I have legitimately never watched a more comprehensive video on finishing a wood turning project with any finish before! Thank you so much, I have struggled with CA finishing for about a month now, and I don't do crowds well enough to go and learn from my local wood turners guild. Thank you sir so much, I think this will help to increase the value and beauty of my future wood turning projects.
Hey George. If someone else had told me I could use super glue to create a hard finish on a small lathe project, I'd have said you're nuts. But by gosh! that looks slick. A dandy shiny finish that brings out the grain of the wood. Well done, sir. Well done.
Thank you for the wonderful comment. I just finished a small olive wood chalice and lid today and used a superglue finish. It shines like it was dipped in plastic! Since I never like to wait for things to dry, I can shoot it with accelerator and immediately sand it with micro mesh pads to get that glass-like finish. I hope you try it!
George, thanks for the tutorial on doing a CA finish. I've only been turning for about 5 months and have stuck with friction polish for my pens until now. After watching a bunch of videos on CA finish, I found your demo was the clearest and very easy to understand and follow. Just did my first two pens with a CA finish and couldn't be more please with the results. Thanks again.
I know this is an old video, however, I have been trying to finish with CA for a while now and haven't been doing it correctly. After watching this I think I can actually get the finish I want on my projects. Thank you
You are welcome. Since I made this video, I now use a series of about 10 sanding pads that end up at 12,000 grit. They seem to give me an even better shine. Good luck.
This would make a very nice finish for crochet hooks. I'm currently drying 100 year old maple from my great grandparents' tree. Thanks for such a wonderful video.
I repair plastics quite often and have used a similar method to cover my repaired areas. I have never considered using it for wood however, thanks for the great idea! 😊👍🏻
Nicely articulated, well-planned segment, I was aware of the process before this, but stayed to the end because you did such a good job of demonstrating it.
Thank you! I'm about to step into the wonderland of woodturning rings with inlays, and I have no previous experience with CA as finisher. This was a great tutorial! Thank you once more!
Thank you for the coment. You might try turning some of the cheap pen holders 12 cent Bic pens. (I show this on another of my videos. They are easy to make in 50-60 minutes, they will increase your skills, and you can make them from scrap materials. I am always giving them away to folks.
Something tells me your accelerator on the napkin method is helping keep your surface smooth even after using accelerator. I find that airborne spraying can often make the CA glue pool up and thin out in certain places and take a good finish to crap in about 1 second flat. Great tutorial, thanks.
Great point! I have to confess, this was an accidental discovery on my part. By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
Thank you. Since making that video I now even get more shine by using micro mesh fine sanding pads (up to 13,000) and then finishing it off on a buffing wheel.
A video of a comparison between this method and more traditional clear coats would be cool. Also, a durability test would be interesting; scratches, dings/dents, water penetration, etc. Awesome video George! I never thought about using CA glue as a clear coat.
Super glue activator is just distilled water. It mainly helps in very dry areas. I live in AZ and it takes longer for super glue to set here than it did when I lived in FL.
That activator (or accelerant) can be replaced with either baking soda or water. For water use a squirt jar with the nozzle set to a fine mist. Cyanoacrylate will dry instantly if you apply either one and either one is a heckuva lot cheaper than the commercial stuff.
After doing a bunch of pen turnings I feel confident saying that CA glue just doesn't care about surface roughness and is content bonding to itself. In other words I put on 4 coats of the stuff and then switch to sanding it only at the very end with Micromesh. Some blue buffing compound and you get a glass-like finish.
I think you are exactly right. All the CA glue does is stack up on itself (streaks and all) and only when you sand and polish it does it do its magic. I guess we have to remember that it was always just meant to be a "glue". Thanks for sharing.
Personally I don’t use a wax as the final coat as this will over time wear away and leave the scratched finish from the 2000 grit paper you used before that. I knock it back using micro abrasives unto around 4000 and then use T Cut car polish to bring out the shine. Works a treat and you end up with a super high gloss finish that is much harder wearing than wax.
I now use micro mesh pads up to 12000 grit then go to my buffing wheel with buffing compound. I have never tried the T Cut car polish, I will have to give it a try. Thanks!
Yes, I use in model scratch building.....If I make a master, say nose piece for an aircraft.....I cut and sand to the desired shape...I may wet it once or twice to bring the grain back up. Once finally sanding is done, I coat the piece with CA glue...(I usually use thick CA for this). then sand til smooth...
Good luck! I ran into trouble with the fumes when they came under my face shield and were trapped there for awhile. I would not use a shield, only safety glasses. (George the Greek)
George Fotinakes my Greek comrade I tried the finish and I cried like a little girl man. Doors open, fans going, dust collection sucking up the air and boom 💥 the finish made me tear up so bad!! The project looks good though.
Black lacquer is not clear. The reason for adding coats was to create depth. They had to wait for the solvents to flash between coats, or the solvents would get trapped and create bubbles. Also the sanding between coats made a really flat surface, and helped level imperfections under the paint.
