CA problem...maybe

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Woodchipper

Woodchipper

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I'm finishing a cocobolo blank for a pen. I put CA glue on at low speed and a quick shot of accelerator. Eight coats and I looked at the blank. Seems to have radial marks in the CA finish. I don't have a Beal buffing system....good hint for the family at Christmas. Anyway, all I have is Hut high gloss polish for synthetics and Shellawax. Thanks! I do have MM, if that is any help.
 
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Some sanding is usually required . MM works , wet or dry . Maybe start with the green and see if it removes the marks . Longitudinal , by hand , on each grit after the radial usually helps .
 
Will give it a shot. Thanks. Worst is to add a bit more CA glue. I usually apply with a paper towel and turn the headstock by hand. I don't think the accelerator did anything as it was a very short blast and the lines don't indicate the accelerator.
 
You might look at giving the CA a little time to settle before hitting it with activator too. Also if the CA is old it seems to be more prone to these problem as it thickens as it ages, though I think you may be on track with turning the headstock by hand. Usually when I got ridges like that I would use a skew to flatten the ridges down to the right profile.
 
Gary, you hit it on the nose! After I sanded the blank with MM, I put on a coat of Titebond Thin and noticed it looked like it had jelled. Tossed it; will sand with MM and apply with a fresh bottle of TB CA.
 
Thanks to all. Gary, I used fresh bottle of thin TB CA and it turned out fantastic! I sanded just about all of the old finish off with 600 sandpaper and then went with the wet MM. I wiped it with a clean towel, being careful not to use the same area twice. I applied the CA with a clean paper towel, waited a few seconds as mentioned earlier, turned on the lathe on low speed and gave the blank a quick shot of accelerator. Applied eight coats and wow! The pen is a lever action, antique brass with cocobolo wood. I found that one end of the blank was flared slightly so it became the nib end. Live and learn!
FWIW, I turn the headstock by hand. I have a mark on the brass nut on the mandrel so I can keep track of how many turns I make- two to apply CA. Any more and the Ca starts to set up and looks real bad. As I said, I turn the headstock by hand, then turn it on to spray the accelerator.
 
I don't know if your CA is bad or not, but no matter how smoothly and whichever applicator I use to apply CA, I always have to sand it. Perhaps, I don't have the skills that others do, sometimes I start at 400 or 600 and sometimes even lower (320).


I also just heard that cocobola is an oily wood (I am just repeating what I heard; I am not sure), and that CA will not cure correctly, unless the cocobola is somehowed stripped of its surface oils (with DNA, accelerator, acetone).

I hope you figure it out. I have actually found cocobolo to take on a almost high floss with just plain old friction polish. It is a very nice wood IMO (and so far I am nor allergic to it).

If have a Beall-like buffing system (instructions are to the left). I added two more progressively finer compounds and mounted all on this lathe which I operator with a variable-speed foot pedal.

Here's pic...not exactly operating-room standands LOL
 

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Cocobolo is very oily and I've had problems getting a good CA finish on it. I find it works better after a wipe down with acetone. I also do this with BOW. Just a thought, in addition to using fresh CA.

Edit: I see Tony beat me to this suggestion. :)
Oh, and I HAVE developed an allergic reaction to it, so I sadly no longer use it.
 
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The CA was old and had thickened. Tossed it and used a new bottle of thin CA. Came out great! I did wipe the blank with DNA before applying the CA.
 
Woodchipper said:
The CA was old and had thickened. Tossed it and used a new bottle of thin CA. Came out great! I did wipe the blank with DNA before applying the CA.
Click to expand...

I'm sure DNA is probably as good as acetone--I am just a bit gunshy about using anything that contains water on wood.
 
Michael, understand your thought on water. I rub the blank with a towel on low speed to generate a bit of heat and let the blank sit with before applying the CA.
 
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