Thread: CA Finish Info

In the process of researching friction shellac/wax finishes, found a pen turners site that had several tutorials on CA finishing.
Under the library index toolbar half-way down the page - click on the finishing icon and choose from the several articles on CA.
Library Index - International Association of Penturners

By the way, pen turners are not enthusiastic about friction finishes.
They to not hold up to being handled.

IME it is very hard to do a CA finish on the lathe using anything other than thin CA. If you use thin the entire way through the process, it keeps everything nice and smooth. Ridges are the worst thing you can have happen when applying CA. I find the less time sanding, the better. The more you have to sand, the higher the risk of sanding through the finish, and that's when things really start getting frustrating.

Also, my opinion on CA finish, when it comes to shaving brushes at least, is that it should only ever be applied to stabilized wood. With the amount of moisture a brush sees, it's just not a good choice. The wood will expand, contract, expand, contract and eventually split the finish. Even on exotics, there are better choices because they to will expand and contract.

As for applying CA on the lathe, it doesn't need to be made difficult. This video, I have found to be the best way of applying a CA finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L4-xoDINg4

As for friction polish, I have only ever tried 1 and that's Shella wax cream. It does go on easy, and looks great initially, but I would agree with the above statement. It does not stand up to handling. It looks fantastic fresh off the lathe, and even after sitting untouched for a week, it does not stand up.

I am interested to see how the EEE and Shella Wax cream stand up on hybrid blanks tho.