# Any pen turners out there?



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Anyone here turn pens? Any hints, tips, or tricks that you have found work better than others? Different finish or polishing methods?


----------



## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Brian
Harry i believe had a tutorial on finishing pens with super glue.


----------



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Semipro said:


> Brian
> Harry i believe had a tutorial on finishing pens with super glue.


Thanks John. Yes, I watched Harry's video, and LOTS of other ones as well.  I've done a couple pens, and then SWMBO wanted a seam ripper, so did one of those as well when I was at Mike's on Sunday. I'm a bit disappointed in the finish on the seam ripper... pen's all turned out nice and shiny. The seam ripper started out that way, but it's dulled now for some reason.


----------



## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

@BrianS: Did you use super glue on the seam ripper? Are you using any polish after the glue? I have he'd glue cloud up if I put on to much. I use two different super glues to finish with. One thin and one thicker. I get it from Woods and Whimmies. They have a web site.


----------



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Shop guy said:


> @BrianS: Did you use super glue on the seam ripper? Are you using any polish after the glue? I have he'd glue cloud up if I put on to much. I use two different super glues to finish with. One thin and one thicker. I get it from Woods and Whimmies. They have a web site.


Hi Richard. Yes, super glue, or friction polish with CA, which I understand to be the same thing. Several coats, rubbed until I felt the heat. No polish other than that. The same process I followed when I made the pens. 

I now have a list of projects, (Imagine!!) so I want to find out what I did, or maybe did NOT do, to loose the shine on the finish. Would the CA maybe be too old?


----------



## CAD-Man (Apr 28, 2013)

I make 40 to 50 pens a year and almost as many seam rippers. I use CA glue on most finishes, after applying several thin coats (6 to 10) I sand them with 400 grit mesh and then run through with the wet sanding pads that go from 1200 to 12000 grit and then Meguiar's G12310 PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish for headlights. Then I use a buffing wheel mounted on my lathe and a buffing rouge. I also use EEE-Ultra Shine Paste Wax and Shellawax Cream for a softer sheen. I make most of my pens using deer antler, also do some with acrylic pen blanks. There is a demand now for wood that has just started this year, I use several different wood species The most time consuming part is getting a good smooth finish on the deer antler. I sell my pens through one of the gift shops in town to tourist and they want the deer antler because it is something that is not a typical item where they may be from.

The reason you are getting the dull finish using CA glue, you must let each layer dry fully. If it s not fully dry between coats it will shine up nicely but after the underlying coats dry fully it causes them to become dull. I only do the first couple of coats with CA medium and make sure they are fully dry and then follow up with CA Thin for the remainder coats.

CAD-Man


----------



## tbahorski (Nov 11, 2014)

Brian,

I do some pen turning, but my wife is the pro pen turner around here. I got a lot of good information from: Kurt Hertzog Home. Scroll through his articles that were printed in Woodturning Design Magazine. They are on his site and gave me lots of hints and ideas. I usually use Shelawax for a finish, but it's not as durable as CA glue. Have fun and good luck with your pen turning.

Tom


----------



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

CAD-Man said:


> I make 40 to 50 pens a year and almost as many seam rippers. I use CA glue on most finishes, after applying several thin coats (6 to 10) I sand them with 400 grit mesh and then run through with the wet sanding pads that go from 1200 to 12000 grit and then Meguiar's G12310 PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish for headlights. Then I use a buffing wheel mounted on my lathe and a buffing rouge. I also use EEE-Ultra Shine Paste Wax and Shellawax Cream for a softer sheen. I make most of my pens using deer antler, also do some with acrylic pen blanks. There is a demand now for wood that has just started this year, I use several different wood species The most time consuming part is getting a good smooth finish on the deer antler. I sell my pens through one of the gift shops in town to tourist and they want the deer antler because it is something that is not a typical item where they may be from.
> 
> The reason you are getting the dull finish using CA glue, you must let each layer dry fully. If it s not fully dry between coats it will shine up nicely but after the underlying coats dry fully it causes them to become dull. I only do the first couple of coats with CA medium and make sure they are fully dry and then follow up with CA Thin for the remainder coats.
> 
> CAD-Man


Thanks Bruce. That would probably explain the dull finish then... I'm sure I didn't wait near long enough for each coat to dry. In a video Harrysin posted a while back, he was using an accelerator in a spray can. Would that speed the process up any? 

And, since you mentioned seam rippers, what kits have you found to be the best? I purchased the one I did from Woodcraft, and the nylon insert that holds the blade of the ripper in place doesn't seem to tighten up enough. The blade moves in it. 