Good info! Thanks! Going to try a CA glue finish on a small non turning type wood project... Hope it goes well... Anyone know if a CA glue finish is ok with epoxy resin?
interesting way of application. From my experience with CA (especially thin form), when applied to a paper towel it immediately reacts and hardens. Let alone heat that goes along with the reaction. Next time I need to apply finish I will try that one and see whether I have any liquid glue left on a towel ;)
Notice I am only applying 2-3 drops on the towel at a time, then moving to dry towel area for the next drips. I fold the paper twice and always have a rubber gloved finger applying pressure. (Keep any accelerator on a separate towel or at least the other end of the one applying CA glue. Good luck.
Yasou Giorgio’s 😄 where do u live ...Australia? If you have an Instagram account write it so I can add you to check my work. Find me as TREE.P.ART Nice lathe there.
What I do is first put some coats of raw linseed oil on the wood, I make hardwood flutes, so I will put them in a hot raw linseed oil bath, When you put the CA glue on raw linseed oil it will cure and harden the oil. It will do a similar finish but you will also have the oiled wood underneath.
@@gfotinakes316 I think it's air or water to be honest..this stick has been nothing but problems...this will be my last complete refinish on a production cue, they are made so cheap, no good wood all paint and decals and they sell them for thousand bucks, rediculous
I would think not. It only puts a very thin coat on the outside of the wood. This would be like stretching clear sandwich wrap around your wood and expecting greater strength. If you have cracks in your wood and put super glue into the cracks it really strengthens the wood preventing further cracking. I hope this answers your question.
I have been doing this for years but most of my projects are small indoor items with little UV exposure. Here is a video I made that shows how to use superglue on a stationary project. Good luck! ua-cam.com/video/ePshTwDCTLQ/v-deo.html
I don't know! It does smell good and seems to shine more. This is an old video, I now use a buffing wheel and buffing compound to get my final shine. Have a nice holiday.
New subscriber. I was looking for help with my dust collection. Liked that video as well. Il will be design my dust collector after your second version. Thanks for doing the videos. Lots of good information. Looking forward to looking at all of your past ones.
good info. Thank you. Have you ever tried this on the routed and sanded edge of MDF which, even after sanding and priming tends to be fuzzy? I may have to give it a whirl to see if it will provide a decent surface for a spray finish.
I don't think the stuff you said about what makes things shiny is quite right. A surface is non-shiny if light hitting it bounces off in random directions (gets scattered). If light from a given direction always bounces off in the same direction, then the object appears shiny and reflective. It's not about having several coats of clear material on top, it's just about having a surface that is smooth at the microscopic level. Once you've got enough coats of lacquer on that the roughness of the wood is smoothed out, adding more coats won't make the surface any shinier.
I stand corrected! Thank you for giving me a quick lesson on reflection. In the future I need to stick to my lathe work and use my old explanation, " To get things shiny, just sand them a whole bunch until they feel smooth, put a clear coat over it, and wax it until it gets shiny". Ha! Ha! thanks again.
You can make things shiny with no coats of anything, just make it smooth. Look at highly polished stainless steel (or any other metal) sometime. This can be done with certain types of wood too, such as African blackwood, ebony or boxwood, because they are so dense and close-grained that they can take a polish like metal or plastic can.
It does add depth to the finish. On a car finish you can see the thickness of the clear coats and they sometimes will add a dye to them o add a candy coat effect. It looks really nice with sparkles in the base and changes the colour depth depending on the angle that you are looking at. For shine its in the gloss in the paint. You can have a matte finish and have clear coat on top of it ant it will still be matte.
I used this process without a lathe on a knife handle and it worked great!. with the gorilla glue gel it might not be the best, but its the first one i tried and it worked! Instead of accelerant i sprayed mineral spirits on and applied the ca gel. As quickly as i could i coated the wood in gel until it set. Let it dry, and lightly sanded with 800gr wet/dry. Repeating the process about 6 times and it looks/feels like glass. It was finicky and i would suggest practicing on some sacrificial pieces first. Thanks for posting this!!!
@@MaximRecoil Trouble is, it will still get fucked up with certain liquids that might touch it. It sinks in and your beautiful polish and sometimes the product is gone. :-)
HI George. This is a very well done video. I am looking forward to trying it. I do have one question (I apologize if you already answered it). After the finish is completed, you still need the cut the piece free and sand the ends, leaving the top and bottom unfinished. I assume you leave the bottom unfinished since it is not visible, but how do you finish the top? Thanks again
Thanks Craig. I just put a few drops of CA on a paper towel and rub it over the unfinished area. I might do this several times. I then have to go back and sand it with very fine grit 8000-1200 or buff it on my buffing wheel. I only have a cheap wheel on my drill press but I am getting a buffer for a Christmas gift. By the way, where are you writing from? (I keep a map of repy locations for fun.)
