Finishes from USA

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Mutiltxo

Mutiltxo

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2023
Messages
13
Location
Bilbao - Spain
Hello good morning:

In the near future I have the possibility of having some things brought to me from the USA.

I wanted to try some alternative finish to CA: I know that there is no perfect one and from how much I have read in different posts, each person has an experience and opinion.

What I'm looking for is an alternative finish to CA, that doesn't have such an "artificial" finish, that is, it looks more like wood (I consider that although CA is very resistant, it has a glass appearance).

The Pens Plus catches my attention, due to the apparent ease of its application.

As I said, they bring it to me from the USA, so I am limited in the number I can order: under these premises, what product would you recommend?

Thank you very much in advance for your help!

All the best,

Rober.-
 
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People use Pen Plus, lacquer (satin) and even poly . You can also still use CA but use less coats and do not polish to such a high sheen. You can control the amount of shine.
 
Shelawax creme (a friction polish from Australia) is a nice finish that preserves the feel of wood. More like furniture than glasslike. If you want a bit more durability, try lacquer. I'm not a huge fan of CA finishes. It's ok for acrylics to have that feel but I think wood should feel like wood and not plasticized. Just my opinion.
 
montmill said:
Once again Ed's video is very helpful. I noticed he applied the product with metal bushings so obviously there's not a problem gluing the bushings to the pen like CA. Has anyone used this and if so how has it held up? Thanks for the information.
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I've used Craft Coat on several pens and I like the look and feel. The finish on a couple of pens I have kept and use at my desk daily has held up well, But, I also like a CA finish. I am not a fan of friction polish whose pros and cons are well documented. As with most finishes Craft Coat can be buffed from a matte to gloss shine.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
Hello, good afternoon:

I appreciate the contributions you have given me, many of which I did not know about.

I like those of you who talk about "wood feel and appearance."

Please if anyone else can contribute, I would be very grateful.

I can get the ACs in Europe at reasonable prices; some of the others don't even care.

All the best,

Rober.-
 
Mike@CSUSA said:
I've been quite happy with Melamine Lacquer. Very durable and similar gloss to CA, but without the plasticky finish. Here's how I apply it:
Click to expand...
This got me going down a rabbit hole on Melamine Lacquer finish for pens because I love the idea... It gives the gloss and protection of CA with the more tactile feel of shellac based friction polishes. I am going to order some Melamine Lacquer and try this...

One question I have for Mike... I have seen this applied to pens with the lathe on, but with your method you apply the lacquer with the lathe off and then burnish with the lathe on. Is there a reason that you should not apply the lacquer with the lathe on, especially for a smaller piece like a pen?
 
I've used Pens Plus for that more natural feel. I really love Pens Plus, its one of the better pen finishes out there. Its a friction polish, but more, as it contains Cosmolloid 80H, which is a high grade synthetic wax compound (same stuff that Renaissance Wax is made with). The synthetic was allows Pens Plus to be friction polished to a high glass like gloss, but it can continue to allow the natural feel of the wood.

The one drawback that I've found with Pens Plus, is for $30 you get a pretty good sized bottle. I've thus far, not been able to make enough pens fast enough, to use more than half a bottle. Which has been disappointing. The finish is awesome, but...once it starts to go bad (it DOES contain shellac, so like any other friction polish, it has a limited shelf life... šŸ˜¢), then, you will have a hard time getting a good finish out of it. I honestly don't know why frictions polishes are like this...ALL of them are. I've used a fairly wide range of friction polishes now, including home made varieties, and when the shellac starts to go bad, that ability to get a brilliant glossy shine from them just vanishes. So, there's that.

The other finish I use is GluBoost. I've done CA in the past, and never liked the plastic look. GluBoost is a different sort of finish, though, and I am actually a huge fan. It can be put on quite thin, doesn't need significant layer buildup, and it produces a brilliant shine when fully finished (sanded, polished, buffed). If you want something that looks better than CA, and is still quick to apply, then I'd give this a try.

I've used CraftCoat. I did not realize when I bought it that it was a water based finish. In all honesty, I've never been a fan of water based finishes. There is something about them...they just lack the insanely brilliant chatoyance and deep penetration that I get with oil based finishes. Heck, I even finish my pens first with clear walnut oil, before finishing with GluBoost, to maximize the chatoyance. Water based finishes just don't seem to penetrate, and in the end, they look like what I think they largely are: mostly a film on the surface. From what I understand about water based finishes, they are very high solids content, which is probably why there isn't much penetration...there is low solvent/VoC content, so the material settles on the surface. I think that results in a particular kind characteristic of light, the way it reflects and refracts, and...I'm just not a fan. To each their own, though, and it is another finish option that produces a durable hard coat.
 
Mutiltxo said:
Hello good morning:

In the near future I have the possibility of having some things brought to me from the USA.

I wanted to try some alternative finish to CA: I know that there is no perfect one and from how much I have read in different posts, each person has an experience and opinion.

What I'm looking for is an alternative finish to CA, that doesn't have such an "artificial" finish, that is, it looks more like wood (I consider that although CA is very resistant, it has a glass appearance).

The Pens Plus catches my attention, due to the apparent ease of its application.

As I said, they bring it to me from the USA, so I am limited in the number I can order: under these premises, what product would you recommend?

Thank you very much in advance for your help!

All the best,

Rober.-
Click to expand...
It's worth pointing out that several people have come up with strategies to have pretty flawless matte finishes with CA. You get the higher level of protection that that finish offers and also have a more natural look. I have not perfected this myself, but I have also not really attempted it yet. I like the glass finish and most of my customers seem to also. It's the kind of thing I imagine I will dive into once it is requested for a custom order.
 
