Finishes on Acrylic Pens (Or timber)

Hi All,
what I'm after is a list of different ways to finish off an Acrylic Pen!! ( or a timber one for that matter) this isn't a who's wrong or whose right discussion! I just want lots of different ideas and ways to add the finishing touches so I can work out what is best for me.... I have micro mesh pads and they work great but any other ways or even what product or polish to add to protect the finish of the pen would be greatly appreciated As I look forward to trying them all....

Thank you all in advance and MERRY XMAS!!!

Ben

Hey Ben, with resin and wood pens I ensure that my finishing turning cuts are as fine as I can get them. As a result I usually use some 600grit to longitudinally sand out the remaining cut marks, then spin it with the 600 and then use the micromesh pads. With resins I use them wet, with wood it's dry. With resins it's then EEE from Ubeaut and Shellawax from Ubeaut. With wood It's coats of thin CA then EEE and shellawax.
But hey I ain't no expert..........have fun with the addiction mate........I do.

cheers
undies

Hi Ben. I learnt to make pens from David's great web site. I have added a few small changes to his techniques but only because it suited my situation and location. Here is the link to his great pen making videos. If you follow his methods you will be more than happy with the results. :2tsup::)
Videos - Pen Kits, Pen blanks, Clock Kits and wood turning accessories.

Hey mate

I used Novus polish on my plastic pens and sand from 180g up to 1200g and I use CA and BLO method and #### hot waxtic on my timber pens :-)

Ian

Hi Ben. For timber pens I sand 150, 320, 400 and 600 grit. The 150 grit will help you cut the blank to the bushes if you don't get it down perfect with the tools. Then rub along the blank with 0000 steel wool to remove any minute scratches from the sandpaper. Then with the blank turning on the lathe I rub it with paper soaked in metho to remove any dust. Then 20 coats of thin CA if the blank is smooth. If not then 1 coat of thin CA, about 4 coats of medium CA and then 15 coats of thin CA. This fills any indentations in the blank that you might get from burl, etc. Then MM to polish the CA and finally a coat of Carnauba wax.

There are a lot of different ways to finish a pen. Each person on here has their own methods. Some finish with waxes others with wipe on poly or thinned dips.

You are not going to get a one off easy answer to your question in this thread. If you are just starting out then you need to experiment to find the best method for you. CA can be difficult to apply in the beginning (particularly the thicker versions) but you will master it eventually. Then there is the question of how you apply it: some use toilet paper, others paper towel of a hundred different varieties, closed cell craft sheets or just the plastic bag the kit comes in.

There are plenty of tutorials on the forum you can read and try out on how to finish a pen. Pick one out and get used to it before moving onto the next. You will find the one that suits you. The oil and wax based finishes are the easiest. When you run into a problem with a particular method, just outline it on the Forum and you will get a lot of help from the guys and girls on here.

The finish is only a minute part of pen making. You can also cast your own blanks, or stabilise your own timber where needed.

BTW - I noticed you mentioned your MM pads work well. Don't use them as ordinary sandpaper as your finish will be too fine to apply CA, etc to a timber blank and don't use them dry or they will burn out in no time at all.

Welcome to the Pen Turners Forum

This is great guys, just what I was after, I know everyone has their own methods which is awesome, gives me plenty of ideas,

A couple of questions though, (I haven't figured out how to post with multiple quotes on the iPad yet, so I hope you are all subscribed,)
1- when coating timber with CA, do u sand in between coats? If so what grade,
2- I have heard of people using car polish as a final application, does any one have experience with this?
3- what are some of preferred materials used to apply wax,polish etc, I used to use old flannelette sheets, but ATM I am using good quality paper towel which seems to work ok, any other ideas,
4- can you buy EEE and shellawax from any hardwareshops eg Bunnings or are they mostly from the online shops?
4- I would love to have a crack at casting blanks but I might wait until I can turn them and have a system worked out,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beedeejay

This is great guys, just what I was after, I know everyone has their own methods which is awesome, gives me plenty of ideas,

A couple of questions though, (I haven't figured out how to post with multiple quotes on the iPad yet, so I hope you are all subscribed,)
1- when coating timber with CA, do u sand in between coats? If so what grade,

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Nope, Just the CA until the end.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beedeejay

2- I have heard of people using car polish as a final application, does any one have experience with this?

