the barrel before the towel touches the barrel. This lubricates it and prevents it from sticking.

Another way around it I found is to apply the thin CA to the towel, then bring the towel to the barrel. This also means you have to use 1 or 2 more drops per application, so I no-longer do it.

Timberbits.

Just get a cheapy fan. Turn it on when doing the CA. You don't need too much flow to get rid of the fumes. Make sure your bench is clean but. Don't want any dust getting blows onto the CA.
IMO an accelerator reduces the time the fumes are hanging around. Instead of 30min of tripping out on CA it is only 2 min. It also makes sanding easier with my CA as the surface is smoother. When I didn't use it I would get a hole staight through to cracks/voids all the time which were hard to fix up.

I use paper as per DJ's CA. No lint, no tearing, no fuss. Toilet paper may be good for some stuff but I think normal paper is way better to apply the CA. I don't even worry about tearing the used bit off. Just keep using it. Haven't had any troubles with it yet.

NJ

Russell , I turn on the dust extractor and it sucks the fumes away also, before I could afford a dust extractor I used a computer fan set up in a box, Amos

well as I said,breeze has never been a problem before, as I'm virtually standing in the doorway of a 3m x 3m door in my shed, and we always have string winds here. Just yesterday was unusually calm for some reason, so I wasn't expecting it.

Russell.

Read it, decided to keep quiet.

Read it again, still kept quiet.

But ya know what? I've developed an allergy to the stuff. Well... I assume it's to CA as that was the first that gave me serious migraines and sniffles. I've since developed allergies to other finishes, but CA was first... and I suspect it's over-exposure to CA that has sensitised me to other finishes

It ain't fun. Always use some form of ventilation when using CA.

Trust me on this!

(I wish others had been more forthcoming about potential health problems when I'd first started using it. )

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

But ya know what? I've developed an allergy to the stuff. !

(I wish others had been more forthcoming about potential health problems when I'd first started using it. )

Hi mate, thanks for the comment.

Just out of curiosity, how much "protection" did you use before you developed symptoms? Gloves? Respirator? Anything?

Russell.

Originally Posted by BoomerangInfo

Hi mate, thanks for the comment.

Just out of curiosity, how much "protection" did you use before you developed symptoms? Gloves? Respirator? Anything?

Russell.

Absolutely bloody nothing, 'cept a youthful sense of invulnerability. (which is wearing pretty thin after almost 50 years. )

My own bloody fault, but it's only in recent years that people have even started admitting that they wear protection, let alone recommending it to others.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Absolutely bloody nothing, 'cept a youthful sense of invulnerability. (which is wearing pretty thin after almost 50 years. )

My own bloody fault, but it's only in recent years that people have even started admitting that they wear protection, let alone recommending it to others.

Alrighty. At least I wear gloves, although my fingers still seem to get sticky somehow.

And I'm trying very hard to resist all the other comments I could make about wearing protection, so I'd better hit the send button now.

Russell.

Originally Posted by BoomerangInfo

And I'm trying very hard to resist all the other comments I could make about wearing protection, so I'd better hit the send button now..

Odd... that's almost exactly the sentence I deleted before hitting the send button...

Since I've been around this block, I will weigh in. I run the slowest speed my lathe will allow when applying CA. I use a dust extractor and keep the door to my shed open when using CA. I always use an accelerator - the results are so much better then when I wasn't using any. I find that the blue paper, cloth-like shop towels make absolutely the best applicator hands down. I cut an inch off the end for every application. After ten applications, I go back and reuse the one inch pieces that I cut off. Just flip them over and use the other side. Then throw them out. I always wear a dual element charcoal respirator when applying CA. As soon as the 20th coat goes on, I clear out of the shop for 15 or 20 minutes leaving the door open to help dissipate the fumes. Until very recently, I was stopping after ten coats and Micromeshing to 12,000 before applying the last ten coats. For my last two pens, I applied the 20 coats without stopping. I can see no difference in the end result. I have, however, begun to stop my lathe and sand lengthwise for every single grit of Micromesh. I used to only do this with the coarser grits. This would appear to be yielding a brilliant finish completely devoid of any surface imperfections that I can see under a strong light no matter how hard I look. My most recent development has been to use one set of bushings for the turning and sanding and a second, newer set of bushings for applying CA. I take a small bit of paper towel and apply a very thin coat Johnson's paste wax to the business ends of the bushings paying particular attention to the shoulder of the bushing. I now have no more problems with the bushings getting glued to the blanks. If I had a dollar for every blank I chipped trying to get a bushing off...

My CA finish appears to be continually developing over time. If it weren't for the inconvenience of the nasty fumes, I would be completely happy. I hope this dissertation helps someone. Sorry it's so long.

This maybe a stupid question, but you don't know if you don't ask. Is CA another form of super glue?
David

Cyanoacrylate is super glue. Not another form - the real thing. It will glue your fingers to your tubes just as fast as it will mend a broken handle on your favorite coffee mug. I like the thin stuff for finishing pens, but I've heard of people having good success with the medium. It will put a very durable finish on a pen that is harder than woodpecker lips, but the fumes are terrible.

Thanks Ciscokid I think it is better to ask a stupid question then make a stupid mistake.
David