CA turns white

[Peter Lamb]

Is there a secret to preventing CA from turning when sprayed with accelerator? ometime yes others no!
Thanks in advance
Peter

[Robert Snowden]

Don't spray,Spray the ca on a shop towel and wipe gently,your problem will be solved.Blue shop towel from wally world.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Pete accelerating the CA will make it very hot, any moisture will boil and make the CA full with bubbles that make it look white and spongy especially if there's more CA, a very fine check will not be much of a problem normally, and any white on the surface can be turned scraped off.
Try to just wait a few more seconds, it normally doesn't take that long, the bigger problem is when the acceleration start by the wood itself as does happen with spalted and other things in and on the wood.

Also a very fine accelerator mist does not cause the same amount of whitening as a coarse spray in my experience

[Bernie Weishapl]

Don't use accelerator. That will turn it white.

[Donny Lawson]

I don't know if my CA problem is the same or not but when I finish my pens and use the BLO and CA method it takes a few min. and then turns white also.So 2 cedar pens have done this.
Donny

[David E Keller]

If you can avoid accelerator, then do so. If you need it, use it sparingly.

[Mac Carlton]

Try some DNA before you apply the CA.
Thin CA is the worst for me turning white with or without accl.
So I use med. CA on most, sometimes thick.
DNA will remove some oils ,water and dust, and dries at the snap of a finger on small thin stuff, like pens.
I do CA finishes on most all of my pens, and a lot of my small turnings.
Don't have many white out problems maybe 1 out of 100. and is usually caused by(friction heat) getting the blank to hot when applying PP after MM when finishing.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Leo, you're spot on! I have about the same luck as you, Peter. I will say that open grained wood is much more prone, probably for the reasons that Leo outlined; if there's space to bubble, it will. Also, I find that even dry spalted wood will occasionally bubble and turn white even if you don't use the accelerator; there's something to it more than just moisture content; perhaps someone else knows the secret. I use accelerator whenever I use CA because I don't like to pick tiny pieces of CA glue out of my hair. In other words, I like to keep turning instead of waiting!

PS; I keep meaning to take pics of the live oak bowl from the block you gave me last spring; it turned out great. The bowl is "somewhere" in the shop. WOW is that stuff hard! Also, I'm loving the books. Cheers!

[Peter Lamb]

Thanks all for the thoughtful responses
Peter

[Chris Stolicky]

I just recently heard that using an aerosol can rather than a pump sprayer works much better - i.e. cause less whitening.

Kind of goes along with what Leo is saying above.....

I have only used the pumps.

[James Combs]

I have only used the aerosol and have had no problems. You can really get a fine spray with the aerosol.

I just recently heard that using an aerosol can rather than a pump sprayer works much better - i.e. cause less whitening.

Kind of goes along with what Leo is saying above.....

I have only used the pumps.

[Chris Rae]

I use CA finish on my pens, but I use the aerosol can and sparingly. I don't have any problems, but I don't like the pump spray.

[michael gallagher]

Is there a secret to preventing CA from turning when sprayed with accelerator? ometime yes others no!
Thanks in advance
Peter

I agree with Bernie - don't use the accelerator, but I will add to his comment: only use the accelerator on a tube vs. your finish. The only time I use accelerator is before I apply the glue, specifically with olive wood. I've found if you use the accelerator sparingly (the aerosal kind) then immediately apply several coats of thin CA with a paper towel you will get a really glossy shine - IF you let it dry for a couple of hours then finish it off with micromesh.

[michael gallagher]

I don't know if my CA problem is the same or not but when I finish my pens and use the BLO and CA method it takes a few min. and then turns white also.So 2 cedar pens have done this.
Donny

Donny-

Cedar can make a really fine looking pen, but there are a lot of oils competing with the CA glue.

I threw away a lot of cedar pen blanks after turning as I would have a heck of a lot of streaks or white smudges in the CA finish until someone suggested soaking the pen blank in DNA for 24 hours to leech out a lot of the cedars oils. Worked like a charm ever since, and hopefully it can work for you.

[Jerry Clark]

I was having a lot of problems with the CA on pens, so I tried the blue towel application. I am happy with the results-- also it is faster. I don't use a accelerator, just let the lathe runs a minute and it is set.