I think you could probably sand it 5-8 minutes later. I have been told that a water mist will accelerate the drying, but others have said it causes fogging of the clear finish. I hope this helps.
You might have point there. I continue to play around with how I apply coats. If you let the first coat soak in and dry for say 10 minutes, then put on a second and third coat with activator, you would probably harden the wood first and then put on layers to polish next. If you try another method and find success, let me know.
I have very little experience using CA as a finish. I’m just thinking through some ideas on the best way to do it. I enjoyed your video and it sparked some ideas.
@@gfotinakes316 Next time I have a need to use CA glue, I'll try the accelerator to see if it smells. If it's ether, as someone has mentioned, you're probably correct.
You do not need to use the hardener. It does save time between applications of the 2n and 3rd coats. You might notice that I can sand only seconds after the hardener has been applied. Good luck!
CA is really awesome. It is tough and super hard. the best thing to get CA stuck to your finger is by sanding it I am afraid. some people say that WD40 works fine too.
Ok Gentlemen, and Ladies :) I'm making small components using upcycled materials including paper bags. I've used pva glues and mod podge, etc, to try and harden and add shine to paper bags with mixed success. Do you think this would work on that? I use it for earrings, additions to bracelets, and even components in purses! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated so, thanks in advance for your help. Peace
I don't know if the CA glues that I use caused my Interstitial Lung Disease, but be very careful with them. I smelled a lot of fumes and had sanded many joints that had pockets of uncured glue in them. The steam from thin glues was especially acrid. One day a few months back I ended up with extremely low oxygen levels, and I had never smoked or been sick with breathing issues before. The doctors cured me of my double pneumonia but I spent 3 weeks in the ICU (1 in a medically induced coma and intubated) and had to learn how to walk and function again. All natural allergens were tested with negative results. It may have been the glue.
I appreciate you sharing this. One time I had my face shield on and a puff of the fumes must had gotten concentrated under the shield. My left nostril seemed "burned" and it took weeks to feel right again. Notice in my video, I stress not allowing the fumes to get airborne and I also use my dust pick up and a mask when sanding it on the lathe. Thanks again. I hope you are feeling better now.
'Wet and dry" is a type of carborundum paper (like very fine sand paper) . It can be used wet (with water and usually soap to stop clogging with paint particles) or dry, like conventional sand paper. I use it dry to polish cured superglue varnished wooden pens. I prepare the wood, paint with CA glue, let it cure then spin it in a wood lathe to finish. I usually give it 3 or 4 coats of CA glue and finish with 12,000 grade.
'Wet and dry" is a type of sandpaper used for rubbing down paintwork. It can be used either wet, with water (and soap) or dry. I make wooden pens and finish them with various grades of conventional sand paper, whilst spinning in a lathe, then varnish with CA glue. When it is cured, I spin the pen parts in a lathe and sand vith finer and finer grades of 'wet and dry' - used dry. After several coats of CA glue I finish with 2,000, 4,000, 8,000 then 12,000 grade and the finish is like glass. Hope that answers your question.
Thanks for responding! - I've used multiple types but they always dry white. I bought a thin-viscosity CA glue that said it dried clear for a recent project and it also dried white... I am told you can apply 100c heat to turn it clear but the heat may cause damage...
I've heard of this happening before and have seen a little of it in my shop also. I read somewhere that the cause is the humidity being to high in the shop, I wish I had kept access to that article.. Now I always try to finish my pens and stuff on nice dry days because my shop has no AC and only a little heat. I bet if you monitored your humidity for a while you would soon find when the problem occurs and try to avoid those days.
That could be it! - I live in South Florida and no matter what super glue I buy, even if it promises to dry clear, it dries white. I have found much better results with quick-bond wood glue for a few recent repairs, acoustic guitar work etc.
The key is putting on at least 3 coats and then using finer and finer grit. I now use fine Micro Mesh sanding pads that end up at 12,000 grit! It is about as rough as notebook paper. Good luck!
@@gfotinakes316 Headed out to shop. I actually used micro mesh the 1st time. I might not have had my application perfect or open wood grain in Goncalo Alves. Going to do another today, ill see if pours are filled after 3 coats. I usually, at that point do an additional 6 to 8 coats of medium. I'd love to skip all the extra coats with the good results. So far, I've only done wood. I'm not trying to make mine look like Chinese plastic, I just want to highlight the woods natural beauty. Thanks
I am not sure. Sometimes I will walk away for a few minutes and it is dry when I come back. Some of my viewers have told me that misting water also works as an accelerator.
I hope you have forced-air exhaust for the turning and sanding operations... and near the metal grinder if you have one. Don't want all those nasty organic and inorganic finish products and fine particulates in the lungs. But whine not here about the wonder of Super Glue; compared to other chemicals like acetone, WD-40, brake cleaner, paint thinner, even airborne exposure to gasoline vapors are far worse than Cyano-a fumes. Cyanoacrylates are far safer chemicals, if there is such a thing as 'safe' of course. Just look at the MSDs.
