WET SANDING A PEN with CA Glue

[@lawrencealdridge-yk6dm]

very interesting mr sam!!!!!!!i think its a great topic!!!!!!!!

[@cillyede]

Good idea! Nice video again.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks Sam

[@DKWalser]

Sam - Thanks for continuing to share your knowledge and talents with the woodturning community. I've not wet sanded with CA glue. Instead, I wet sand most of my wooden pens (starting with 120 grit) using walnut oil as the lubricant. The wood and oil slurry does a good job of filling pores and makes for a level surface. After sanding through the final grit, I burnish the wood with a paper towel at high lathe speed. Then, I apply a CA finish. So far, I've had good results. I like it because it keeps the dust down, allows me to sand at a higher RPM without heating up the wood (which can cause the blank to crack), and produces a very smooth finish. I've been doing it for about 2 years. So far, I've not seen any problems with the walnut oil causing the CA finish to fail. I THINK that burnishing the blank before applying walnut oil cures the oil, but that could be just wishful thinking on my part.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Another good Idea Sam

[@chasfield7060]

An interesting idea

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks for watching Sam

[@SuperBowser87]

Hello Sam Tom from Kentucky here. I think that this could really help on woods like mahogany or purple heart where the grain can be pitted. I'm going to do a side by side comparison and see what I find. Thanks for your time and sharing an idea.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Good point, I think filling the grain is important Sam

[@Trees2Pens]

Great variation for CA application. I've seen someone at a wood show apply CA using the little plastic bag that the pen parts come in. I have had smooth success with plastic now I will try 600 CA finish. Thank you, BTW your pen looks grand.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks Your name implies you turn lots more pens. I am sometimes reluctant to put pen vid's up cause I am a real amateur Sam

[@mrmacwa]

Have wet sanded w/ ca on porus woods and antler where the marrow shows through. While a bit messy, works well. Not much benifit on smooth surfaces. Can drag colors where you don't want them. Try with med ca when you need to build up a heavier slurry. Thanks for shareing!

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks Sam

[@MikeWaldt]

Definitely food for thought Sam. Must try it and see how it goes. Thanks. Take care Mike

[@SuperBowser87]

Mike it looks really great on walnut! Ok that's the last walnut comment I will make..........yeah right.

[@MikeWaldt]

Tom Wilcox I was thinking "yeah right" as well my friend ;)

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Mike It is a little crazy. Not sure yet about the benefits. I will keep experimenting. Sam

[@petecy9592]

thats nice i put ca on some of my work it comes out nice but i do put wax on the bushings

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks for watching Sam

[@ZacHiggins]

Interesting idea, I'm going to have to try that out. I love trying out new ideas, thanks for sharing.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

This really does work fairly well....a bit messy. If you can wear a rubber glove it helps your fingers to not stick together. Another thing I am doing now is apply the CA glue with a small piece of plastic bag. That really works nicely. Sam

[@oaksho]

Hi Sam I use CA on almost all my wood pens unless I am asked for another type of finish. I have never tried to wet sand with CA yet but I will certainly give it a try. Thanks for showing. Tony

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks Sam

[@robertaltic3395]

Interesting idea. Love the look of the oak wood with the finish. Thanks for the creative idea. Best, Bob

[@enyafanjt]

I have pretty much quit using a CA finish. Not because I can't do it or can't stand the fumes but my customers don't like the plastic feel/look of the pen. To each his/her own, it makes it easier for me to turn them,lol. I notice that you put wax on the bushings to keep them from sticking, how about the residue that is on TOP of the bushing? Where you have overrun with a layer of CA hanging over the edge of the blank when finished (like a fingernail)? Thanks for taking the time to do these videos.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

James I had 12 of these old pen kits and decided to turn them all. I also decided to leave the center band off. I had a little trouble with the first pen. (I am not totally sure the bushings I am using are for this pen). I was not happy with the way they fit together. So I used a caliper with the actual pen parts to complete the pens. I find this a bit fussy, but it did the job. Sam

[@SeanRubino]

Sam, I do the same thing initially when finishing my pens. The CA glue fills the pores and any defects in the wood. I have noticed though when using CA as a finish (especially when layering with BLO) that the finish can crack over time. Not from dropping but from climate change. The wood absorbs moisture and expands causing the finish to crack, almost like safety glass. I once sent a pen from California to Hawaii (for my sister) and after a few months the finish clouded up between the wood and the CA finish. So for many reasons I prefer a plain Shellac/wax finish on my pens. It may not be glossy but it feels more like a wood pen, which I think is the main point of having a wood pen. I do enjoy your videos. I have learned a lot about bowl turning.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks for sharing that. Sam

[@gnosticsoul1]

sam, I really enjoy your videos and they are very well done. This one is interesting and I will try it. I have used the CA and will now try the wet sanding.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks Sam

[@JohnBare747]

I have built up the CA finish and then wet sanded it with water but never wet sanded with the CA itself, so I guess now I will have to try that and see the results. Always open for a new trick so thanks for the idea Sam.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

John My first reaction was very skeptical. The one thing that I am not sure of is how beneficial it is. And I am not sure if you can measure the difference in doing and not doing it. but an interesting idea. Thanks Sam

[@elhombre2711]

Thanks for sharing this! I'm just starting to try my hand at making pens and all ideas are much appreciated.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks Sam

[@dolfinmagikpro]

I use beeswax (or sometimes candle wax) to finish my pens. I run the lathe at a high speed (2000 RPM or so.) to create a lot of heat while holding a block of wax to the wood, which melts the wax into the wood. I then use a paper towel and apply some pressure to help smooth it out and melt it even more into the wood. I do this about 4 or 5 times and it turns out quite shiny. Doesn't crack. It seals the wood. And it's non-toxic. Wish I had a video to share with you. Maybe I'll make one this weekend. Keep up the great work!

