CA glue peppermill finish

[MrPeppermill]

Thank goodness for members like Tom Mullane. Tom called me directly regarding my last post about applying a poly finish to cocobolo and macassar ebony. He suggested that I instead use a CA (crazy glue) finish. He took the time to give me a full rundown on the materials used, the techniques, and where I could go to get my supplies.

I practiced a bit first and then went straight to my cocobolo mill. After sanding it down to bare wood, I began the finishing process. A few coats of the CA glue later, I began wet sanding. As the finish began to emerge, I kept stepping back in amazement. The mill has to look of polished glass!

Here is the real kicker. From the start to the finish it took me just 45 minutes (this includes the initial sanding).

I will post pictures of the mill as soon as I can and am working on a set of instructions for applying CA finishes to peppermills.

Tom, you are a life saver! Not only does the finish look beautiful, but you have managed to cut my finishing time to a fraction of what it was before. Your innovative advice and friendly nature are a real breath of fresh air.

Keep an eye on your mail box. I am sending you set of 5 CrushGrind mechanisms as a token of my appreciation.

Best regards,

MrPeppermill
All Things Pepper
"Mills, mechanisms, tooling, and spices"

 

[Dr_dewey]

CA Glue breaks down over time

I've heard this fact many times, maybe it takes 5 or 10 years, but then what do you have.

 

[MrPeppermill]

Wow! I had not heard that. I will check into it further. Thanks!

MrPeppermill

 

[oldgriz]

Thanks for your kind words.... I do not know about it breaking down over 5-10 yrs... but I do know that I use this finish on my pens that are used on a daily basis and carried in peoples pockets and purses... I have not had a problem with anyone coming back to me with a finish coming off... my wife has been carrying one for the last year in her purse along with everything else a woman carries and the finish has stood up.. my pen is carried in the pocket of the demin shirts I wear and I also have had no problems...
But then again, it has not been 5-10 yrs... But I would think that a year in a purse or pocket would be a lot more destructive to a finish than sitting on a kitchen table and being used once or twice a day.
I am not being defensive, just passing on my experience...
And thanks for the gifts... it was not at all necessary...

 

[Andrew]

I've heard this fact many times, maybe it takes 5 or 10 years, but then what do you have.

Yep. It depends on how much the piece is used as to how long it takes. Any finish is going to wear, of course, but CA wears pretty fast. When I first started making pens (a few thousand ago), I tried the CA glue route. If they're actually going to get used quite a bit, the CA will wear off and get "crusty" and "scaley". Ever get CA glue on your finger? Did you notice how it wore off ... cracking and rough and crusty? Same deal. The finish holds up fairly well to impact and dings, etc. but not to being held and used a lot. I mainly made pens for companies and office workers that used them day in and day out all day long. I had most of them returned within a month. I tried several different glues and different methods of application. Same thing. I gave up on that experiment. It cost me a lot of money not only in returns but also just the cost of the glue and bad publicity in delivering a poor product.

An additional problem, as it relates to the peppermill, is that CA glue isn't a flexible finish. Wood breathes and moves a bit on that scale. Especially if the piece isn't finished all over (inside and out). The finish will crack and then peel. It'll take longer if it's completely encased in CA glue but it will still crack and wear poorly.

CA glue is an expensive finish too. VERY expensive for an entire peppermill.

CA glue is, to me, only appropriate as a finish for very small things that aren't going to be handled all of the time or spot areas where it's strength (but also brittleness) is appropriate. I use it for some very small finials or thin-to-thick transition areas, for instance, when I want a finish that also adds quite some strength. Same goes for some natural edged rims or terribly punky areas of wood. I'll use the black CA for accent areas too.

 

[PAPAJIM]

Inquiry

what type of finish did you eventually use on pens to get the quality finish you needed?

 

[Peter Skellenger]

CA is not for eyes either

CA is good for glue blocks and temporary gluing for this and that. It is really good for filling cracks and small cuts in your hands. It is good for making O-rings. I don't know anything technical about it except that I have had it break down a number of times on bottle stoppers and ferrules on tool handles. None of these made it a year. This is Hot Stuff glue, a pretty good brand I think. I have tried all the diff viscosities and they all break down quickly. I only use epoxy for anything I want to last now. I have never used either as a finish but I can only assume it would break down even faster if exposed to air, handling, etc...
Also- Stand out of the way if you use it to fill a crack or something on the lathe, even with accelerator. I recently dripped a bit of CA on a piece on the lathe and when i turned it on glue went under or over (I am not sure how) my safety specs and right into my eye. It took 3 days for it to feel better and the first day was terrible. Feels like a wood chip stuck under your eyelid.