I have legitimately never watched a more comprehensive video on finishing a wood turning project with any finish before! Thank you so much, I have struggled with CA finishing for about a month now, and I don't do crowds well enough to go and learn from my local wood turners guild. Thank you sir so much, I think this will help to increase the value and beauty of my future wood turning projects.
Wow! What a wonderful complement. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Hey George. If someone else had told me I could use super glue to create a hard finish on a small lathe project, I'd have said you're nuts. But by gosh! that looks slick. A dandy shiny finish that brings out the grain of the wood. Well done, sir. Well done.
Thank you for the wonderful comment. I just finished a small olive wood chalice and lid today and used a superglue finish. It shines like it was dipped in plastic! Since I never like to wait for things to dry, I can shoot it with accelerator and immediately sand it with micro mesh pads to get that glass-like finish. I hope you try it!
George, thanks for the tutorial on doing a CA finish. I've only been turning for about 5 months and have stuck with friction polish for my pens until now. After watching a bunch of videos on CA finish, I found your demo was the clearest and very easy to understand and follow. Just did my first two pens with a CA finish and couldn't be more please with the results. Thanks again.
Donyvids Thank you for the positive feedback. I hope you have a wonderful time with your new hobby. Merry Christmas!
I know this is an old video, however, I have been trying to finish with CA for a while now and haven't been doing it correctly. After watching this I think I can actually get the finish I want on my projects. Thank you
You are welcome. Since I made this video, I now use a series of about 10 sanding pads that end up at 12,000 grit. They seem to give me an even better shine. Good luck.
I did this on several slingshots and it holds for over 5 years now and still has super high. Gloss
it's great stuff! Thanks for your comment.
This would make a very nice finish for crochet hooks. I'm currently drying 100 year old maple from my great grandparents' tree. Thanks for such a wonderful video.
Good luck, it sounds like they may become family heirlooms.
I repair plastics quite often and have used a similar method to cover my repaired areas. I have never considered using it for wood however, thanks for the great idea! 😊👍🏻
vous êtes les bienvenus!
Nicely articulated, well-planned segment, I was aware of the process before this, but stayed to the end because you did such a good job of demonstrating it.
Thank you for the kind review. Have a great week!
Great video.. and no loud music .. superb job :)
Glad you liked it. Where are you writing from? (I like to put a pin on my map for each reply I get.) Merry Christmas!
@@gfotinakes316 Weeley. Essex.
Thank you! I'm about to step into the wonderland of woodturning rings with inlays, and I have no previous experience with CA as finisher. This was a great tutorial! Thank you once more!
You are welcome, let me know when your inlay ring video us posted!
Thank you for an easily understandable lesson. I've been turning right about a month now and I'm about to try my first C.A. finish.
Thank you for the coment. You might try turning some of the cheap pen holders 12 cent Bic pens. (I show this on another of my videos. They are easy to make in 50-60 minutes, they will increase your skills, and you can make them from scrap materials. I am always giving them away to folks.
Something tells me your accelerator on the napkin method is helping keep your surface smooth even after using accelerator. I find that airborne spraying can often make the CA glue pool up and thin out in certain places and take a good finish to crap in about 1 second flat. Great tutorial, thanks.
Great point! I have to confess, this was an accidental discovery on my part. By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 California! Would you happen to have an email I can contact you at? I have some questions, from a beginning woodturner ;)
This was excellent instruction. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful! What state are you writing from (I like to keep a map with pins of reply locations. Merry Christmas!
@@gfotinakes316 I live in Idaho.
@@kellyklaask7su990 Thanks!
Thanks for sharing, it looks great btw even the grain is popping.
Thank you. Since making that video I now even get more shine by using micro mesh fine sanding pads (up to 13,000) and then finishing it off on a buffing wheel.
A video of a comparison between this method and more traditional clear coats would be cool. Also, a durability test would be interesting; scratches, dings/dents, water penetration, etc.
Awesome video George! I never thought about using CA glue as a clear coat.
Thanks!
Excellent demo. Thank You.
Glad you liked it! take care...
Great guide, thank you! I have got finger tips covered in CA so many times. Spend the next several hours picking at scratching at it to get it off!!
I know, I got some under my fingernail the other day and had to soak it awhile before it separated. Enjoy your hobby!
@@gfotinakes316 Thanks George. I am loving it so far. Planning on my buying my first decent lathe next week, a Record Power Coronet Herald.
Super glue activator is just distilled water. It mainly helps in very dry areas. I live in AZ and it takes longer for super glue to set here than it did when I lived in FL.
Thanks, I need to try that method.
Great idea, quick application, economical. Beautiful final
Thanks Jay!
I just tried this on a handle I made for an old eggbeater drill me neighbor gave me, and it worked great. Thanks for the tip.
