Curious what people use to finish brushes other than CA. Or is CA worth the hassle. I'm fighting with moisture in the wood causing the glue to haze
Finish other than ca
- Thread starter t81rd
- Start date
While CA is a great finish, I prefer wipe on poly. For me, it is easier to apply and several coats will make a hard, waterproof barrier.
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I've used a few coats of tung oil and then rubbed a coat of beeswax over the top. It did work but seemed to allow some water in as a stain i had on the wood began to lighten with use.
Haven't tried anything else other than CA which, while i was rather down on it when i started with it, i've found that i really like the finish now that i have a handle on it. It did take quite more than a few attempts however, in fact i was near the end of my first 2oz bottle before i started to get decent finishes.
If it really is moisture in the wood i'd use something else on that wood or dry it as apparently you'll never get a good finish with CA and moisture. I think there's quite a few tutorial videos out there that don't show how difficult CA can be and make it out to be as simple as sand a little and apply CA, which it can be provided all of the variables that it's very sensitive to are taken care of.
One of the keys i've found is to have a very very smooth finish and to make sure the layer you have on is cured before applying another. If you get an uneven surface after a few layers, sand it smooth wet with 1200 grit and then apply another layer, learnt this one from Gray Dog last week
Be sure to apply smoothly and don't keep going over the surface once its starting to cure.
I've taken to using Q tips and pulling the cotton lose on the end which allows me to get into the nooks and crannies on around beeds etc.
I've also found that if you get some white spots another layer of glue can sometime cover it up. Though not always.
Check my first brush thread, there's quite a few CA tips in there.
Haven't tried anything else other than CA which, while i was rather down on it when i started with it, i've found that i really like the finish now that i have a handle on it. It did take quite more than a few attempts however, in fact i was near the end of my first 2oz bottle before i started to get decent finishes.
If it really is moisture in the wood i'd use something else on that wood or dry it as apparently you'll never get a good finish with CA and moisture. I think there's quite a few tutorial videos out there that don't show how difficult CA can be and make it out to be as simple as sand a little and apply CA, which it can be provided all of the variables that it's very sensitive to are taken care of.
One of the keys i've found is to have a very very smooth finish and to make sure the layer you have on is cured before applying another. If you get an uneven surface after a few layers, sand it smooth wet with 1200 grit and then apply another layer, learnt this one from Gray Dog last week
Be sure to apply smoothly and don't keep going over the surface once its starting to cure. I've taken to using Q tips and pulling the cotton lose on the end which allows me to get into the nooks and crannies on around beeds etc.
I've also found that if you get some white spots another layer of glue can sometime cover it up. Though not always.
Check my first brush thread, there's quite a few CA tips in there.
CA is king but poly is easier and does a good job, but that’s not the real issue here. If the wood is wet the moisture is going to affect just about any finish you use. Sometimes right away, sometimes in a few months. If I buy wet blanks I cut to size, seal the ends then set aside for a year or two, or I rough turn the handle and let dry until the weight doesn’t change from one month to the next then finish turning it. Want a great finish that will last? Start with dry wood, for 2 reasons. First is obviously the moisture may cause the finish to haze, crack, bubble, peel, whatever. Secondly, as the wood dries it moves, some a lot more than others. That cured finish doesn’t want to move with it. Now we’ve all finished wood that wasn’t completely dry without problem, I’m not saying it never works. But a lot of times there are problems so if you want consistent results without wasting time, money, and work, use dry wood especially if using CA. Pay a couple extra bucks for kiln dried blanks that you can use right away while your wet wood is drying.
