Pen finishing.

Go to yahoo's penturning group. Subscribe for free at this link below.

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Look through their FAQ, Files, and Databases for different types of finishes. Alot of people like the CA finish (this is the cyanoacrolite glue also known as super glue) This is a long lasting finish

Others swear by Mylands or Hut friction polish (I use these myself with great success) and other uses deft spray finishes

Good Luck Ricc Havens Elkhart, IN

For a *good looking* and long lasting finish use a lacquer. You can either spray, dip it, or make a lacquer based friction polish so it can be applied much like the shellac based ones (Crystal Coat, Hut, Mylands, etc.). Personally, I use the shellac based ones most often but they don't last a long time. They're easy to apply and don't stink nearly as much as the lacquer based ones. But, for people that actually use the pens everyday and all day long, the lacquer can't be beat for durability and good looks.

- Andrew

Andrew, How do you make a lacquer-based friction polish. I make my own shellac-based one with BLO, shellac, and a touch of beeswax. Billh

Probably for every pen turner you're going to get a "preferred" finish, depending on what their particular favorite is. Personally, it depends on the wood for me.

For oily exotics, I use just a couple of coats of Butcher's Bowling Alley Wax. The first coat I apply liberally with a sponge, let it dry for a minute or two then buff it off. The second coat I apply liberally with my fingers and allow the heat of friction to melt the wax into the pores of the wood. Then, it's important to let the wax dry for 15-30 minutes and then buff with a soft cloth or paper towel. It gives a bright, very tough shine which can be brought back to "like new" with just a rebuffing with a piece of cloth. By the time the wax has worn completely away, there is a patina building on the wood that is better than a wax anyhow.

For drier or more porous woods, I use a combination of cellulose sanding sealer, applying it while sanding and reapplying with each grit, and then follow up with the aforementioned Butcher's wax.

For really punky woods, I've been known to apply a coat of CA glue, allow it to dry, then resand and final polishing with EEE Ultrashine.

For plastics, no finish is necessary. Just keep sanding to your finest grit, making sure your finest grits are wet sanded, up to at least 1500 but higher if you have it, then follow up with EEE Ultrashine.

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Or finish it up with some whitening toothpaste. Same abrasive/polishing ingredients as in the EEE Ultrashine. Just don't switch that around (using the EEE Ultrashine for toothpaste ... ick).

- Andrew

Very much the same as your shellac friction polish. The basics are the lacquer, solvent (lacquer thinner), penetrating oil (the BLO is one choice) if you want, and a wax (lots of choices here) to give it the "meat" and polish characteristics. There are all kinds of variations and additional additives for different properties but that's the basic idea. Just start mixing different things in small batches/concentrations and see how it works.

- Andrew

shellac-based

"Nurse, my meal was fine except for the the Kentucky Jelly. I put it on the toast but it didn't taste very good."

"Kentucky Jelly?"

"Yes, this packet right here. 'KY Jelly.'"

-- Mark