CE finish

[opuskoz]

What am I doing wrong? This happened several times. After I apply the initial coat of "thin CE glue" and spray with activator, raised bubbles and peaks form.
I wonder if it is the linseed oil that I treat the finished blank with to bring out the grain.

 

[jttheclockman]

Skip the activator. You are applying too much and too close. Thin does not need activator it dries quickly. Light coats and leave lathe running.

 

[d_bondi]

The BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) shouldn't be an issue as long as you are wiping off all the excess.

I agree with John T that part of your problem is too much activator too close. I use activator and don't have that issue. I also suspect that you are putting the CA on too thickly. If you need thickness, you get it from multiple coats applied thinly. Build it up. Apply the activator very sparingly and from some distance with the lathe running at low speed, maybe 300 rpm.

Note: I think you mean "CA" not "CE". "CA" is an abbreviation for Cyanoacrylate.

 

[egnald]

I'm guessing you are spraying too much activator and maybe too close to the blank. For thin, I skip the activator completely as it dries pretty fast on it's own. You might also be applying too thick of a layer of CA. Multiple, thin layers are best as any moisture trapped in the CA can cause bubbles and foam especially with an activator.

Activator contains a substance that promotes the polymerization of the cyanoacrylate molecules. As the polymerization occurs rapidly, it generates heat and it can trap air within the glue that manifest as foam. High humidity can also be a problem with this kind of finish.

In my regimen, I apply about 4 coats of thin, with 90 seconds between them. Then I apply 6 or 7 very thin coats of medium with activator. Also, I use Stick-Fast CA Wood Finish instead of the Stick-Fast adhesive. The Wood Finish is supposed to be a little more flexible and to have a slightly longer cure time so it is less prone to foaming. TMIProducts has a video about applying Stick-Fast as it is their product. Mike from Craft Supplies USA also has a good video about applying a CA finish and he covers the process pretty well.

In addition to Stick-Fast, I have also been using GluBoost. Like Stick-Fast, iIt is also a CA and Accelerator system. Mark Dryer has an outstanding video about using the GluBoost CA finish. Mark applies his with the lathe off. John Underhill also has an outstanding video about using GluBoost CA. John applies his with the lathe on. Ed Brown from Exotic Blanks also has a good GluBoost video.

As you can see, most of us have slightly different processes in our respective regimens. I think the key is to develop a regimen and material set that works well for you, then you should be able to get consistent results.

Dave

 

[opuskoz]

Thank you, everyone. Heading to the shop now to try this advice.

 

[jcm71]

Choose another CA brand. IMHO Stickfast sucks for finishing. Concur with above suggestions.

 

[GaryMGg]

One more comment because it was only briefly mentioned.
The BLO needs to cure. When you apply it, you can work it into the wood which creates a wet blank. Might not feel wet to your touch but it's raising the MC — which makes applying a CA finish hard, if not impossible.
One way to cure BLO is to buff the blank with enough pressure or padding to create heat. However, this must be done carefully so as not to overheat and crack the blank and not to catch the padding on anything.
It's similar to doing a carnauba wax buffing .

 

[sorcerertd]

The first thing that I noticed was that you are using Stick Fast. I started with that, too. To be blunt, it sucks. Even if you achieve a good looking finish, it will probably crack down the road, because it is so brittle. It was designed to be an adhesive, not a finish. Use a CA formulation that has some flexibility. There are many tried and true brands/formulations, BSI, Mercury Flex, Satellite City, et. al. You'll find many opinions on them. I use GluBoost. Yes, it's expensive, but I think it's worth it.

Beyond that, I agree that you are putting it on too thick and using too much accelerator. If you use accelerator, you should go very light on it. When CA dries too fast, it will bubble like that, and I'll bet you probably noticed a little smoke. Patience is probably the hardest thing I had to learn, and I still need occasional (too often) lessons on it.

 

[cl1237]

The first thing that I noticed was that you are using Stick Fast. I started with that, too. To be blunt, it sucks. Even if you achieve a good looking finish, it will probably crack down the road, because it is so brittle. It was designed to be an adhesive, not a finish. Use a CA formulation that has some flexibility. There are many tried and true brands/formulations, BSI, Mercury Flex, Satellite City, et. al. You'll find many opinions on them. I use GluBoost. Yes, it's expensive, but I think it's worth it.

Beyond that, I agree that you are putting it on too thick and using too much accelerator. If you use accelerator, you should go very light on it. When CA dries too fast, it will bubble like that, and I'll bet you probably noticed a little smoke. Patience is probably the hardest thing I had to learn, and I still need occasional (too often) lessons on it.

I agree with your assessment of stick fast. Frustrated the heck out of me when I first tried CA finishes. The pens in my collection that I managed to get a good finish on all look like cracked glass now. I too switched to GluBoost and haven't had any issues