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Joe asked if I would share my method of applying CA to a reel seat.

You can venture to any pen turning site and find many ways to apply CA and they all seem to think their way is the best from using 20-25 coats of thin CA to a combination of CA + BLO or BLO + CA.

BLO acts like a lubricant and allows you to apply it smoother and slows down the curing of the CA slightly.

I use straight CA as I don't care for the look of CA + BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) or BLO + CA ... I want the high gloss look.

I also use Deft Gloss Lacquer cut 2 to 1 and Minwax Fast Drying Poly but both of these methods are slower and take a day or two to cure.

ACRONYMS:

CA - or Cyanoacrylate or Super Glue in THIN, MEDIUM or THICK
BLO - Boiled Linseed Oil

THINGS WE'LL BE USING



Blank - Spalted Oak with holes and fissures
CA - Thin and Medium
Accelerator - To cure the CA
Coffee Grounds - used as a filler for holes
Abranat sandpaper - 120 - 600 grit
0000 Steel Wool
Brown Paper sack strips
Paper Towel - (I use Bounty) Folded to apply CA (I also have used Dress Batting and Foam Sheet)
Small 1" wide scrap wood to sand the CA high spots
Micro Mesh

I have simplified my method and am getting consistent results.

I usually use THICK CA to fill any fissures, cracks and holes.

Here are a couple of holes where the spalted wood has fallen out and I've used coffee grounds to fill the voids and hit is with CA.



THIN CA (or TRU-OIL if it's a light wood and I want to emphasize the grain) with sanding dust to make a slurry paste to fill voids and 'POP' the grain.

Here I've marked the tenon to be cut down with my parting tool and the wood is ready to be sanded.



Wood preparation for accepting your finish and sanding is the secret. Sand slow, slower yet ... S-L-O-W



I've sanded with 100 grit and when I get a small pile of sawdust on the sandpaper I dribble a small puddle of Thin CA and make a slurry paste to fill any voids and to make the wood 'POP'

I find some small holes and fill them with coffee grounds and sand flat with a small flat stick with sandpaper wrapped around it. The coffee grounds
blend nicely into the wood and gives it look of depth with the CA applied.



More holes and I fill with Coffee Grounds and add a drop of Thin CA and hit it with the accelerator and then sand with 320 to smooth the surface.



Now we're ready to start sanding to prepare the wood for a finish.

When you start sand back and forth. Stop the lathe.

While turning the wheel by hand sand back and forth across the grain to remove any scratches.

Do this for every grit you use. (Those of you that have a metal lathe you can just reverse and sand backwards and this also removes the scratches).

Now that I've gone through to 600 grit and it is smooth I use some 0000 Steel Wool to polish the wood.

Now I run the lathe as fast as it will go, and burnish the wood with a piece of grocery-bag paper which is the equivalent of 2500 grit.



Now I fold the paper towel into fourths so I have a strip that is about 1" wide.

I put about 5 drops of CA on the paper towel and turn the lathe down to a slow speed and apply the CA rapidly back and forth.

Don't wait too long or the paper towel will stick to the wood and you get to start over.

I didn't learn my lesson yesterday as it is 37ºF in the garage, too cold, and I try to use Medium CA and it looks like a potato chip.

Sand back down and now I apply 4 coats of Thin CA Now ready to polish the CA finish with the Micro Mesh to 12000 grit.



I use a small can of warm water with a few drops of dishwasher soap in it and wet sand the insert.

I remove the insert from the lathe and I take a 3/8" Transfer Punch and put it in the chuck of the Drill Press.

Put some 600 grit sandpaper on the table and then I just slide the insert down and lightly polish the ends where some CA
has built up from apply it on the lathe to make it square.




Here's a lovely piece of Amboyna gracing a REC skeleton finished with the same method