Which is the best brand and source of CA please?

Which is the best brand and source of CA for use on Str8 Razor scales please?

Thanks in advance,

Tony

Any woodworking store. Woodcraft, Rockler, anywhere. And brand doesn't really matter, IMHO. I've used Hot Stuff and USA Gold.

+1 for Hot Stuff. Got it at Lee Valley and it put a nice finish on my W&B scales.

I use Pacer (more commonly known as ZAP-CA)

I used Hot Stuff (Red) but if I get the time and energy would love to try out this triple distilled CA and their CA primer.

Gut instinct tells me it will give better results but I won't know for sure until I try it. It may take a few months if I am lucky.

Oh my gosh! Talk about return from the dead!

How are you!

I've never met you, but I've read most of your posts with vivid interest!!!!

thanks for the CA tip, I'll investigate it further...

Tony

I've been incapacitated since January with sleep apnea. I got operated for it last month and keeping my fingers crossed that I will fully recover to my old energy levels. I really miss being able to do more than just work and sleep. :OT

For the best CA finish I found that building up the coats with a slightly thicker CA (I mix 2 to 3 parts of Hot-Stuff Red and 1 part Hot Stuff Yellow) speeds up the process.

Once that is done I sand to 600 grit and then apply 3 to 4 coats of Hot Stuff Red. Sand 320, 400, 600 by hand, then pre-polish and polish on a buff.

I found that the thicker CA does not cure to even hardness. This shows up as slightly uneven finish after buffing because the softer parts tend to buff out a bit more than the harder parts. The finish is glossy but playing it in the light shows an uneven surface (you can't see this until final polish.) The thicker CA tends to cure at different rates and it seems the parts that cure faster are harder.

The thin stuff tends to cure much faster and to an even hardness giving an almost perfect mirror surface.

I like the specs on the palm labs adhesive CA's because they claim an even curing speed (which I suspect gives an even hardness) and it also comes in many, many viscosities. Some experimentation will yield the best thickness for building up the finish and another for the final few coats.

Their primer seems like another thing to try to eliminate curing speed differences, which should help improve the finish.

I can't wait to be able to experiment with this CA.

I've been incapacitated since January with sleep apnea. I got operated for it last month and keeping my fingers crossed that I will fully recover to my old energy levels. I really miss being able to do more than just work and sleep. :OT



:OT Hi Vlad and welcome back.

Hope you soon get your old energy levels back, you have been sorely missed from here for quite sometime. :bow :bow :bow

A question on your sleep apnea if I may. Just curious as to what type of surgery you had for this, as I was not aware there is any? I have been diagnosed with apnea for about the last 4 yrs, and I wear a cpap machine at night to help me breath. One reason why I have to keep clean shaven so as my mask does not leak air.

Cheers
John

I am so sorry to hear you have health issues, I hope that they are healing and that they will soon pass.:tu

Though I don't have sleep apnia, I have a 4 hour commute and all I can do on weekdays is work and sleep...:shrug:

I have a background in plastics mold making, casting, machining & fabrication, so the making of clear cast plastic replacement scales is within my skillset...

I have a few Ducks with ailing scales, I did want to ask you before I embark on a project of molding and fabricating replacment DD scales whether or not you tried encapsulating DD scales in CA are a remedy for "scale rot".

I also wanted to ask you another question about your CA technique...

You mention making up and applying a thicker "blend" of CA initially and then finishing up with 3-4 coats of the thinner CA.

How many coats of your thicker "blend" do you apply BEFORE the thinner coats?

Thanks in advance,

Tony Parker

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by vladsch

I really miss being able to do more than just work and sleep. :OT

---

Hey Vlad,nice to see you back ,Best Regards Gary

Thanks, it is nice to be back, even part-time. :)

The thickened coats are to build thickness the last 3 to 4 coats with thin CA is only to ensure an even finish. So the number of coats of the thick stuff depends on how thick you want it.

Effectively, build up the finish and sand to your liking then add another 3 to 4 thin CA coats to wrap it up.

I use CA with brass etched bands so the CA needs to be thick enough to match the brass thickness (5/1000") and then enough to cover the brass not to sand through during sanding.

So far I have settled on 20 to 25 coats. Without the brass you can probably get enough with 12 to 15 coats.

Vlad:

Have you ever tried using CA to encapsulate "rotting" celluloid scales?

Does it work?

Does it stop the nitric acid "outgassing".

All the best!

Tony