Thread: CA aplication problems

Hello guys,
Very sorry if this has been covered already, can anyone point me to a spot that i can read about aplication of CA glue. I polished a beautiful set of horn scales and applied CA to them and it bubbled and took forever to dry. Made my scales look terrible. Is CA the best option for finishing Horn? or is there something out there thats better?

Cheers
Shane.

I use CA for horn.

Here's how I do it:

Using a pair of nitrile gloves, I put a single droplet of Rockler's THIN formulation of CA onto the scales, then using my fingertip, I spread it around as smooth, thin and evenly as I can. If you're doing it right, that layer of CA should dry in a minute or so. I test it with the gloves very carefully to see if it's tacky, and when it's dry I apply another layer.

Also, it helps to apply the glue onto horn that's been well sanded at a lower grit. Say 150-320. You want the surface to have a bit of tooth for the glue to grab into. After 2-3 layers of glue, I sand with micromesh. Then I add more layers of glue to cover the bare spots that show up.

Bare spots WILL show up.

This is a wash/rinse/repeat kind of process, but you can get some really lovely results if you're patient.

An example.

Also noteworthy, even after polishing up to micromesh 12k, rubbing down the scales with some Mothers/Maas/Flitz/Simichrome will make them look just like water if you've done the sanding well.

Oops. Wrong link. That was mostly the unrestored blade.

This is some of the restoration process on those scales.

Don't forget even the grubbiest old horn can be brought back to a perfect mirror without CA.

Thanks guys! I have been able to pollish horn to a mirror shine, but my concern is with sealing it properly! is it nessesary to use CA to seal? Im very happy with the scales Ive made but worry about cracking and flaking (dry climate), especially if I decide to sell them. I want to make sure the next guy gets to enjoy them just as much.
Cheers
Shane.

All the old horn scales I've had I've soaked in neetsfoot oil for a few days after sanding.
I haven't soaked any of the new horn scales I've made and they are all fine and still shiny