That activator (or accelerant) can be replaced with either baking soda or water. For water use a squirt jar with the nozzle set to a fine mist. Cyanoacrylate will dry instantly if you apply either one and either one is a heckuva lot cheaper than the commercial stuff.
Thanks, I am going to try this. I hate the order given off by the accelerator.
Thank you, I am going to give water misting a try.
Some innovative pool cue makers have been using this type of finish for 10 years or so.....THANX for the info! G.
After doing a bunch of pen turnings I feel confident saying that CA glue just doesn't care about surface roughness and is content bonding to itself. In other words I put on 4 coats of the stuff and then switch to sanding it only at the very end with Micromesh. Some blue buffing compound and you get a glass-like finish.
I think you are exactly right. All the CA glue does is stack up on itself (streaks and all) and only when you sand and polish it does it do its magic. I guess we have to remember that it was always just meant to be a "glue". Thanks for sharing.
Thanks - I ll test it next on small spinning wheels - perhaps it would work also with epoxi&hardener - greetings from germany
Good luck!
Epoxy does work for this.
Really interesting! Never knew you could use CA glue as a finish.
Excellent to-the-point tutorial
Personally I don’t use a wax as the final coat as this will over time wear away and leave the scratched finish from the 2000 grit paper you used before that. I knock it back using micro abrasives unto around 4000 and then use T Cut car polish to bring out the shine. Works a treat and you end up with a super high gloss finish that is much harder wearing than wax.
I now use micro mesh pads up to 12000 grit then go to my buffing wheel with buffing compound. I have never tried the T Cut car polish, I will have to give it a try. Thanks!
Nice video, and clear about how to use CA this way. Also, thanks for crediting the music "Stranger on the Shore" by Acker Bilk. Your class shows.
Thanks for the wonderful complement/
Yes, I use in model scratch building.....If I make a master, say nose piece for an aircraft.....I cut and sand to the desired shape...I may wet it once or twice to bring the grain back up. Once finally sanding is done, I coat the piece with CA glue...(I usually use thick CA for this). then sand til smooth...
Interesting use, it is amazing what people will come up with!
I am game to give this a try. Diffidently going to have the garage door open. Thank you
Good luck! I ran into trouble with the fumes when they came under my face shield and were trapped there for awhile. I would not use a shield, only safety glasses. (George the Greek)
George Fotinakes my Greek comrade I tried the finish and I cried like a little girl man. Doors open, fans going, dust collection sucking up the air and boom 💥 the finish made me tear up so bad!! The project looks good though.
Such a clean lathe!
Thanks!
Very relaxed and clear video, great work! #subscribed
Thanks for the compliment!
Black lacquer is not clear. The reason for adding coats was to create depth. They had to wait for the solvents to flash between coats, or the solvents would get trapped and create bubbles. Also the sanding between coats made a really flat surface, and helped level imperfections under the paint.
Thanks for your reply. You might note that in my, introduction paragraph, I have corrected my incorrect information on getting things to shine.
i learned a bunch...thanks
Glad to hear it! By the way, in what state are you viewing my video? I would like to add a pin to my map for all my video replies. Thank you!
@@gfotinakes316 Land of Enchantment...NM
Good info! Thanks! Going to try a CA glue finish on a small non turning type wood project... Hope it goes well... Anyone know if a CA glue finish is ok with epoxy resin?
Good luck with that finish. Here is another video I made with super glue on a flat finish:
ua-cam.com/video/ePshTwDCTLQ/v-deo.html
@@gfotinakes316 hey, that's the one that convinced me to try it! Haha
nice video man i like different ideas like this very interesting
Thank you for the comment!
interesting way of application. From my experience with CA (especially thin form), when applied to a paper towel it immediately reacts and hardens. Let alone heat that goes along with the reaction. Next time I need to apply finish I will try that one and see whether I have any liquid glue left on a towel ;)
Notice I am only applying 2-3 drops on the towel at a time, then moving to dry towel area for the next drips. I fold the paper twice and always have a rubber gloved finger applying pressure. (Keep any accelerator on a separate towel or at least the other end of the one applying CA glue. Good luck.
Nice job.
Thank you!
It works pretty nice on my wooden rings, thanks!
Thanks a lot mr George F. Greetings from Greece ☀️
Yasou Grekos filos mou
Yasou Giorgio’s 😄 where do u live ...Australia?
If you have an Instagram account write it so I can add you to check my work.
Find me as TREE.P.ART
Nice lathe there.
Nice work George
What I do is first put some coats of raw linseed oil on the wood, I make hardwood flutes, so I will put them in a hot raw linseed oil bath, When you put the CA glue on raw linseed oil it will cure and harden the oil. It will do a similar finish but you will also have the oiled wood underneath.
Thank you for a great idea! I will try it soon.
What a great video! I have never heard of thisThanks!
Thank you for your complement!
Better question I guess if whether the wax is necissary in the process.
It might be better to use a buffing compound
George... question...I get these what looks like air pockets under my finish sometimes...what am I doing wrong? Not bubbles..
