Stick fast instant ca adhesive glue, thin viscosity, 4. Ca glue as a finish michael dresdner describes a unique method for using cyanoacrylate ca glue as a finish on his website, this finishing requires a slow acting ca glue, and the slower the better. Oct 12, 2014 i think a polyurethane finish would be just as durable as a ca glue finish. You can find a thin ca glue that almost instantly cures like this one and completely cut this risky step out. Blog the perfect ca finish on a maple bolt action pen starbond. When ca glue is applied to pen hardware during assembly, care must be taken to ensure the neighboring finish is protected with a coat of paste wax, or masked with tape to prevent accelerator from leaving specks on the. Create a glassy smooth pen finish in record time with the stick fast ca wood finishing kit. Cracks are one of the many ways that coatings film forming transparent finishes and paints can fail. I first discovered the idea of using ca glue as a finish while searching for a more. I turned my first pen today a tried to finish with ca glue. On the other hand, you can glue to a finished surface, something few adhesives will do. I learned this technique from steven hatcher when doing inlay work. Our expert customers say that no other ca glue or accelerator gives such an excellent finish so reliably. Ca finishes are susceptible to cosmetic damage from ca glue vapor and from ca accelerator.
How to use our ca glue ca glue from satellite city. Ca glue, aka super glue, probably wont work here its too large of a crack. Spottest delicate surfaces first before using debonder. Use the ca activator to cure the finish instantly, allowing you to move on to the next coat. That particular finish was not very thick only a few layers of ca.
It is an extremely strong and fastsetting adhesive available in three viscosities. Ca glue has been used as a finish for years, especially in small turnings and pen making because its ability to achieve a high gloss and toughness but it does have some drawbacks. Ca finish cracking the international association of penturners. Using ca glue to repair or stabilize wood woodturner and artisan, mark damron, explains how he uses ca cyanoacrylate glue to repair cracks, inclusions, voids, and knots during the turning process. They occur in a variety of forms to include checking, crazing, cracking, alligatoring, and mud cracking. Thinner glues have faster set times, while thicker versions have better gapfilling. Turned and sanded to 400 then applied 3 coats thin of ca glue with 10 min between coats then sanded with 600 and way to coarse. Looking for how to on superglue finish on knife handles. George vondriska shows us the a great alternative wood finish with ca glue. Before i could get the crap off it started cracking my skin making these little lava fissure looking bleeding cracks all over my hands.
Beware, the ca glue finish process will also glue the pen blanks to the bushings. Checking is a mild form of cracking and doesnt go all the way through the finish. So presumably you could do it similarly on a knife handle, albeit without the spinning. Once your ca is down, powder some baking soda over it as a very cheap filler and ultrastrong bonder. If there is a defect in the glue line, when the glue shrinks you get this result usually not detected until finish applied. I seal the ends with thin ca just to keep moisture from entering the end of the pen blank. Cathin has fast setting and curing for relatively nonporous surfaces. It will stick to old glue, so its ideal for repair work. I have never heard of any other glue having that problem. If the finish is a polyurethane, the wood might need to be sanded down completely before reapplying finish. Applying the ca glue finish it is very important to use the super t medium gapfilling ca glue because the hot stuff original is very thin and will wick down into the bushings and glue them to the mandrel. Ca is also frequently used to fill small chips in lacquer, polyurethane, and polyester finishes. At first everything was fine and then suddenly a lot of the comments.
There is a well documented issue with stickfast ca glue cracking when used as a pen finish. How to finish pens with super t ca glue and ncf quick from. Apply less glue as many light coats are better than one heavy coat. The problem is that what works on one wood does not work on another. To prevent this, always keep your ca glue in the freezer for longterm storage. Cyanoacrylate glue, or ca for short, is commonly known by trade names such as super glue and krazy glue. Finish for wooden pens popular woodworking magazine. I have a stacked leather handle knife im working on, and for some reason i havent been able to find much, even in these forums, about what finish to use on stacked leather handles. Ca glue is not a good structural adhesive for wood and it is not a good crack filler.
If you apply too much accelerator or spray from too close, it will cause the ca glue to turn white. Given its improved flexibility, the keg500 retains the ability to be sanded down and polished to a high gloss. So my recommendation for an alternative finish to ca glue is precatalyzed lacquer. As a structural glue ca glue is fast and easy to use, but there are many problems. The woodworking reference library turn a pen ca glue finish. The woodworking reference library turn a pen ca glue. Too much accelerator or holding it too close will cause yellowing and cracking of your finish. Woods will move if they were not completly dry before finishing. The ca glue accelerant is a solvent based product that can be applied before andor after ca glue application. Using ca glue as a pen finish woodworkers guild of america. Filling it with gap filling or thick ca will probably result in a mess, also ca glue is brittle while epoxy can flex a little bit with seasonal movement. Finishing ca glue as pen finish woodworkers guild of america. How to use our ca glue ca glue from satellite city instant. Before that several of the guys using the buckeye applied a super glue finish to give the exterior of the wood an even harder shell.
