Pen finish.

[carlos1]

Hi everyone,
Has anybody used superglue as a final finish on pens ?
Any drawerbacks etc apart from gluing youre fingers to the wood.

 

[stevenw1963]

Surprised you haven't had a flood of affirmatives.

Lots of people use it but the fumes given off are tear making & hazardous to your health.

Personally, I use a Chestnut spray lacquer, much nicer smell & not quite as hazardous (unless you're smoking at the time of spraying!!!).

 

[carlos1]

Thanks for the reply,
I had heard it is a hard wearing finish, so ok if well ventilated room, or shed i should say
does the Chestnut dry hard being a laquer ?

 

[Walter Hall]

I use CA but Steven is right, it gives off unpleasant and potentially harmful fumes. I use an extractor to draw the fumes away from where I am working and out of the workshop. Don't be tempted to use an Airshield or similar respirator as that will simply draw the fumes in and maker matters worse.

Acrylic or cellulose lacquers will dry to a hard finish that can be buffed. The fumes are less eye watering but equally harmful if inhaled over a sustained period. Some people prefer to use oil finishes like gun stock oil. This gives a good hard wearing finish but takes a bit of time to apply so not good if you want instant results as everyone seems to these days.

 

[JakeS]

Acrylic or cellulose lacquers will dry to a hard finish that can be buffed. The fumes are less eye watering but equally harmful if inhaled over a sustained period.

Cellulose lacquers have horrible solvents in which will mess up your lungs something awful... acrylic varies quite a lot, though. If you get it out of a pot rather than a spray, there's no real reason for acrylic lacquer to have anything harmful in at all. As always, check the packaging!

Out of interest, is there any advantage to using CA as a finish over acrylic? In my experience they're both about as hard as each other, but CA is much more brittle...

 

[speeder1987]

Just as a warning about using CA as a finish, I have never managed to get it without ghosting, which in my opinion ruins the pen. I'm obviously doing something wrong, but I am happy with the finish I get from shellawax ..... make sure you try the CA finish on scrap first!!!!

John

 

[Walter Hall]

Ghosting is usually a result of moisture either in the atmosphere, for example if you work in an unheated workshop in damp weather, or from the timber itself. The latter can be prevented by sealing with sanding sealer before applying the CA.

I don't find Shellawax or any other shellac based friction polish sufficiently durable which is why I use CA but that is just my opinion based on my own experience. As for whether CA has any advantages over acrylic lacquer, I don't think it is any better as a finish, I just find it easier and quicker to get a good finish with the CA.

If I could find a pen finish that was as durable and easy to apply as CA but did not have the disadvantage of noxious fumes I would use it without hesitation, but in 20 years of pen making I have yet to find one.

Just as an aside I use CA by itself without BLO as, in my opinion, the use of BLO adds nothing of any benefit to the finishing process but increases the intensity of the noxious fumes.

Walter

 

[Dalboy]

I also use CA on my pens, and like Walter I set up my chip extractor hose near the pen when applying and direct it out of the door.

 

[carlos1]

Hi everyone,
Thanks all for your'e input, I will try CA with care !!!!

 

[EnErY]

I'm fan of friction polish a coat of sanding sealer first then hut crystal polish I get it from turners retreat a bottle will outlive you most probs or another method on timber also of course is sanding sealer and the hut 2 coat polish in a bar form there is white bar and a brown bar use brown for a satin finish and if you require gloss go over it again and buff it with the white over the top. CA Finish Is A option but I don't Like it Walter Has Perfected This and you can read it in his book and he is right about moisture content giving it a adverse effect the smell and fumes put me off even with my extraction also if using timber my argument is why cover a lovely piece of figured timber with a plastic coating when long ago the natural shine was produced using waxes . But Personal Preference prevails. Another Polish I use Is Speed eze from record power that's very good also its wax based
Regards
Bill

 

[carlos1]

Thanks for the info Bill, will check out your'e recomendations.
You are right, I dont want to spoil the grain.

 

[EnErY]

Thanks for the info Bill, will check out your'e recomendations.
You are right, I dont want to spoil the grain.

Im Not saying Ca will spoil The grain But In My opinion It only gives a false Shine On The finished product . That's my Opinion. There Is a large Scope to Open a huge debate but That is Not My Intention I respect peoples choice.
Regards
Bill

 

[Paul Hannaby]

I prefer a minimal finish on my pens so I just use an oil finish and buff it.

 

[Walter Hall]

I prefer a minimal finish on my pens so I just use an oil finish and buff it.

I agree Paul, oil can give a very attractive natural finish. I have been experimenting with gun stock oil. I find a few coats build to a good finish and so far it seems quite durable. What oil do you use?

Walter