I will keep your process in mind when I turn the next one.


----------



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

tbahorski said:


> Brian,
> 
> I do some pen turning, but my wife is the pro pen turner around here. I got a lot of good information from: Kurt Hertzog Home. Scroll through his articles that were printed in Woodturning Design Magazine. They are on his site and gave me lots of hints and ideas. I usually use Shelawax for a finish, but it's not as durable as CA glue. Have fun and good luck with your pen turning.
> 
> Tom


Thank you Tom. WoW, took a quick look at Kurt's page. LOTS of information there..


----------



## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Brian, I use spray accelerator between coats. And like Cad-Man island between coats of glue. I polish up to 12000. On the last coat. The trick is to play around, keep notes and find what works for you. I don't think it is an exact science.


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Semipro said:


> Brian
> Harry i believe had a tutorial on finishing pens with super glue.


By the sound of it Brian you aren't using an accelerator after each coat of CA glue. If you watch my video again you'll see that a quick squirt above the rotating pen dries the CA glue instantly.


----------



## CAD-Man (Apr 28, 2013)

BrianS said:


> Thanks Bruce. That would probably explain the dull finish then... I'm sure I didn't wait near long enough for each coat to dry. In a video Harrysin posted a while back, he was using an accelerator in a spray can. Would that speed the process up any?
> 
> And, since you mentioned seam rippers, what kits have you found to be the best? I purchased the one I did from Woodcraft, and the nylon insert that holds the blade of the ripper in place doesn't seem to tighten up enough. The blade moves in it.
> 
> I will keep your process in mind when I turn the next one.


I get all of my pens and seam rippers from either www.pennstateind.com or or www.WoodTurningz.com
The seam ripper I purchase use a sping steel insert to hold the seam ripper in place. I make both the double end and necklace seam rippers. As far as using an accelerator for the CA glue, I have found that it gives me a false sense that the glue is really dry when it's just the very top layer is dry. Puting on the CA medium because of the thickness that is applied it's not truly dry. I learned this last summer to truly get a good finish that patience is your best friend. I ruined a few really nice pens because I was rushing and relying on the Accelerator to speed things up. Also if you end up finishing a pen and later discover that the finish is not to your liking. PenState industries has just come out with a new assembly / dis-assembly tool that works great for tearing apart pens. www.pennstateind.com/store/PENPRESSXL.html I used the PENPRESSXL on 2 pens that I knew I would not be able to repair the PENPRESSXL worked as advertised. The 2 pens together cost more the the PENPRESSXL cost so it was a break even score for me.

CAD-Man


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Because I'm always in a hurry because of my advanced age (I no longer buy green bananas) an accelerator is essential and possibly by good luck, I've never had a failure.
Unfortunately, because of my poor photography, the pen shown doesn't do justice to the high gloss finish which is as deep as it was when I made it despite it being on my desk since then and in daily use. It's on it's third refill.
I must stress that the accelerator must not be sprayed directly onto the pen, but one or two inches above.


----------



## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Shop guy said:


> Brian, I use spray accelerator between coats. And like Cad-Man island between coats of glue. I polish up to 12000. On the last coat. The trick is to play around, keep notes and find what works for you. I don't think it is an exact science.


I can't do it the way some videos show but have taken bits and pieces from each one and came up with a way that works for me.
Weather will affect how the CA sets up, how deep the first coats penetrate the wood and different polishes produce different results.
I make sure I don't let the polish get hot and dry on the cloth I'm using because it with bind together and change the grit size causing it to scratch the finish instead of polishing it.


----------



## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks to all for their input. Answered some questions that popped into my mind while reading a book on turning while eating breakfast. Wife is out of town so I have that luxury without her comments on reading at the table.

Harry, we are in the same boat! Oh, to be 50 again! My father always said it's too bad that youth is wasted on the young!


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Oh to be fifty again John, I'd settle to be seventy again, I'm eighty three in a few days. On December 1st. I have the right eye cataract removed and a lens fitted then on the fifteenth of December the same to my left eye, but other than still recovering from left shoulder major surgery I reckon I'm not too bad but looking forward to getting back to work in my shed which has lots of spider webs hanging from the roof.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

A good friend lived to be either 92 or 93. This was a man of legend. He went to the local yearly community fair and won the ax chop contest in the logging events at the age of either 80 or 81 against guys in their 20s. At the end he had both a bad heart and cancer and knew the end was soon. He said to me that it's a pretty good engine that runs for for over 90 years without a major breakdown. At 83 yours is a pretty good engine too Harry even if some of the parts are starting to wear down.


----------