Hello good morning:

I can tell you that I am overwhelmed by so much information and products.

From the healthiest of envies, I tell you that you are bad used to so much variety ;)

I appreciate the information on formulas based on various components, but unfortunately I cannot ask for everything I would like, so I will have to choose a couple of products.

The possibility of leaving the CA not so polished so that it has less shine catches my attention: it had not occurred to me!

Thank you all very much and please continue contributing everything you think is interesting!

Greetings,

Rober.-

P.S: sorry for my English... the culprit is Google.
 
I use Pens Plus almost exclusively for wood pens, it provides a durable finish that will last and keeps the wood looking like actual wood and not plastic. Usually 2-3 coats is more than sufficient. From my experience with difference finishes the Pens Plus is the easiest to use, least messy and provides the best overall finish. You won't regret getting it. I am close to finishing my first bottle, been a couple of years and it hasn't gone bad as others suggested.

Mylands is messy and sticky, decent finish though but no better than anything else. Craft Coat requires a lot of coats, it is a very thing finish that flakes if you overheat it. I don't really like it for turning. Poly takes too long to finish and cure while still looking like plastic when your done. Haven't used some of the other mentioned.

For resin I suggest Magic juice from Stadium Pen Blanks, you won't need to buff after using this stuff.
 
gcap74 said:
This got me going down a rabbit hole on Melamine Lacquer finish for pens because I love the idea... It gives the gloss and protection of CA with the more tactile feel of shellac based friction polishes. I am going to order some Melamine Lacquer and try this...

One question I have for Mike... I have seen this applied to pens with the lathe on, but with your method you apply the lacquer with the lathe off and then burnish with the lathe on. Is there a reason that you should not apply the lacquer with the lathe on, especially for a smaller piece like a pen?
Click to expand...
The Melamine tacks very quickly almost like CA so on the project handle I couldn't get the entire surface coated before the rag stuck. On a pen you could probably get it laid down with the lathe running. I'll give it a shot and a follow up on how it went.
 
Mike@CSUSA said:
The Melamine tacks very quickly almost like CA so on the project handle I couldn't get the entire surface coated before the rag stuck. On a pen you could probably get it laid down with the lathe running. I'll give it a shot and a follow up on how it went.
Click to expand...
Question for Mike...
How effective is the Melamine Lacquer on stabilized wood and on hybrid blanks?
 
Mike@CSUSA said:
The Melamine tacks very quickly almost like CA so on the project handle I couldn't get the entire surface coated before the rag stuck. On a pen you could probably get it laid down with the lathe running. I'll give it a shot and a follow up on how it went.
Click to expand...
Mike

dilute it 50:50 with cellulose thinners to slow the drying time. Use a VERY FINE haired flat cap brush and stand projects eg pens upright on nails or hang from string in a DUST FREE ENVIRONMENT ( DAMHIKT šŸ„¹)
 
Mutiltxo said:
Hello good morning:

In the near future I have the possibility of having some things brought to me from the USA.

I wanted to try some alternative finish to CA: I know that there is no perfect one and from how much I have read in different posts, each person has an experience and opinion.

What I'm looking for is an alternative finish to CA, that doesn't have such an "artificial" finish, that is, it looks more like wood (I consider that although CA is very resistant, it has a glass appearance).

The Pens Plus catches my attention, due to the apparent ease of its application.

As I said, they bring it to me from the USA, so I am limited in the number I can order: under these premises, what product would you recommend?

Thank you very much in advance for your help!

All the best,

Rober.-
Click to expand...
Mutiltxo said:
Hello good morning:

In the near future I have the possibility of having some things brought to me from the USA.

I wanted to try some alternative finish to CA: I know that there is no perfect one and from how much I have read in different posts, each person has an experience and opinion.

What I'm looking for is an alternative finish to CA, that doesn't have such an "artificial" finish, that is, it looks more like wood (I consider that although CA is very resistant, it has a glass appearance).

The Pens Plus catches my attention, due to the apparent ease of its application.

As I said, they bring it to me from the USA, so I am limited in the number I can order: under these premises, what product would you recommend?

Thank you very much in advance for your help!

All the best,

Rober.-
Click to expand...
Hello I'm a beginner only i can tell is about my short experience,I hope the pictures can help.

Number 1 in the picture
Wet Sanding 400 to 600 with abranet sand paper and doctor woodshop walnut oil.
Then EEE friction polish and finally pens plus.
Satin Finish natural to the touch after 4 months.

Number 2 in the picture
Finishing: micro mesh until 12,000 and then Friction polish pens plus, it has a natural touch and after 3 months it looks shiny.

Number 3 in the picture
Finishing :CA glue regular process with BOB SMITH odorless.
2 coats of thin CA then 3 coats of medium CA and a little touch of sanding with micro mesh just with the more abrasive 1,500 and 2400, then another 3 more coats and after that all the micro mesh process.
It's shiny soft to the touch but it doesn't have the warm of the wood.

Number 4 in the picture
Finishing:unexpected CA finishing
I started with my regular process all micro mesh and CA glue.
But I realized that there was a scratch in my pen blank,
so I started sanding down with micro mesh until the scratch went away and in the process I realized that it was loosing its glossy finish and getting a satin finish and very soft and creamy at the touch.

Anything you want to talk you can write me I speak Spanish šŸ˜
 

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