Shopsmith Forums

I've made hundreds of pens, mostly Freedom Pens for our servicemen. CA is by far the most durable finish, but it does have certain issues... Fumes, heat, clouding if you use too much accelerator. Hint- don't use white paper towels, use the blue heavy paper towels, your fingertips will thank you! If you don't like CA try Dr.s Workshop pen finish. Very good alternative.

I too use CA finish along with the accelerator.
I also use General Wood Turners finish and yesterday I used BLO and CA.

http://content.penturners.org/library/t ... ca-blo.pdf

I've used Mylands friction polish which gives a lower sheen finish that I like, although probably not as hard as CA.

The problem with friction polishes is that they all tend to be shellac based. While it can look great, hand oil and moisture will take their toll on it. Sometimes the CA finish may be too glossy and plastic looking. A gentle buff with a white scotch pad will turn it satin.

I recently refinished some old kitchen knives with Tru-Oil gun stock finish. They came out much better than I anticipated with little effort.

I wonder if it would be good for pens as well?

Here is a new video by Richard Ford, turning an all wood stick pen.
He demonstrates using a "two minute finish" (shellac and boiled linseed oil),(finish starts around 27:20. looks like it would be worth a try.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXdHRRmpLTk[/youtube]

ChrisNeilan wrote:The problem with friction polishes is that they all tend to be shellac based. While it can look great, hand oil and moisture will take their toll on it. Sometimes the CA finish may be too glossy and plastic looking. A gentle buff with a white scotch pad will turn it satin.

Chris: That's what people keep telling me about shellac based finishes but in 10 years of turning pens, I've never had those issues with the Shellawax. Maybe it's the formula or type of shellac they use?

Tried CA a couple of times but didn't like the finish.

I use Shellawax liquid with good results.

Haven't done any pens myself but a guy I know uses gun stock oil and they look very nice.

So far I have only done CA finish on pens, very hard and durable but it does feel like plastic.
This evening I turned a pen to give for a raffle prize at an event we will be attending tomorrow. (slimline pen kit, walnut) and decided to try a different finish, Watco Oil. I put on about five coats, rubbing it in with a blue paper shop towel between coats and finishing with a coat of Watco Satin Wax. This is also the first pen I have turned using walnut, a wood I am particularly fond of.
I am very pleased with how it turned out, looks nice and feels good in the hand.