I wanted a CA (cyanoacrylate) finish that was fast, easy, inexpensive, durable, and good looking. My solution only requires two inexpensive products and allows you to turn, sand, and finish all at the same speed with no belt changes. One of my readers is an eighth grade student who used these instructions on his very first pen, entered the UIL competition, and won! If you've shied away from CA then this is the one to try. CA is perfect for small items. Don't work your way up to CA, just do it now. It's easy. Check out the instructions below and tell me what you think.
These instructions pertain only to wood turnings.
Disclaimer.....Woodworkers share experience but in no way should this take the place of a thorough knowledge of tools, techniques and safety measures. If you don't know them, close this page and go learn them.
Before you begin, know the following:
1. Try your first finish exactly as described here before experimenting.
2) Store CA in the door of your refrigerator and clogged tips will be history.
3) I use only reliable Satellite City products.
4) I use only thin glue for finishing with this process. Multiple thin coats allow you to turn, sand, and finish all at the same high speed and it is much better looking and more reliable than a few thick coats.
5) Don't touch CA to yourself, clothing, or finished surfaces. It will damage them all. Paper towels with glue on them must be allowed to harden before disposal.
Here is a photo of a finished product. This piece has twenty layers of CA but still appears thin and reflective. For step-by-step instructions, read on.
My Process:
Materials – thin Satellite City glue, eye protection, nitrile glove, sandpaper (three or four grits leading up to 400 or so), micromesh, blue shop paper towels, CA solvent or fingernail polish just in case...optional - Satellite City accelerant
Step 1 – Using your sandpaper, sand at the same speed that you turned the wood removing dust between grits with a paper towel or compressed air. If your sanding style or wood of choice leaves scratch rings, turn off the lathe between each grit and sand the project lengthwise.
Step 2 – Put on a glove and fold half a paper towel several times to an inch wide strip. Do not change the lathe speed. Place two drops of CA on the paper towel and apply to the spinning project end to end in one quick sideways motion. Use a very light touch and don't rub back and forth. Wait 5 - 10 seconds for the glue to cure. Move to a clean spot on the paper strip and repeat, starting at the opposite end of the project. Apply a third coat in the same manner, always alternating from which end you begin. Learn to minimize how much glue gets on the bushings, mandrel, or such.
Step 3 (optional) – After three coats, take a clean paper towel and spritz it with a very short burst of accelerant. Gently wipe the project once. Do NOT spray directly onto the project.
Step 4 – Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times for a total of 15-20 layers of thin glue. This only takes a couple of minutes.
Step 5 – Do not change the lathe speed. Polish with dry micromesh, using a light touch, moving in a short rapid back and forth motion while working from one end of the object to the other. I do this twice with each grit. Wipe the spinning project and the micromesh with a clean bit of paper towel after each grit. The real shine will not show up until you are almost through all the grits. If you press too hard or linger against high points you can burn a hole through the rubber. At the end of the day, wash your micromesh with dish soap and let it dry.
Here is the entire process in five sentence fragments for future reference.
Here is the entire process in five sentence fragments for future reference.
1. sand wood to 400
2. without changing the lathe speed apply three thin coats of thin CA, alternating the end you start from
3. (optional) after three coats spray accelerant onto a paper towel and wipe once
4. repeat steps 2 and 3, five or six more times
5. polish with dry micromesh, using all the grits
Try this once and then you can experiment, such as adding a liquid polish at the end.
Try this once and then you can experiment, such as adding a liquid polish at the end.
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