# ca glue pen finish.



## devin_c (Jun 10, 2013)

So after watching a bunch of videos about finishing using ca glue I made my first attempts this weekend. Over all the results were great. Nice smooth and shiney. But I had one major problem... When I removed piece from the mandrel the very ends, where the wood was touching the metal had a tendency of chipping slightly. Enough to be annoying, happened on all 3 projects. 

Any good way to avoid this? The finish was awesome and I'd like to keep using it.

Thanks!


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## Miller Woodworks (Dec 11, 2013)

Try scoring it with a razor knife (x-acto or whatever else you prefer/have) before removing it from the mandrel. That way, when the CA breaks between the blank and bushing, it will break in the scored area. You could also put some wax on the bushings so that the CA doesn't stick to the bushing. Then it would just be a matter of trimming the excess CA from the ends by whatever means you like.


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## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

When done turning, do away with the bushings and go with a dead point center and a live point center. After i am done finishing with CA I sand the ends and then hit with thin CA to once again seal the ends. Works great for me.


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

As you assemble the blanks on the mandrel, rub a little wax on the ends of the bushings where they come in contact with the blanks. I use Renaissance wax, (firemedic turned me on to this wax). I just set the bushing on the wax and give it a couple light twists - doesn't take much.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

JTTHECLOCKMAN said:


> When done turning, do away with the bushings and go with a dead point center and a live point center. After i am done finishing with CA I sand the ends and then hit with thin CA to once again seal the ends. Works great for me.


this is how i do it too:yes::yes::yes:


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## clpead (Oct 10, 2012)

I use these: http://m.woodcraft.com/Product/2084563/43430/Hold-Fast-Non-Stick-Bushings-for-CA-Pen-Finishing.aspx I haven't had any problems and you can still finish both blanks at the same time.


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I agree, get rid of the bushings and use a dead center and live center for finishing. You will get CA on the ends but dont worry about it. I punch out little adhesive sandpaper disks about 3/4" round and then use a standard hole punch to make a hole in the center. Take that and stick it to the flat side of your barrel trimmer. Mount it upside down on the appropriate guide and sand away. Do this by hand, not with a drill. In a few seconds, you will have perfectly squared ends again and no chips in your finish.


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## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

BassBlaster said:


> I agree, get rid of the bushings and use a dead center and live center for finishing. You will get CA on the ends but dont worry about it. I punch out little adhesive sandpaper disks about 3/4" round and then use a standard hole punch to make a hole in the center. Take that and stick it to the flat side of your barrel trimmer. Mount it upside down on the appropriate guide and sand away. Do this by hand, not with a drill. In a few seconds, you will have perfectly squared ends again and no chips in your finish.


I still think a very very important step that gets overlooked when doing this is to reseal the ends. This is where alot of bad things happen such as cracks on the ends in the CA finish. Moisture will wick into the ends even with the kit parts tight against the wood. I try to explain this on another site but get laughed at so do as you wish but to me it is an important step. By the way I stopped contributing to that site and am done with it. :no:


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

JTTHECLOCKMAN said:


> I still think a very very important step that gets overlooked when doing this is to reseal the ends. This is where alot of bad things happen such as cracks on the ends in the CA finish. Moisture will wick into the ends even with the kit parts tight against the wood. I try to explain this on another site but get laughed at so do as you wish but to me it is an important step. By the way I stopped contributing to that site and am done with it. :no:


Good point!


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

That is a great point and I completely agree with you. I do not reaseal after this step though. I soak the ends of the blanks with thin CA before I ever turn. The thin CA penetrates and seals deep. When I resand the ends, Im only taking off the CA the overlapped the end during finishing. The end of the wood does get cleaned up but since I soaked it in thin prior Ive never felt the need to reseal.

The reason I do it this way is because Ive tried to seal the ends after the little sanding mill and Im always afraid of messing up my finish. Regardless of how its done, I completely agree with you!


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## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

BassBlaster said:


> That is a great point and I completely agree with you. I do not reaseal after this step though. I soak the ends of the blanks with thin CA before I ever turn. The thin CA penetrates and seals deep. When I resand the ends, Im only taking off the CA the overlapped the end during finishing. The end of the wood does get cleaned up but since I soaked it in thin prior Ive never felt the need to reseal.
> 
> The reason I do it this way is because Ive tried to seal the ends after the little sanding mill and Im always afraid of messing up my finish. Regardless of how its done, I completely agree with you!


 
I definetly agree there are various ways of doing it and you have something that works for you and it is good to hear that you are sealing the ends. It does make a difference. Hopefully I soon can get back to the shop and start some of the pen ideas I have. This winter has been kicking my butt and I have no energy to go to the shop after a day working outside in this brutal winter here in NJ this year. Hope everyone is staying warm and getting in a little turning.


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## devin_c (Jun 10, 2013)

So took some of the advice here.

First I figured I have some wax so I tried waxing up the bushings... that didn't seem to help much

Second I tried the finish with a live and dead center. Didn't care for that. Finishing one at a time was a pain and I got ca on stuff I'd rather not...

So I was in Cambridge this weekend and stopped at the rockler there for the plastic bushings. Awesome. Exactly what I needed... I was so excited, I made the pen backwards >< but the finish was perfect! 

Anyways Thanks for all the advice!


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

A little CA on the centers dosnt hurt anything. Scrapes right off in seconds with a razor knife. Finshing a pen with CA takes so little time, I never even give it any thought thought that it takes twice as long with a bouble barrel pen.

If your gonna continue to make pens and decide to get into the high end pen market, your eventually gonna ditch the mandrel and bushings alltogether so you might as well get used to doing everything between centers.:thumbsup:


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## Dustin davis (Feb 14, 2014)

devin_c said:


> So after watching a bunch of videos about finishing using ca glue I made my first attempts this weekend. Over all the results were great. Nice smooth and shiney. But I had one major problem... When I removed piece from the mandrel the very ends, where the wood was touching the metal had a tendency of chipping slightly. Enough to be annoying, happened on all 3 projects.
> 
> Any good way to avoid this? The finish was awesome and I'd like to keep using it.
> 
> Thanks!


Are you using standard metal bushings or the plastic version?


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

devin_c said:


> ..... I was in Cambridge this weekend and stopped at the rockler there for the plastic bushings. Awesome. Exactly what I needed... I was so excited, I made the pen backwards >< but the finish was perfect! .....





Dustin davis said:


> Are you using standard metal bushings or the plastic version?


It appears that he is using the plastic ones. :laughing:


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## Ogee (Feb 21, 2014)

I've had this problem when I get a lot of CA build up on the bushings. I solved it by buying nylon spacers from the hardware store and turning them to cones to fit the particular blank. A lot cheaper than buying finished bushings.


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## herbk (Feb 2, 2014)

I have heard something like this before I'll have to give it a try this spring , too cold on the garage now. Thanks for the reminder of this idea.


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