Thread: CA with Poly

Quick question- When trying to get that perfect final finish, would it work to put one coat (theoretically) of high gloss Poly on top of your CA finish to get a nice final coat? Vice Versa? Just wondering if they would "adhere" to each other I guess. Any do/try this? I'm just having the worst time trying to get a final CA coat that looks as good as I want.

You won't know until you try it: do an experiment on some wood scraps and let us know

Out of curiosity: do you actually like the high gloss look?
I always use wax for the outsides, and CA for the insides.
That way I still have the moisture seal where it matters most, and the nice feel of wood on the outside. With a CA finish, everything feels the same.

Bruno, I feel the same way about the wood texture and appearance on the outside. What wax do you recommend?

If you put poly over the CA, make sure it has had a while to really cure. If you seal it before it's done reacting, it may cloud up. I personally just use poly (after trying a number of clear finishes). It takes longer to cure, but it's way less finicky and is easies to polish after the last coat. The end results are next to impossible to tell apart.

I bought a glass jar of antiques furniture wax.
It is transparent, and it darkens the color a bit (like when you wax floors) but otherwise you cannot see or feel it.

It cost only 12 euros for a jar that will last a lifetime.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Quick question- When trying to get that perfect final finish, would it work to put one coat (theoretically) of high gloss Poly on top of your CA finish to get a nice final coat? Vice Versa? Just wondering if they would "adhere" to each other I guess. Any do/try this? I'm just having the worst time trying to get a final CA coat that looks as good as I want.

Hi Alex,
In order to get a final polish on CA I will sand all of the imperfections out of it with WET 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I will then sand it with WET 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 wet/dry sandpaper. After that I will polish it with Mothers mag and aluminum polish or MAAS. I know that this is a lot of work but it does look good. Several are trying/using the epoxy finishes with apparently a lot less work and coming up with the same results.

Bruno- I like the high gloss CA look sometimes and sometimes I like another look. It depends on the wood and the particular set of scales for me really.

King- I use Renaissance Wax which is expensive, but WELL worth it.

Bill- yeah, the sanding thing is kind of what I have been trying. Just seeing if there is an easier way.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Bruno- I like the high gloss CA look sometimes and sometimes I like another look. It depends on the wood and the particular set of scales for me really.

King- I use Renaissance Wax which is expensive, but WELL worth it.

Bill- yeah, the sanding thing is kind of what I have been trying. Just seeing if there is an easier way.

Matt.......I wish there was. I have buffed it out using an electric buffer but need to be careful and not burn it. Good luck.

Thanks, Bruno and Matt. I'll see if I can find one of those waxes and slap some on.

Who is Matt???