I don't know Jeff. Is the wood dry? Has there been any chemicals on the wood? I have never seen that before.
@@gfotinakes316 I think it's air or water to be honest..this stick has been nothing but problems...this will be my last complete refinish on a production cue, they are made so cheap, no good wood all paint and decals and they sell them for thousand bucks, rediculous
@@gfotinakes316 but thank you for responding
Im planning to apply a super glue on a piece of mango wood planning to used as finish ,does super glue make the wood super strong now?
I would think not. It only puts a very thin coat on the outside of the wood. This would be like stretching clear sandwich wrap around your wood and expecting greater strength. If you have cracks in your wood and put super glue into the cracks it really strengthens the wood preventing further cracking. I hope this answers your question.
thank you
You're welcome! I hope you try it.
I have used superglue on wood for decades. Its perfect for hi-gloss, high depth polished pieces, such as smoking pipes.
You should be the one making the video, but thanks for the comment. Take care!
I did this years ago on a slingshot. How well does it hold up especially with UV light? Could you sand it smooth? I'm doing this by hand
I have been doing this for years but most of my projects are small indoor items with little UV exposure. Here is a video I made that shows how to use superglue on a stationary project. Good luck!
ua-cam.com/video/ePshTwDCTLQ/v-deo.html
How does paste wax on top of “plastic” help?
I don't know! It does smell good and seems to shine more. This is an old video, I now use a buffing wheel and buffing compound to get my final shine. Have a nice holiday.
There using this for cue sticks also
I know it gives a very hard finish.
New subscriber. I was looking for help with my dust collection. Liked that video as well. Il will be design my dust collector after your second version. Thanks for doing the videos. Lots of good information. Looking forward to looking at all of your past ones.
good info. Thank you. Have you ever tried this on the routed and sanded edge of MDF which, even after sanding and priming tends to be fuzzy? I may have to give it a whirl to see if it will provide a decent surface for a spray finish.
It does seal things quickly, let me know what you find out.
Thanks for this amazing tutorial? How do you apply to a flat surface? Would you just make circular runs really quickly?
I think I show that in this video: ua-cam.com/video/ePshTwDCTLQ/v-deo.html
That's cool! Very informative, thank you!
I don't think the stuff you said about what makes things shiny is quite right.
A surface is non-shiny if light hitting it bounces off in random directions (gets scattered). If light from a given direction always bounces off in the same direction, then the object appears shiny and reflective. It's not about having several coats of clear material on top, it's just about having a surface that is smooth at the microscopic level.
Once you've got enough coats of lacquer on that the roughness of the wood is smoothed out, adding more coats won't make the surface any shinier.
I stand corrected! Thank you for giving me a quick lesson on reflection. In the future I need to stick to my lathe work and use my old explanation, " To get things shiny, just sand them a whole bunch until they feel smooth, put a clear coat over it, and wax it until it gets shiny". Ha! Ha! thanks again.
You can make things shiny with no coats of anything, just make it smooth. Look at highly polished stainless steel (or any other metal) sometime. This can be done with certain types of wood too, such as African blackwood, ebony or boxwood, because they are so dense and close-grained that they can take a polish like metal or plastic can.
It does add depth to the finish. On a car finish you can see the thickness of the clear coats and they sometimes will add a dye to them o add a candy coat effect. It looks really nice with sparkles in the base and changes the colour depth depending on the angle that you are looking at.
For shine its in the gloss in the paint. You can have a matte finish and have clear coat on top of it ant it will still be matte.
I used this process without a lathe on a knife handle and it worked great!. with the gorilla glue gel it might not be the best, but its the first one i tried and it worked! Instead of accelerant i sprayed mineral spirits on and applied the ca gel. As quickly as i could i coated the wood in gel until it set. Let it dry, and lightly sanded with 800gr wet/dry. Repeating the process about 6 times and it looks/feels like glass. It was finicky and i would suggest practicing on some sacrificial pieces first. Thanks for posting this!!!
@@MaximRecoil Trouble is, it will still get fucked up with certain liquids that might touch it. It sinks in and your beautiful polish and sometimes the product is gone. :-)
Excellent. Well done.
Thank you so much!
Thank you! :) I want to learn all this and in time, will!
You are amazing Sir!
Thanks for sharing
Thanks! I hope you give it a try.
@@gfotinakes316 I will definitely give it a try.
Thank you.
if you glue your fingers together you can use Polysporin to release them :)
Thanks, where do you buy polysporin?
HI George. This is a very well done video. I am looking forward to trying it.
I do have one question (I apologize if you already answered it). After the finish is completed, you still need the cut the piece free and sand the ends, leaving the top and bottom unfinished. I assume you leave the bottom unfinished since it is not visible, but how do you finish the top?
