Thread: Tricks for a CA finish?

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Heres a tip for you CA guys (am not a fan of CA finishes) Tried it 10 yrs ago on scales and brushes,worked great,nice and shiny.
But make sure whatever wood you use is drop dead Dry,if not you will have issues down the road,JME

So absolutely don't try and CA finish something that previously had an oil on it like Danish or tung oil? Or do uou mean wood that is not completely dried naturally?

Originally Posted by seanreum1

So absolutely don't try and CA finish something that previously had an oil on it like Danish or tung oil? Or do uou mean wood that is not completely dried naturally?

Properly Air or Kiln dried woods,water content.

CA dries or cures when it reacts with the moisture in or on the bonding surface. That is why it will almost always instantly dries on fingers. The first time I tried a CA finish I found myself sanding through the finish when I tried to smooth out the entire surface with 320 grit instead of getting most of it smooth and keep moving up in grit whenever I noticed the low spots start to get smaller. Don't think I would want to try paper tower because I am sure I would have bits of paper stuck to the scales constantly. I use plastic gloves that I cut the fingers off. Got the idea from the thread that Chevhead pointed out. I have also used wax paper to spread the glue, but ended up with more glue on my fingers than on the scales. One thing I have learned is don't keep smearing a layer longer than needed. Once you have it spread over the entire surface stop and let it cure.

Originally Posted by JSmith1983

CA dries or cures when it reacts with the moisture in or on the bonding surface. That is why it will almost always instantly dries on fingers. The first time I tried a CA finish I found myself sanding through the finish when I tried to smooth out the entire surface with 320 grit instead of getting most of it smooth and keep moving up in grit whenever I noticed the low spots start to get smaller. Don't think I would want to try paper tower because I am sure I would have bits of paper stuck to the scales constantly. I use plastic gloves that I cut the fingers off. Got the idea from the thread that Chevhead pointed out. I have also used wax paper to spread the glue, but ended up with more glue on my fingers than on the scales. One thing I have learned is don't keep smearing a layer longer than needed. Once you have it spread over the entire surface stop and let it cure.

So your saying to get it decently smooth with your low grit sandpaper and don't aim for perfection until the higher grits?

Originally Posted by JSmith1983

CA dries or cures when it reacts with the moisture in or on the bonding surface. That is why it will almost always instantly dries on fingers. The first time I tried a CA finish I found myself sanding through the finish when I tried to smooth out the entire surface with 320 grit instead of getting most of it smooth and keep moving up in grit whenever I noticed the low spots start to get smaller. Don't think I would want to try paper tower because I am sure I would have bits of paper stuck to the scales constantly. I use plastic gloves that I cut the fingers off. Got the idea from the thread that Chevhead pointed out. I have also used wax paper to spread the glue, but ended up with more glue on my fingers than on the scales. One thing I have learned is don't keep smearing a layer longer than needed. Once you have it spread over the entire surface stop and let it cure.

You may be confusing CAs with Polyurathans.
My point about water content is if you totally seal a pce of wood with CA and it as water content of more than about 6%,your going to have issues down the road,YMMV.

Exactly. Sorry to make it take longer to say that lol. Read the thread that Chevhead pointed out. Take it slow. I know that is a big problem with me whenever I try to do something. I always get excited to see the finished results that I try to rush things. I am still learning to be patient.

Yes wood needs to be dry. I should have clarified. It is the surface moisture, not wet, that makes it react. I don't mean drops of water on the surface. High humidity can make a bottle become solid pretty fast.

While no expert in this I've had some success with CA. I use Gorilla brand. When working on scales I sand them to about 320 then run a bead glue the length of the scale. I smooth it with my finger that I've covered in blue masking tape. Seems to work well. Usually dries in about 40 min. Sand out the shinny bits with 320. After 2 thick coats reduce the amount on the next few coats and go up to 400. After the first 2 coats its much easier to sand out. In my view 4-5 coats is the sweet spot. Sand it up to 600 then hit it w buffing compound.
You're done.