Thread: What are you working on?

I think I remember that too Jerry. The Dremel thing but I don't remember who or where either. It seems like I remember using circles to blend it also but I might be confusing it with Mike's recent post about cleaning with a Dremel.

Originally Posted by BobH

Looks good Jerry. I have one quest though. Why finish with Tru-Oil and not just do CA all the way through?

Bob

I'm happy to say I chatted with Alfredo and got his ways of dealing with CA. I used to chat with him a lot back when I first started with straights. The next set I make I will give the CA a try again. Thanks for the push, Bob.

I tried to find that post of thr blade finish but didnt have any luck. I only know how to read posts. Not how to search for something like that. So unless he posts it up again, its lost in the threads.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I'm happy to say I chatted with Alfredo and got his ways of dealing with CA. I used to chat with him a lot back when I first started with straights. The next set I make I will give the CA a try again. Thanks for the push, Bob.

Didn't mean to push. It is just that I found the CA finish to be tough as nails. I have used Tru-Oil on gun stocks but I didn't think it was as tough as a CA finish iirc. Mind you, I don't think I'd want to do a whole gun stock in CA but using it on cut checkering might be useful.

Bob

CA, and Tru Oil are both awesome, but different for sure.
AFAIK you can’t really put tru oil over ca finishes but on either side of the same scale, absolutely.
When I work with CA I use my finger pad itself as the applicator. Used the stuff so long and often that once it builds up a bit it’s a great slide applicator.. just wait till your natural oils start to work and the hunk of ca on your finger peels right off. When applying the finish the trick is never stop swiping across the surface or you will instantly stick.
And use ca accelerator between coats. I could build up and sand down 10 coats in an hr easy. Used it on pen blanks too. On the lathe even easier to apply the glue and wipe apply it while it’s turning slow.
Those scales look pretty sweet Jerry.

On the lathe i agree. It goes on very well. And with an excelerator its just minutes to get all the coats you want. On scales I always ended up with flaws. Then sanding them out I was not leaving much CA on the wood.
No sweat Bob. Id been wanting to to ask Alfredo. Just never got around to it.
Mike, are you saying I could put CA over the tru-oil? I was thinking about this but wasnt sure it would lay over an oil very well.

When I used to make radio contolled planes I used 3 different CA's, Thin, medium or thick. The thin stuff (super glue) dried instantly and the medium and thick took longer and longer still.

I assumed you were using the thin superglue on the inside of your scales but
as you are saying that it takes you an hour to do 10 coats and that you use activator, maybe I'm wrong.

I'm thinking that I might use the medium so I have less chance of sticking to it, might be a bit embarrasing turning up at the emergency room with razor scales attached to my finger

I used CA on just a few. Definitely quick, in comparison to TruOil.

The reason I quit doing CA finishes on scales. After time, this is what happened to all of mine.



All my CA scales have cracks throughout.

I own a model 97 Winchester shotgun, that's been past down the family generations.

I refinished the stock over 30 years ago, with TruOil. I've put it thru rain, sleet, snow, ice, and sun, let alone, many a trips thru the brier bushes in search of cottontails. Its still in beautiful condition. I don't think CA could ever match what TruOil does.

But I still use it to seal the inside of scales.

When i said 10.coats.in an hour i was talking about doing it on a lathe with excelorator. I always use the thin stuff. Dries fastest. Inside of scales too. I just sand it down so its flat again. It has soaked into the wood so no need for gloss on the inside.

With scales I’d use medium gel, on the lathe always thin.
And as Mike showed in his pics, the biggest issue with ca is it doesn’t flex.
Fine for pens or rigid handles, but scales flex, by design, and ca doesn’t.
Really hard surface so great for impact, but no flexibility to it, unlike oils, varathane’s, and urethane finishes.

I've finished all the sanding for the scales I'm making for the Wosty, in the butchered blade, thread.


Im now into the 4th coat of TruOil.



And hammered out a piece of lead, for the wedge.