Thread: W&B in Mahogany

Originally Posted by Rusty Shackleford

I didn't fill the grain. I sanded down to 320 grit and then stained it. After a night of letting it dry, I started sealing it with CA. I think I used about 15 coats (I should have used at least 20). After that, I used a paste wax and buffed it all out.

I'm not a woodworker! What is 'CA' and what kind of (Paste Wax) did you use? I have a friend who is going to make some scales for me out out Black Walnut!

Any help is very much appreciated!

Why am I thinking of Coffee scented lather?
Nice work.

"CA" is superglue. The real name is cynoacrilate or something of the sort. I'm sure that I just murdered the spelling. Take a look at some of the sticky's. I believe that Glen posted a really nice "how to" on it that probably explains it better than I ever could. I use a brand called Hotstuff however, just go to the drug store and pick up a tube of whatever superglue that the have there. I don't think that it really matters.

The paste wax that I have is Johnson's Paste Wax. It's for hardwood floors and stuff like that. The only reason that I used that was because I already had it. It's in an old yellow can and belonged to my father. He probably picked it up in 1970 something, as it's been sitting around for a very long time. Really, a can of that stuff will last a lifetime.

Make sure that you post some pics of you new scales. I'd like to see what the black walnut looks like. If you got anymore questions, just let us know.

-Pary

Thanks for the info! Please don't apologize about any mis-spellings as I can't spell to save my soul!

Anyway, I looked up (Cyanoacrylate) at Wikpedia (had to use the search engine looking for tec name for super glue). As far as using it for a clear coat it said:

"thin CA glue also has application in woodworking. It can be used as a fast drying, glossy finish. The use of oil (such as boiled linseed oil) may be used to control the rate at which the CA cures. CA glue is also used in combination with sawdust (from a saw or sanding) to fill voids and cracks. These repair methods are used on piano soundboards, wood instruments, and wood furniture."

What did you thin with and what ratio? Also, what do you use to apply it, and do you toss the application after using it to apply the CA? I would think that you'd have to since the CA would start to harden.

Also does the CA need 'Buffed' 'Sanded' in between coats? If so- What Grit/Grits?

I've looked for Glen's thing, but came up empty handed. But there again I'm a Mastodon!

Thanks for the help! I'm looking forward to the Black Walnut scales myself! OH! Where did you get the 'domed' washers? All I can find are flat washers, and the Black Walnut deserves better!

First off... Happy Easter everyone! I hope everyone has a good day and enjoys time with their families.

Alright, back to business...

CA. I did not thin it out and I don't think that I would do it in any case. I think that unless you really know what you are doing, thinning it out is just a whole other monster (I'm fit in the barely know what I'm doing category).

For applying it I made small stands, borrowing from several ideas on this site. I have some small gauge wire that i bent to use as props to hold the scales up off the work area. I then duct taped them to a piece of 1" X 12" that is about 1.5' long. That way I could move the whole thing around and be able to use my workbench in the meantime. Now to get the CA onto the scales, I use fingers that I've cut off of rubber gloves. I'm a lefty so I just take one of the fingers and put it on my left index and use that to spread the stuff around. When I'm done with the coat, I just toss it in the garbage.

Alright, sanding between coats... I applied CA to the undersides of the scales first. I used 5 coats and then sanded with 600 grit (if I remember right). I then flipped the scales over and started on the tops. I went 10 coats and then rough sanded with 320 grit, just to knock off some of the rough bumps and such. Then 2 more coats and lightly sanded with 600 grit. Two more coats, then I sanded with 800 grit. and then 1 more coat and lightly sanded with 1500 grit. Then I took and wet sanded with the 1500, tops and bottoms. Next I used some Turtle Wax rubbing compound (it's in a green can and it's a red paste) and I rubbed out the scales. Tops and bottoms. This cut them down so that they really shine. Next and finally, I used the Johnson's Paste Wax. I just applied some and then buffed them out with soft clean cloth. I did about 3 or 4 applications of the Johnson's.

The domed washers I made. On the back of my bench vise there is a flat section for pounding stuff. I selected two drill bits that were smaller than the washers and drilled into the vise, up in a corner of the section, out of the way. I made a small, shallow hole and then another even smaller shallower hole. I wanted my washers to have sort of a rough, rustic look to them. So, I took the washers and sandwiched them in between a small piece of 240 grit sandpaper. I placed this on the flat of my vice and pounded the hell out of it with a hammer. This scratched them up pretty good. For extra effect, I took each one and gripped the edge of it in a pair of pliers and used my dremmel with a diamond cut off wheel and took a chunk here and a chunk there out of each washer. I really need better close up shots of my razor for you to be able to see the washers and stuff. My camera isn't that good though. Anyways, after I was satisfied with it, I used a steel punch and placed the tip into the hole the washer. I then lined this up over the smallest hole that I drilled and lightly gave it a few taps with the hammer. I then lined it up over the larger hole and repeated the process. The washers don't really come out "domed", more of a funnel shape really. But hey! I'm not about perfection and they looked pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Man, I hope that any of the above stuff makes sense and that it actually helps. Keep the questions coming if you have more and I'll attempt to the get some better pics of the washers and stuff in the meantime.

-Pary