Please bear with me.  The following has many assumptions & when i'm wrong please enlighten me.

 

Currently I'm in the process of making pens---by orders of SWMBO.  Pen turning is not my most thrilling task.

 

I am using CA (thin) & CA polish to finish the pens. Multiple coats (minimum of 3 each).

This leaves a glossy/glassy finish---which seems to be the intent of using CA (assumption #1)---CA is expensive (fact #1).

 

Previously, when using & reviewing the use of polyurethane, it also leaves a glossy/glassy (some say plastic looking) finish. (Assumption & fact #2).

 

You can see where this is going--right?

 

If the intent is to leave a glossy finish--why not just use poly (the cheap way out)?

 

I have NOT compared the perceived depth of finish between the two (CA & poly) but would assume (#3) that multiple coats of poly can be built on each other to obtain the desired depth of finish.

 

After building the finish, either with CA or poly, is it recommended to apply a finishing wax to the pen?  I'm assuming (#4) that the wax would dull the sheen somewhat and possibly wear off with use.

 

All comments, bombs, daggers, etc. welcome.

 

Thks

 

smitty

 

 

CA is more durable and gets the job done quickly.  Poly can be used.  I knew a guy that had a method of dipping his pens in poly and they were beautiful looking.  Really worked well for him on rifle cartridge pens.  Really is your choice. 

 

I agree with Dan on all counts.

Not a pen turner, not that I have not turned them just not my thing. I agree with the guys CA will be harder and last longer, plus is faster. Poly takes longer to dry but can be buffed easily with Beal. Still it is a case of pick your poison.

Sorry, I don't do turning at all so I've never tried CA. 

 

Some of my thoughts:
Poly, unlike CA, shellac, or lacquer is slow drying so sort of doing a "French Polish" with it (i.e., wetting a cloth and running on a spinning pen blank), would not seem to be feasible.  Wiping poly, regular poly thinned about 50-50, would be a [[wipe on, leave, let dry] repeat a few times] light sand, repeat.  Wax, in my experience, does reduce the sheen on a gloss finish.  But it's fairly inert.  I have used some "padding lacquer", but I always believed it was shellac resin dissolved in a lacquer thinner.  If you have sweaty hands, it might blush a bit.

 

 

Until they went out of business in the 2008 financial turmoil, a customer of mine carried a lot of high-gloss furniture.  It was a pain.  I got adept in buffing with successive polishing compounds. I have a whole milk crate of bottles of the stuff. I came to the conclusion that high-gloss and dead flat finishes were both very susceptible to scuffs from everyday use.  I did a lot of prep work in the warehouse where the last mile delivery co. had another guy on staff that would do other customers.  I was working on a piece one day and when he walked by said, "I'm the only other one here that knows what you are going through."  Amen.