Kbl500 black rubber toughened ca glue for woodturning and hobby. Starbond ca glue can be used to stabilize a crack in a wooden bowl blank before. Guitars explains how to easily seal the end grain of the tuner holes on an acoustic guitar tuning head to prevent the finish from cracking when wetsanding. Everything is a prototype thats why its one of a kind. Ca glue is marketed under a variety of names including krazy glue and super glue. So one or two coats of thinned varnish wiping varnish a day would work well for durability. How to finish pens with super t ca glue and ncf quick featuring emory mclaughlin. I originally thought the problem was using stickfast medium wood finish ca though i never had this problem before a month or two ago, so i switched to using stickfast thin wood finish ca exclusively still having the issue. Cyanoacrylate will stick to finish, but applying paste wax will block the glue. Simply apply debonder on surfaces with unwanted glue, wait 1015 minutes, then wipe the residue off. This remarkable finish has all the fastcuring properties of other ca finishes, along with a longer working time of 5060 seconds. The ca glue is applied very thinly while the finished wood is spinning on the lathe. I found that the finishes marketed towards woodturners work quickly to build a gloss finish but arent as durable as id like. Sand the glue up to 400 grit and reapply the finish.
Our best use for ca may be as a wood hardener and a finish. This also keeps the ca fresh longer, so it gives the best results both as a glue and as a finish. Cyanoacrylate glue and boiled linseed oil pen finishing by. Wood can crack from stress especially on the ends when kit parts are pressed in due to too tight or poor pressing method. How to prevent ghosting and clouding in a ca finish. The keg500 is a ca that adheres well to flexible material. Also use micro mesh pads sequence dipped in water with a drop of dish detergent just as you would for acrylics. However recently i found 4 pens where the ca finish is cracking. Most turners will want to start with solid hardwood pens, which are more forgiving than acrylic and composite blanks. Since i speed up the curing process with accelerator, regular medium ca. Thin ca glue gsthin2 medium ca glue gmed2 glue accelerator gaeract7 or gaeract12 micromesh clothbacked sandpaper mmesh 1. He is having problems with the finish becoming milky and or having spider web cracks.
I thought that maybe i was applying coats too quickly not giving them time to cure, so for this piece specifically i applied one coat, hit with a shot of accelerant, and waited 25 minutes before applying. I have been using 10 coats of thin ca with activator. Choose a viscosity that does not absorb completely into the surfaces to be bonded. Most of the thick varieties with a cure time of 1minute will work. Learn how to get a beautiful finish on your pens with super t ca glue from satellite city instant glues. Use less accelerator and spray from 810 inches away. Moisture in the wood is a big contributor to cracking and also if you are applying ca to very oily woods like cocoblo or olive you will have problems. Medium 300 cps for multiple coats but thin enough to level and reduce the ridges. Home how to finish pens with super t ca glue and ncf quick from satellite city instant glues. Either boards not jointed well enough or, when a slight bow is clamped out, you have to leave clamps on a full 24 hours. The em150 is a generalpurpose adhesive that possesses an oillike viscosity. Before i start explaining how i apply this finish a word of warning super glue. Yet, these are the most common uses for ca glues by the woodturner.
Its brittle and has a really short applicationcure time. Ca glue is slightly perishable, and will cure in the bottle once opened. The kbl500 is ideal for hiding imperfections, filling dark voids, and accenting specific areas in your projects. Ca or more technically cyanoacrylate glue is a class of fast acting adhesives. Move quickly, but it really only dries fast when you apply friction. Back to the projects department these instructions are split into turning the basic pen, which is a great project for beginning woodturners, and applying the highbuild ca glue finish i now use on most of my pens, which is a bit more advanced. I would welcome suggestions for a suitable glue for repairing cracked stocks.
While ca glue super glue does give you a durable high gloss finish, it is not the durable i personally would want on a knife. I use ca glue for a finish on my pens, most of the time. And padauk and cedar just happen to be two of those exceptions. Had to go to the er to get them to clean it off since you dont really want to get turpentine on cuts.
