# Advice Wanted - What is your process for finishing pens?



## SNSpencer (Nov 16, 2009)

I just purchased a mini lathe and a bunch of pen turning supplies/kits. I have turned before but not enough to know the best way to finish small items, like pens. I will be turning wood and plastic/acrylic. I have the abrasives(Sandpaper) for wood and plastic up to the 12,000 grit. But as far as friction polishes and final waxes I am a bit clueless. So….

What is your step by step for finishing wood and plastic pens?


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## gbvinc (Aug 6, 2007)

Not sure if this is a normal method, but I put CA glue on the wood, using wax paper to spread it over the wood, then once dried, I sand and use Mylands friction finish for a final coat. I use a paper towel to apply the friction finish and hold it on the wood until hot while spinning on the lathe. I have never made any plastic pens, so not sure what to do there.


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## Llarian (Jul 10, 2008)

Depends on the material. I usually just use micromesh and shellawax for hardwoods, and abranet pads and onestep for plastics.

For softer woods, spalted, etc, and stabilized blanks, I will remount a pen section on a dead center and livecenter without a mandrel or bushings and use ~8 coats of CA before knocking that down with abranet and finishing with onestep.

(I finish between centers due to always having the pen get stuck to the bushings otherwise and ruining the finish or the blank when I removed it, I'd like to hear how people get around that problem)


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

There is specific plastic polish for acrylic…. http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2005771/17469/HUT-Ultra-Gloss-Plastic-Polish.aspx

Use sanding pads up to 12k grit and then use the plastic polish.

On wood, sand to 400 grit, sanding sealer, then friction polish. (Mylands as well)

Use CA on antler based pens.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

Mylands, HUT or shellawax friction finishes are the easiest….and they will work on both wood and plastic. The difference in plastic blanks is the amount of sanding involved…and the grit used…..On plastic blanks (or stabalized ones too) I go up to 16000grit sanding….on wood…I will usually only go to 1500grit. Then you can put layers of Shellawax, HUT or Mylands to taste….On occasion I will add a few drops of tint or a smidgeon of powder dye when the blank needs more pop on the grains…..for a really nice gloss…I will layer some boiled linseed…some AC…then one of the friction polishes…...also you can add a few flakes of shellac to your polishes to make them have more gloss….if the finish gets dull from touching…you can buff some carnuaba or beeswax on to the pen to bring back the finish….


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## ryno101 (May 14, 2008)

My finishing is as follows for wood pens:
Sand to at least 400 grit.
all finishes are applied with the lathe on.
2 coats of the HUT Crystal Coat friction polish applied with a paper towel
1 coat of thin CA, again applied with a paper towel
then finish with the HUT PPP Sticks, first Satin then the Gloss finish.

For acrylic pens, I sand to 12000 grit, eliminate one coat of friction polish, but the rest is the same.


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

I only use Hut Crystal coat friction polish with those red shop rags. No other finish needed. I don't do plastics.


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## interpim (Dec 6, 2008)

I have used Shellawax, Hut Crystal Coat and other friction polish methods for pens. Most of these tend to get dull fairly quickly in my opinion. I personally like a pen to stay at the luster I put on it for a considerable time.
That is when I moved to the BLO/CA finish. I have recently started doing this, and after a bit of practice I have pretty much perfected the process.
I will take a blue shop towel, and roll it up to about the width of a finger. Put about 2-3 drops of BLO onto the cloth and rub that quickly across the sanded blank about 3-4 times. Then on that same spot I will put 2-3 drops of Medium CA and quickly spread it back and forth across the blank, ensuring that I never stop, and I will continue going back and forth for approximately 15 seconds.
After this, I will place 1-2 drops of BLO and 1-2 drops of CA onto a clean part of the towel and wash/rinse/repeat for about 4-5 coats until i am satisfied.

I haven't experimented with plastic or resin pens yet, so I have no advice for those.


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

I pretty much do the same as what interpim described. I watched video#2 from this link to learn the process.


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## brianhavens (Nov 23, 2009)

Since this is one of those "ask 100 woodworkers; get 100 different answers" questions, I will go ahead and throw in my two cents worth. ;-) When it comes to furniture, I am usually a Waterlox kind of guy, but my favorite finish for pens is a single coat of boiled linseed oil (dry for 24) followed by a Beall buff. I like the tactile feel of the wood when it comes items that are touched a lot. Admittedly, this works better on tight-grained woods, since the lint from the buff can get lodged in the open grain. Also some woods, like Bubinga get too dark for my taste with the boiled linseed oil.


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## SNSpencer (Nov 16, 2009)

Thanks for all your input. This will give me some options to try so see which method will work best for me. If anyone else has more to add, please feel free.


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## Seer (Jun 5, 2008)

Look here www.penturners.org they are a bundle of information and great people just like here


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