Thanks again
Thanks Craig. I just put a few drops of CA on a paper towel and rub it over the unfinished area. I might do this several times. I then have to go back and sand it with very fine grit 8000-1200 or buff it on my buffing wheel. I only have a cheap wheel on my drill press but I am getting a buffer for a Christmas gift. By the way, where are you writing from? (I keep a map of repy locations for fun.)
@@gfotinakes316 Thanks for quick reply. That is helpful.
I am writing from the Detroit area.
How long does it take the CA glue to setup with out the accelerator ? Very good lesion on finishing. Thanks.
I think you could probably sand it 5-8 minutes later. I have been told that a water mist will accelerate the drying, but others have said it causes fogging of the clear finish. I hope this helps.
@@gfotinakes316 Thanks
I like to add a friction polish to bring out the color. Would doing this process after the friction polish work well?
I think it might work...sounds like an experiment could answer your question.
is it considered food safe and non sensitive to drinking alcohol.
Χαιρετήσματα από Ελλάδα !
Είναι καλό να ακούμε από έναν Έλληνα αδελφό! Καλή μέρα.
Good stuff.
Thanks!
Just curious, would it be better to not use the activator on the first coat, letting in soak in more?
You might have point there. I continue to play around with how I apply coats. If you let the first coat soak in and dry for say 10 minutes, then put on a second and third coat with activator, you would probably harden the wood first and then put on layers to polish next. If you try another method and find success, let me know.
I have very little experience using CA as a finish. I’m just thinking through some ideas on the best way to do it. I enjoyed your video and it sparked some ideas.
Thanks. how do you do the same to a flat surface? I can take a guess and I have done my own but I want to see what you suggest
Take a look at this other video, then experiment with some scrap wood.
( ua-cam.com/video/ePshTwDCTLQ/v-deo.html )
I've used CA glue for quite some time and have never noticed its odor.
Maybe it's the accelerator I am smelling.
@@gfotinakes316 Next time I have a need to use CA glue, I'll try the accelerator to see if it smells. If it's ether, as someone has mentioned, you're probably correct.
@@gfotinakes316 No, I find CA very annoying odor.
Yes thanks for this tutorial. it was informative
If your dust collector is right in front of the lathe why would you worry about airborne particles? Turn it on.
He said he didnt want the added noise during the making of the video
Really cool man !
hi very nice and detailed video. Do you need the hardner or is it ok to go without it?
You do not need to use the hardener. It does save time between applications of the 2n and 3rd coats. You might notice that I can sand only seconds after the hardener has been applied. Good luck!
Once dried, is the finish tacky to the touch at all? Is it generally fast against moisture?
When I use the accelerater it is dry to the touch in 30 seconds. Since it is basically hard plastic, it is a good water block.
Thanks!
What happens if we don't use accelerator ?
It just takes a little longer to react, but only minutes, I think the hardness is the same.
cool stuff thanks.I also hate the odor of super glue.I have had a love hate relationship with it for many years.
Soooooo, the super glue loves the way you smell then?
Thank you for the tip.
CA is really awesome. It is tough and super hard. the best thing to get CA stuck to your finger is by sanding it I am afraid. some people say that WD40 works fine too.
I use fingernail polish remover (acetone). I also have figured out ways not to get in onto my skin to begin with. Tight work gloves work well for me.
Hi George cool idea but I not to happy using super glue. I will try but I will try to be very careful. thanks. I have seen it used so many times.
Just take your time. Look at my recent video ( ua-cam.com/video/6gL2HhP-BVo/v-deo.html) and see how beautiful the finish is on olive wood.
Question: HOW TO DO THIS on a stationary object(not On a lathe)?
Run around the object REALLY FAST.
I think if you add a layer of wax paper between you gloves and the paper it will eliminate the risk of gluing your glove to the material.
Thanks, I will give it a try.
Great video! thank you :)
You are welcome Isaac!
Ok Gentlemen, and Ladies :) I'm making small components using upcycled materials including paper bags. I've used pva glues and mod podge, etc, to try and harden and add shine to paper bags with mixed success. Do you think this would work on that? I use it for earrings, additions to bracelets, and even components in purses!
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated so, thanks in advance for your help. Peace
I think it would just soak in and harden...plus it is very expensive to put onto absorbent materials.
There is a custom built guitar shop that finishes with CA glue.
It seems to be very hard and polishes up like glass. Enjoy the Spring season.
Thank you.
if super glue sticks your skin together just chill. moisture from the skin will slowly weaken the glue's bond on its own.
I don't know if the CA glues that I use caused my Interstitial Lung Disease, but be very careful with them. I smelled a lot of fumes and had sanded many joints that had pockets of uncured glue in them. The steam from thin glues was especially acrid. One day a few months back I ended up with extremely low oxygen levels, and I had never smoked or been sick with breathing issues before. The doctors cured me of my double pneumonia but I spent 3 weeks in the ICU (1 in a medically induced coma and intubated) and had to learn how to walk and function again. All natural allergens were tested with negative results. It may have been the glue.
