# Cherry Burl Euro Twist



## GeorgeS (Oct 22, 2015)

Ok so this is my third pen and I learned a lot on this one. I have a mistake I can't get rid of but I will never make that mistake again. I did my first round of sanding and realized that some of the voids had not filled smoothly so I cleaned it (obviously not well enough) and put some more CA on it. When I came back to it I had a nice white filled void in a few places. I took all the CA back off to try and resolve the issue but that didn't help because it was below the surface. Oh well lesson learned. Here are the pics. I still like it, that Burl is beautiful.

Reactions: Like 6 | EyeCandy! 2


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## duncsuss (Oct 22, 2015)

You're still way ahead of the curve if this is only your third pen.

(For next time ... if you have a compressor, a blast of 90psi will normally clear out the sanding dust from pin-prick voids like that.)

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## GeorgeS (Oct 22, 2015)

@duncsuss Thank you Duncan! That is a great plan. I just moved the small compressor closer to the lathe. I really like turning pens. I love bowls as well they just take longer, with the drying process.


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## manbuckwal (Oct 22, 2015)

Its addicting isn't it . Good looking pen. I too use a compressor for that very reason

Reactions: Like 1


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## duncsuss (Oct 22, 2015)

I enjoy turning pretty much everything (but I won't turn black palm ever again )

One other way to deal with pin-prick voids ... Before hitting it with CA, I often rub a coat of boiled linseed oil or Danish oil onto the blanks -- it can make the figure really pop. If I see there are some voids, I'll take a piece of sandpaper (whatever was the highest grit I'd sanded the blank to) and wet-sand the blank with oil. It forms a slurry that fills the voids, kind of like grain sealing a piece of oak by oil-sanding it. Then remove the surplus slurry and do your CA finish.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## ripjack13 (Oct 22, 2015)

Also a sharpie can hide white spots. Or an india ink felt pen...

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13 (Oct 22, 2015)

Oh...and very nice George....

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## GeorgeS (Oct 23, 2015)

@manbuckwal It is definitely addicting.

@duncsuss Im sure there is a story behind the black Palm! Thank you very much for the info. I will try the wet sand slurry on the next one. I like the idea of the Danish oil too!

@ripjack13 Gret idea also! I was thing on my next one when I run across a void that's good size to fill it with black epoxy. I will try the sharpie trick too! Thank you for the compliment.


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## Final Strut (Oct 23, 2015)

Duncan took the words right out of my mouth. Anytime I turn burl I always hit it with boiled linseed oil before my CA. after the BLO application while the lathe is turning I inspect the blanks to make sure there aren't any of those little dust filled pockets left. If there is just rub over it with your linseed oil cloth and they will disappear.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## GeorgeS (Oct 23, 2015)

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much!


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## TimR (Oct 23, 2015)

Great job, nothing not to like on this pen. Keep it up. The whole finishing thing, is something that even after about 100 pens, I feel like I'm still perfecting. So ... 97 to go...


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## GeorgeS (Oct 23, 2015)

@TimR I hope I learn something from every one of them. Last night I also learned not to press on the paper towel while applying CA! It took twenty minutes to get that clump of solid CA filled paper towel off my finger by soaking it in nail polish remover. Oh and by the way CA gets really hot when curing!!

Reactions: Agree 2 | Funny 1


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## TimR (Oct 23, 2015)

Man...don't I know that too!! That stuff packs a one two punch, burns your fingers and you can't get the stuff off fast enough, meanwhile, it's spewing out the vapor when burning which gets in your eyes/nose/lungs...ughh. Yea, I now have a technique that uses sufficient paper towel thickness (folded over to a 6 ply min), apply, and then pitch the little piece of paper towel away from me once the finish is wiped on.
I started out with a technique some use that has you apply a little boiled linseed oil to the paper towel before applying the CA...but as I started perfecting my use of CA alone, I don't need the BLO. Some folks I've heard have had mixed results using the BLO also...so best not to use, I think.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rdabpenman (Oct 23, 2015)

Looks well turned from here.
I use a tack cloth to wipe down the blank prior to apply the finish.

Les

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## duncsuss (Oct 23, 2015)

GeorgeS said:


> Last night I also learned not to press on the paper towel while applying CA! It took twenty minutes to get that clump of solid CA filled paper towel off my finger by soaking it in nail polish remover. Oh and by the way CA gets really hot when curing!!



Seems everyone has to learn this lesson for themself ... some of us more than once 

I've now switched to applying the CA using "craft foam" which doesn't absorb the CA or trigger it to cure. (It's like using a plastic blade to apply thin jointing compound.) I bought it at KMart (or maybe it was Walmart) in the arts/crafts section, 99 cents for a big sheet that I cut into half-inch strips. Application is a little different than using paper towels -- I run it along the barrel, which usually creates a helical ripple of CA. Then I tap the square front edge of the foam against it to remove the ripple, and step-and-repeat the whole way down the barrel (not dragging, which just creates another ripple).

Reactions: Like 1


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## TimR (Oct 23, 2015)

I need to try the craft foam...that stuff has all sort of uses. This is why I have some craft foam lying around...


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## GeorgeS (Oct 23, 2015)

I'm hoping against hope that this will be the one and only time that ever happens but if my previous track record dictates the future I will be seeing the nail polish remover again! My wife sure got a good kick out of it! I got a good chuckle as well after it stopped burning! I have a nice little blister as well. Unfortunately I'm one of those saps that chews his fingers too so there is never a whole lot of extra skin to loose!


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## duncsuss (Oct 23, 2015)

TimR said:


> I need to try the craft foam...that stuff has all sort of uses. This is why I have some craft foam lying around...



HERE is the way I described my process in an earlier post ... @ripjack13 tried it and liked it.

Thanks for the DRS link, good stuff on his site.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Oct 23, 2015)

Yep...no more paper towels for me..cept to wipe the drool....

Reactions: Funny 1


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## GeorgeS (Oct 23, 2015)

I will have to see what is in the kids piles downstairs. I am sure one of the drawers has foam in it.


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