BLO & CA

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mdwilliams999

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
Messages
73
Location
Glenville, NY
I have made about 10 pens using the alternate BLO, CA (medium) approach - about 5 layers on a medium speed. I move quickly so not to have any buildup. I don't have any cloudiness and the pen has a nice shine to it. I also finish it with either Rennaissance wax. The problem (or concern) is that the pen has shine but doesn't really seem to have any depth to the finish. Also, after a day of handling the pen it seems to loose some of its shine. Looks more like Semi-gloss/satin than gloss or high-gloss. Am I doing something wrong?
 
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Depth of the light reflection (chatoyant) starts with a good surface on the wood and builds with the finish.

You can over work/polish the surface of the wood and loose depth. 600 grit to 1000 grit abrasives seem to be about optimal. Back lighting to assure the surface is smooth helps.

I often use a "scratch remover" too.

Note that you can develop the premium finishes with lacquer, Enduro etc also --
 
Ken, do you feel that using the micro-mesh is overkill. Currently I use MM in order to 12,000 and then apply the BLO and CA. Maybe I should try a pen stopping at 600 grit and then apply BLO and CA to compare the differences.

Chris, I'm not sanding between each application of BLO and CA.
 
I sand to 600. Apply CA/BLO THEN...if I want high gloss with lots of depth, I MM to 12000. If I want it to look more natural I leave it as is or only partially go through the MM.
 
Even if you build up several layers of CA, it is not hard to sand through it. What I do is apply 6-10 coats of CA, then sand from 400 up to 1200. I then apply 3-6 more coats and lightly sand again up to 1200 just smoothing the bumps. After that I buff with the Beall system and...viola! This ought to give you a nice finish with some depth.
 
I sand the blank to 600, apply 6 to 8 coats of med CA/BLO and go straight to the Beale wheels. I never sand after the finish is applied.
 
So many methods and finishing techniques! Nice to see the options used by our many members to get a nice finish.
I sand to 600 grit, apply 2-4 coats of thin CA, then 4-6 coats of med. CA, maybe a scratch cover and then plastic polish. No sanding after the ca is applied.
 
ca and blo have gone good for me the last few times, soo, here's another 2 cents worth. i sand to 600, wet with blo. then a drop of blo on the towel, a drop of med. ca on the oil, rub fast and lightly. 10 coats. then "eee" and plastic polish. (fingers crossed) i hope i got it this time, worked real well. i gave up sanding ca, it dulls it never takes it evenly, or it sands thru in places.
hope this helps
sulli
 
It may be that the surface of the CA isn't glassy smooth and the shine you're seeing is from the BLO, which would wear off quickly after handling.
 
What I do is 5-10 coats of med ca and then sand lightly with 1000 grit to remove bumps then use Mylands high build friction polish and seems to come out a high glossy finish. Just my 2 cents.
 
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