I use either a specially made ca finish, or flexible ca glue for finishing because it is least prone to chipping, cracking and crazing. I find that, as much as i love the ca finish, there is a learning curve to what works and what doesnt. I use the ez bond glue monty used to sell here, now sold by exotic blanks. We specialize in klingspor sanding products with a vast array of woodworking supplies on hand. Take my oppinion or leave it, ive been making wood pens on and off for about 23 years now. I use ca glue for hairline cracks, not open, through cracks. Wood moving through a wide range of moisture conditions can move enough to cause a brittle finish to crack. Ca finish cracking the international association of. The ca will not expand and therefore breaks like safety glass, spider web effect. Photos by chris wong cyanoacrylate glue, or ca for short, is commonly known by trade names such as super glue and krazy glue. Ca adhesives and glue accompaniments for instrument and furniture build, repair and maintenance. Ca glue only needs a whiff of accelerator to harden. Some woodturners use ca glue as a friction finish on pens because it dries instantly and polishes.
Turn pen blanks to finished size and shape according to pen kit manufacturers instructions and sand with a 320grit finish. I have started backing off on the number of layers i apply and the problem with cracking is gone. Model building the history of super glue and hot stuffs introduction in the model airplane community. How to finish pens with super t ca glue and ncf quick from satellite city instant glues share master pen turners use satellite citys super t ca glue and ncf quick accelerator to protect their pens with a durable, highgloss finish. Starbond super glue accelerator, also known as ca glue activator, is used to significantly increase the drying time of cyanoacrylate super glues. You are probably putting your ca finish down too thick. I think what had happened was the end of the pen was not sealed and the wood got wet and expanded. Professional pen turners know the advantages of the hot stuff ca glue finish. Some woodturners use ca glue as a friction finish on pens because it dries instantly and polishes well. Wear safety glasses at all times while applying ca glue finishes. Repairing invisible micro cracks with starbond thin ca.
Ca superglue finish page 2 the slingshot community forum. I have been using thin ca to finish pens for some time without a problem. If the glue gets on an area that has not been sprayed, it will stain the wood. Ca glue as a pen finish woodworkers guild of america. It has certain properties of both the thin and thick, such as the ability to penetrate narrow slots, bond closelyfitted parts, and fill small gaps.
Wood with high moisture levels prevents the ca from properly sticking to the surface, and then when it cures, the exothermic reaction causes the moisture to expand, cracking the ca. So ive been reading up on using ca glue or super glue as a finish for wood, and recently have seen more and more about its use on leather. Treating possible invisible micro cracks with thin ca glue on brazilian rosewood this is not pore filling. Ca glue as a finish i first discovered the idea of using ca glue as a finish while searching for a more durable finish for turned items subject to high wear. Jun 10, 2016 so one or two coats of thinned varnish wiping varnish a day would work well for durability.
Pen finishing with super t ca glue and ncf quick accelerator from. Stabilize olive wood bowl crack with thin ca glue youtube. The health and safety of our staff and customers is our top priority at gluboost. So you have many many things that can go wrong that will promote cracks in a ca finish. Turn a wood bowl is a participant in the amazon services llc. Along with impact and shock absorbance, the adhesive provides users with other favorable qualities. Heres one i picked up a month or two ago and am finally doing. It also boasts increased flexibility, which eliminates the cracking that sometimes occurs with other ca finishes. They occur in a variety of forms to include checking, crazing, cracking, alligatoring, and mud. On a seperate note, it is noticable how many highly figured stocks are cracking due to loose stock bolts. Our webstore and phone lines remain open to continue to serve you during the crisis. The way i do a super glue finish is to saturate the surfaces of the wood with super glue aka ca glue and let it dry. Klingspors woodworking shop is full line distributor of woodworking tools and supplies from respected companies like klingspor abrasives, delta woodworking machinery, jet tools and equipment, powermatic, bosch, porter cable, fein, dewalt, sorby, tormek, etc.
Before using the ca glue, i spray the piece with the diluted shellac. Over the years i have had occassion to repair cracked stocks, but always had trouble hiding the glue line when refinishing. Bumpiness bumps are usually caused by too much ca glue. Finishing with ca glue canadian woodworking magazine. The problem is that varnish dries slowly and woodturners usually like to apply their finish right on the lathe in a short time. If the thin ca holds the crack solid and is not visible you may be ok just gluing the piece. Kbl500 black rubber toughened ca glue for woodturning and. Cyanoacrylate glue and boiled linseed oil pen finishing by fred munday this article describes the procedure i use to finish pens and other turnings using cyanoacrylate glue ca and boiled linseed oil blo. But, taking two steps back, im not sure quite why ca glue would be a better finishing solution than other more common options like shellac, lacquer, or waterbased varnish that dry quickly, offer good durability and are made for topcoating wood. Starbond kbl500 black mediumthick ca glue is a flexible, rubbertoughened super glue that dries jet black in color.
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