Thread: help needed re: CA finish

Most likely your finish is soaking into the wood in a few places leaving it shiny where it is sealed and dull in other places, try sealing the wood first with a thin CA till it stops soaking in ,your BLO finish should be ok after that ,sometimes another option is to wipe the turned blank down with "Metho" to dry the surface oil from the wood off ,before the "BLO" method is applied, some burls and other woods will do the same thing ,ebony for one cheers ~ John

Hi Bryce
I am very new to turning but have been doing some pens, with CA but not using blo. I have had no problems using CA by its self.

Cheers Jerry

howdy doody Bryce

i use the BLO/CA method all the time
i do add one step which is not shown in the video - a quick rub down with Metho
i do not give a coat of BLO before i start to aply the finish - i have found that the BLO tends to make the blotches you are talking (typing) about
i have recently started doing what John suggested - just a quick seal with thin CA
then i just keep putting a small amout of BLO on a paper towel with CA on top and apply - make sure it is a very small amount of BLO though
and make sure you press firmly to create friction which in turn creates heat to set the CA

i have found that most times i don't even have to sand out any ridges
the last thing i do is a quick buff on a cloth wheel (which is on one end of my bench grinder) on the cloth wheel i use suttons white buffing compound

i hope this helps and works as well for you as it does for me

MIK

Thanks for the replies. I think I will try sealing the wood with CA first.
I will let you know if it solves the problem.

Hi Again,

unfortunately sealing with just CA first did not resolve the problem. Blotches still seem to be occurring, especially in line with the grain. The finish is glass smooth all over but underneath the finish, the dull areas exist.
The wood has been sanded to 800, sanding sealer has been used....

Any ideas why this is happening??

Bryce

i forgot to mention that i only sand to 320, make sure you sand with the grain as well though to remove the circular sanding scratches, i did originally sand to 600

i think that sanding too smooth will not allow the CA to stick to the blanks correctly

MIK

From what I understand from others using this technique, your speed sounds to high also.

Having said that, I have never had success with the Blo/CA technique. I end up with a BLO finish and CA on the towelling, and to also be honest, I can't understand how you can end up with anything else. I know the Blo sets the CA, but how can CA get stuck on a surface that has oil on it. Once the Blo is set fair enough, but when wet

I have no trouble getting a brilliant finish with plain CA finish, and those turners that have shown me their Blo/CA finish just look like a really good Blo finish IMHO, not at all like the CA finish I achieve.