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CA Finish on my Pens

Jeff Walters

Jeff Walters

Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
20
Likes
4
Location
Troy, MI
Website
www.cbjeff.com
Hi All,

I turn a lot of pens and have recently moved into using a CA Finish. really like the looks and the durability. My one issue though, is when I am finish, no matter how much I try to minimize the coats, there is still a slight ridge at each end of the wood just a hair bigger then then tip so you can feel it with your finger. Anyone have any solution t this? i'd lid to get it flush with the metal parts.

Jeff Walters
 
Hi Christoher,

Thanks for the advice my one question though is if you start on the bushing, aren't you doing the same thing by building it up wider then the bushing? My goal is to get the wood and CA together to equal the same size as the bushing so there will be no difference felt when the tip is installed.

Jeff Walters
 
C A Finish on my pens

Try turning the pen a fraction smaller than the finished size to allow for the final size

Wally
 
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Jeff,
The key to your problem is not to use the metal bushing except for turning. Once you have completed turning your blank to the same diameter as your metal bushing, you need to replace them with a tapered set of delrin bushings. You can get these bushings for about $9 a set from penturnersproducts.com. They are called the Eliminator 805 Rev II Finishing Bushings. What I do is turn my blanks and then replace the metal bushings with the delrin bushings and sand and apply my CA (20 coats). The delrin bushings are tapered and fit inside of the brass sleeve, so they will work on any size pen blank that you use. Thus, you don't end up gluing you blank to the metal bushing and worry about messing up the finish at the ends. However, I do use a utility knife to cut the excess CA off the ends of the blanks to ensure a nice flat surface to mate to the pen parts.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

Happy turning.
Steve
 
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