I appreciate you sharing this. One time I had my face shield on and a puff of the fumes must had gotten concentrated under the shield. My left nostril seemed "burned" and it took weeks to feel right again. Notice in my video, I stress not allowing the fumes to get airborne and I also use my dust pick up and a mask when sanding it on the lathe. Thanks again. I hope you are feeling better now.
Try 4,000, 8,000 then 12,000 grade wet and dry. The finish is like glass. No need to polish.
Thanks for the idea!
What do you mean wet and dry ? When the glue is wet ? Or the part?
'Wet and dry" is a type of carborundum paper (like very fine sand paper) . It can be used wet (with water and usually soap to stop clogging with paint particles) or dry, like conventional sand paper. I use it dry to polish cured superglue varnished wooden pens. I prepare the wood, paint with CA glue, let it cure then spin it in a wood lathe to finish. I usually give it 3 or 4 coats of CA glue and finish with 12,000 grade.
'Wet and dry" is a type of sandpaper used for rubbing down paintwork. It can be used either wet, with water (and soap) or dry. I make wooden pens and finish them with various grades of conventional sand paper, whilst spinning in a lathe, then varnish with CA glue. When it is cured, I spin the pen parts in a lathe and sand vith finer and finer grades of 'wet and dry' - used dry. After several coats of CA glue I finish with 2,000, 4,000, 8,000 then 12,000 grade and the finish is like glass. Hope that answers your question.
Whenever I use super glue it dries white?
Maybe the super glue brand has other additives involved. I would stick to thin CA glue and it should be crystal clear. Good luck.
Thanks for responding! - I've used multiple types but they always dry white. I bought a thin-viscosity CA glue that said it dried clear for a recent project and it also dried white... I am told you can apply 100c heat to turn it clear but the heat may cause damage...
I've heard of this happening before and have seen a little of it in my shop also. I read somewhere that the cause is the humidity being to high in the shop, I wish I had kept access to that article.. Now I always try to finish my pens and stuff on nice dry days because my shop has no AC and only a little heat. I bet if you monitored your humidity for a while you would soon find when the problem occurs and try to avoid those days.
That could be it! - I live in South Florida and no matter what super glue I buy, even if it promises to dry clear, it dries white. I have found much better results with quick-bond wood glue for a few recent repairs, acoustic guitar work etc.
What lathe is this? Sounds very quiet
This is the smallest Rikon mini lathe. I have since purchased a Rikon variable speed midi lathe ($549) that I like very much.
I use it with Boild Linseed Oil, 1drop each .
Does the linseed oil give a permanent finish or fade in time?
Vielen Dank!
Du bist herzlich Willkommen
fingers glued use wd 40 or house oil
I always have WD40!
Maybe after the 2nd watching ill get better results. And maybe Johnsons is that much better than the half dozen I have and tried.
The key is putting on at least 3 coats and then using finer and finer grit. I now use fine Micro Mesh sanding pads that end up at 12,000 grit! It is about as rough as notebook paper. Good luck!
@@gfotinakes316
Headed out to shop. I actually used micro mesh the 1st time. I might not have had my application perfect or open wood grain in Goncalo Alves. Going to do another today, ill see if pours are filled after 3 coats. I usually, at that point do an additional 6 to 8 coats of medium. I'd love to skip all the extra coats with the good results.
So far, I've only done wood. I'm not trying to make mine look like Chinese plastic, I just want to highlight the woods natural beauty.
Thanks
How long do you have wait in between coats if you don't use the accelerator/hardener?
I am not sure. Sometimes I will walk away for a few minutes and it is dry when I come back. Some of my viewers have told me that misting water also works as an accelerator.
I heard that moisture before the glue dries cause it to cloud up or turn white.
Cooking oil works better than acetone in my experience in getting my fingers unglued from each other.
I will have to try that, thanks for the suggestion. (I hope to never glue any parts of myself together again!).
I'm thinking of doing this on the neck of my guitar. This may sound stupid but does the end result feel sticky or will it in high temperatures?
+Electric Gypsy Maybe you should define "high temperatures", so that your question can be answered more precisely.
You would NEVER want to subject your guitar to the temperature high enough to alter CA in some way.
We glued my buddy's hand to his leg with that stuff once.
When you were done, did he give you a hand?
1 c H20 = 1t baking soda in spray bottle = accelerator.
Thanks, I will give it a try. (People have said it clouds the CA, have you found that to be true?)
@@gfotinakes316 I don't know. Unless the items you are gluing are clear, it doesn't matter.
I hope you have forced-air exhaust for the turning and sanding operations... and near the metal grinder if you have one. Don't want all those nasty organic and inorganic finish products and fine particulates in the lungs. But whine not here about the wonder of Super Glue; compared to other chemicals like acetone, WD-40, brake cleaner, paint thinner, even airborne exposure to gasoline vapors are far worse than Cyano-a fumes. Cyanoacrylates are far safer chemicals, if there is such a thing as 'safe' of course. Just look at the MSDs.