[@HarryWatts65]

Very interesting Sam, (SANDING with CA Glue) ?? I will try it. Beautiful pen. Thanks for the Video, Regards Harry

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks for watching Sam

[@monophoto1]

I'm not especially fond of CA as a finish, but I do use it to repair defects in wood. And in that application, wet sanding with it is a useful technique. I recently made some pens from some oak that I salvaged from a shipping pallet that originated in Europe - I don't know what kind of oak it was, but it was definitely different from what we usually see here in North America. But oak has an open grain, and wet sanding with CA helped full those gaps to produce a very smooth surface.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Louie I think you make an important point. Some woods that are so dense and fine grained might not benefit. But a softer more porous wood like Buckeye might be a good one to use it on. Thanks Sam

[@THESNAF2]

Thanks Sam,i'll be giving this a go for myself as well... cheers Mick!!!

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Thanks for looking Sam

[@originaslpyderxta]

Interesting tip. I have done something similar to help fill gaps is softer woods and gaps in burls. When you don't have a stabilized blank it works like a case hardening to give a good base for polish since you can sand the CA glue to a pretty fine grit and they stick a friction polish on top. I personally love HUT PPP Gloss, I finish all my wood pens in it. I have not tried to full on wet sand with the CA but I think I will try it when I turn some softer blanks and compare it to my current finishing method. I have the micro mesh kit up to 12000 grit so i recon I could get CA looking like glass.

[@LoganRaspa]

Nice work, I'll have to try this on some pens.

[@TomStratton]

An interesting prospect well presented. In my mind however I see more potential for sticky problems! Cheers

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

I agree and I don't know if this step really helps or is worth the effort. Sam

[@robertkutz9540]

SAM i have not tried it my self but i watched capt, eddie video he used accelerator between coats looked good . bob

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

I have never used accelerator on the pens. I am worried about the wood turning a little white. But I will try it. Cause it does make sense Sam

[@torch22tube]

Looks interesting, I will have to invest in some rubber gloves. As soon as all the skin grows back on my fingers, from my last CA finish. I will have to try. LOL

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Yea the gloves really help Sam

[@deanthomas5466]

I used medium CA for the extra open time. I liked using the technique on open grain woods like walnut & oak as it fills the pores and makes for a very smooth surface without clouding the finish. BLTN. 8^)

[@williamdodds6104]

Hey Sam just getting started turning and just got some pen supplies any words of advice before I go all western on some pen blanks? I do have some challenges on finding inexpensive wood to use other then buying fancy woods up here in Montana.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

William, whenever I am cutting up bowl blanks out of a nice Burl, I also make pen blanks and let them dry. I have seldom ever bought pen blanks as they can be fairly expensive. One tip I would give you is to focus on maybe two or three styles and turn those. I have made the mistake of being attracted to five or 10 different pen styles and this can get things very complicated. Pens are easy to turn and after a while you'll be an expert, but don't be afraid to make your own pen blanks out of wood that you have. Have fun SAM

[@williamdodds6104]

@@WYOMINGWOODTURNER thank you

[@TheBergy32]

I say if it works then what the heck.

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Right on....Sam

[@jonlanier_]

Do you still wet sand with CA Glue? I've never seen this before. I've been making pens for 15 years now and use CA as a finish. Wet sanding seems to be an unnecessary step?

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

I do wet sand with CA glue on pens. And lately I have actually used CA as a finish on smaller items such as a box. But it must be very thin CA glue, Sam

[@AsWoodTurns]

I'm not sure I'm convinced. So, yes you can do it if you're quick and it's a neat technique. But is it worth the downsides? I'll have to give it a try. Alan Stratton

[@stanleyzalumskis2111]

I was wondering if the wood got glued to the bushings when you applied the glue the way you did? (spreading it all the way across)

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Stanley I put a little soft wax between the busing and the blanks. Works great. I do go all the way across. That probably is not the best thing to do. I really never thought about it. But I will make an annotation on my video about the wax. Thanks for the comments. Sam

[@TheSafecrkr1]

I really enjoyed your video on wet sanding w/CA glue. I have used ca as a finnish before but wet sanding w/water between coats with no downside. However, I use the small bags that the pen parts come in to apply the ca. with the lathe turning about 200 rpm I hold the bag under the turning pen as I drip medium ca on the pen. The ca won't stick to the bag and you can move the bag along the pen to get a nice layer of glue. I let the pen turn fo 5 min. or so then ck. to be sure it's dry. I then use MicroMesh with water to finnish to a hard, high gloss. Sorry to be so "long winded"

[@pearltroup4220]

great job but how do you got your end s square no gapsbill

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

+Pearl Troup I am not sure what you are saying? gapsbill?

[@marctuunanen4878]

I can see this working but, aside from speed what r the main benefits to this procedure Sam? Cheers from Virginia, Marc

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

Marc I think the benefits are----1) While wet sanding with CA you are, at the same time, applying a coat of CA. 2) While doing any wet sanding, you create dust and a slurry that helps fill the pores of the wood. OK, you are saying this guy is reaching---and you may be right. What I really do now, is to apply my CA glue while the lathe is running and I apply it with a 2x2 square of plastic from something like a freezer bag. This really works and prevents the glue from sticking, if you us a paper towel. But I don't turn pens much. Thanks Sam

[@marctuunanen4878]

WYOMINGWOODTURNER I'm gonna try it and see Sam. Thanks for the info.

[@ArcticFlies56]

My only comment would be, why not?

[@WYOMINGWOODTURNER]

It's all about doing it fast. Sam

[@normsnblake6499]

pornk , but it was the last few days ago by