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I used to used car polish until I got micromesh.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beedeejay

3- what are some of preferred materials used to apply wax,polish etc, I used to use old flannelette sheets, but ATM I am using good quality paper towel which seems to work ok, any other ideas,

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not using anything after micromesh (on acrylic or CA on timber)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beedeejay

4- can you buy EEE and shellawax from any hardwareshops eg Bunnings or are they mostly from the online shops?

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Any of the sponsors here should have it or go visit their outlets to see whats about.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beedeejay

5- I would love to have a crack at casting blanks but I might wait until I can turn them and have a system worked out,

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Its fun, ask for a copy of the Dai Sensai dvd's on casting, many members have and copy and pass on for free. Its on youtube as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beedeejay

This is great guys, just what I was after, I know everyone has their own methods which is awesome, gives me plenty of ideas,

A couple of questions though, (I haven't figured out how to post with multiple quotes on the iPad yet, so I hope you are all subscribed,)
1- when coating timber with CA, do u sand in between coats? If so what grade,

No. You apply the coats of CA one after another - a lot use 20 coats. Then you sand it with wet MM through all the grades. Don't be heavy handed with the sanding as you don't want to cut through too much of the CA. Have a look at the tutorial at Timberbits.com website. David has a video that shows you how to apply the CA and then polish it.

2- I have heard of people using car polish as a final application, does any one have experience with this?

Some people use car polish. The Maquires (from Supercheap Auto) is the best but it is expensive. I prefer to apply a final polish with Carnauba wax.

3- what are some of preferred materials used to apply wax,polish etc, I used to use old flannelette sheets, but ATM I am using good quality paper towel which seems to work ok, any other ideas,

I bought a sheeps wool mitten from Supercheap Auto and use that. Be careful it doesn't get caught up on the lathe although I have never had a problem. Paper towel might be a bit harsh but any polishing cloth should do the job.

4- can you buy EEE and shellawax from any hardwareshops eg Bunnings or are they mostly from the online shops?

I bought mine from the Forum sponsors who will sell it to you online. Look up U-Beaut Polishes

4- I would love to have a crack at casting blanks but I might wait until I can turn them and have a system worked out,

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Casting blanks is a whole new dimension. I would get the pen turning down to an art before I moved onto casting as you have to outlay a few dollars for equipment but have a look on the casting forum on this site and you will see a video we put together on casting.

Do a bit of research on the Forum - have a look at tutorials on here and watch David's video (Timberbits.com). They will answer most of your early questions and save people having to repeat what is in them. The videos will answer a lot of your questions.

Have fun

Almost forgot - just on safety aspects.

I don't know what equipment you are starting out with but it is a good idea to get a dust extractor (DE) as some dust particularly from the darker woods can be toxic in the long term and you don't want to be breathing it in. Have a look at the dust extraction forum on here (DUST EXTRACTION). BobL posts on that forum will give you a good idea of what should be in place. He is an expert in that field. If you can't afford a DE wear a good dust mask and make sure there is plenty of air flow through your work area. Have a look at the Carbatec website for dust masks and the Carbatec website and the Hares and Forbes website for a DE.

Also when applying CA it is not a bad idea to wear disposable gloves you can buy from Bunnings, Aldi or other supermarkets. They come in packs of 100 fairly cheap. It stops the CA gluing your fingers together and also stops CA burns if it gets through the paper towel and glues it to your fingers. CA can cause some paper towel to heat to smoking point as it dries. Its not too dangerous just more an inconvenience to glue your fingers together or having hot paper towel hanging off your finger. :U