CA versus auto finish

[JBCustomCues]

The CA is just an alternative to doing it right. I don't care if you use auto finish, one of the very good new WB finishes that are out now or just a general poly spray finish, they will all be better in the long run then CA. Ca is by no means easy to apply so if that is the reason to use it spraying is by far easier. Ca cracks, develops spider web lines and chips. It is also difficult to repair once the worst happens.

Macguy,
I am not trying to ruffle your feathers or any thing but do you even make cues? After doing a search I could not find anything on you showing any thing that you have done.. So My question to you is how do you know about all these developing problems with CA finishes? And what testing have you done to back it up?

Now my question for everyone else on here that hates CA is how many of you have tried it and what did kind did you use(name brand ,vescosity) ?? Now as for me I have tried a lot of finishes sence I have been building cues including auto clear, epoxy finishes, CA and a few others. And when all was said and done I settled on useing CA because of ease of use, I can finish a cue in an afternoon and you dont need any special equipment to apply.. Now through some experimenting I came to fine that not all CA is created equal. Now I dont know about the rest of you but my finish has never and I mean never chiped, cracked or spider webbed on any of my cues. As for durability of my finish I have done the wack test and I would say it dents with the wood 85% of the time if not more. And as to repair to a CA finish there could not be any thing easier. Lets say that someone dents their cue. What other finish can you fill that dend hit it with some accelorator, sand flush and buff and it looks like new. Now I am not saying this out of theory. I have done it with great results..

 

[DanO]

I tried CA on a about a half dozen of my earlier cues but it seemed like a lot more work. I was very happy with the results though. I'm hooked on auto clear now. Once I built a 3 cue turning rack and a "non-legal" spray booth with an explosion proof light and fan I haven't tried anything else.

 

[macguy]

Macguy,
I am not trying to ruffle your feathers or any thing but do you even make cues? After doing a search I could not find anything on you showing any thing that you have done.. So My question to you is how do you know about all these developing problems with CA finishes? And what testing have you done to back it up?

Now my question for everyone else on here that hates CA is how many of you have tried it and what did kind did you use(name brand ,vescosity) ?? Now as for me I have tried a lot of finishes sence I have been building cues including auto clear, epoxy finishes, CA and a few others. And when all was said and done I settled on useing CA because of ease of use, I can finish a cue in an afternoon and you dont need any special equipment to apply.. Now through some experimenting I came to fine that not all CA is created equal. Now I dont know about the rest of you but my finish has never and I mean never chiped, cracked or spider webbed on any of my cues. As for durability of my finish I have done the wack test and I would say it dents with the wood 85% of the time if not more. And as to repair to a CA finish there could not be any thing easier. Lets say that someone dents their cue. What other finish can you fill that dend hit it with some accelorator, sand flush and buff and it looks like new. Now I am not saying this out of theory. I have done it with great results..

No feathers Ruffled. The product I experimented with, I am open minded, was the ones made by Satellite industries called Hot Stuff. Tim Scrugges told me about it. He was experimenting with it at the time. They do make one for finish that is used on model boats air planes, pens and so on. It was not very good when compared to most any other finish I had used. In my post you took exception to I called it an alternative. Meaning someone just starting out would probably chose this route because it is available, cheap and will get the job done in most cases. You may have worked out some of the problems that others have had and are very happy with it. What CA product are you currently using?

 

[JBCustomCues]

No feathers Ruffled. The product I experimented with, I am open minded, was the ones made by Satellite industries called Hot Stuff. Tim Scrugges told me about it. He was experimenting with it at the time. They do make one for finish that is used on model boats air planes, pens and so on. It was not very good when compared to most any other finish I had used. In my post you took exception to I called it an alternative. Meaning someone just starting out would probably chose this route because it is available, cheap and will get the job done in most cases. You may have worked out some of the problems that others have had and are very happy with it. What CA product are you currently using?

Pm sent.........

 

[scdiveteam]

CA is not safe either!

Hi,

Automotive Clear Coat is not the Bogie Man. Like any other endeavor in life that involves safety and awareness you must be smart and diligent when dealing with hazardous type items. Reformulated Gasoline is very toxic and has all sorts of chemical hazards but your wife and kids pump it into your cars every day.

There are 10s of thousand of body shops all over the place with people using this stuff in large volumes. If there were a systemic health problems to the public and people who use this stuff the EPA would shut it down.

The main thing to remember is to wear your mask when mixing as well as spraying. With my booth, I could spray without a mask and not smell the product at all because of the cfm volume from my exhaust ductwork. I always wear my mask when spraying but you must also make sure your wear it while mixing as this is a time when exposure can be very high.

Nothing wrong with using CA if you wish but don't think it is safe to breath because it is not. If you look into it carefully you will find that long term expousre health effects are not known from respiratory inhalation. Lets face it, most people use a drop or two to fix something and thats it. It is non toxic as it is used in dentistry but then again I don't think anyone is going to mix up a glass of automotive clear and drink it.

You can kill yourself with a steak knife if you are not careful but we all use knifes everyday. You don't say I am not going to eat because the knife might slip and I will die.

Automotive clear coat does not threaten your health if you are smart and prudent when handling it. I like it because it makes my cues look real bright and shinny! :happydance:

Be careful and safe all the time,

Rick G

 

[DanO]

Hi,

The main thing to remember is to wear your mask when mixing as well as spraying. Rick G

Dang I never thought of that one! Fireproof exhaust, check. Fireproof lighting, check. Wear my mask while mixing, woops. I don't even snap my fan on till I'm spraying. I will now.

 

[manwon]

According to BSI, CA does not contain cyanide and is not toxic...
http://www.bsi-inc.com/Pages/hobby/hfaq/index.html#6

i stand corrected
it's not cyanide, but some other unnamed gas that will burn your eyes and lungs

It also comes in a low off gas formula the company that makes it is called Aron Alpha, and it works very well. There is hardly any smell and with a decent ventilation system you can't hardly even tell it was used.

By the way, most of the gas created when using CA is a direct result of the bleaching compond used during the production of the paper towels, so by buying certain brands of paper towels it can also be greatly reduced.

Take care Brent

 

[qbilder]

Theres nothing wrong with a CA finish. Its like anything else. It all relies on the grade of the product and the skill of the person applying it. I have used epoxy, several auto clears, UV, and CA. With everything I try to find the best product and application technique. I can do a CA finish anytime & put it against anybodys finish in the strength & durability dept. As for polishing, I was able to eventually get it to shine as well as anything else I have used but my shine & polishing could be better overall, no matter the finish. Its not hard to do nor is it dangerous given that you have good ventilation. Like I said, its all about whos doing it & what product theyre using.

 

[greyghost]

CA is brittle......but you can make it not brittle......it can b/c flexible like an auto clear and not chip or bubble when hit. You see CA is like old skool car window glass......now they add layers of plastic b/t the glass to make it shatter proof.....you can do the same with CA by adding other stuff to it and make it layered and it will b/c flexible and wont be brittle.


Hint......there are a few differient "chemicals" or products that are found in the home that work......the other you can buy at the paint store in diff varieties......

oh and I wet sand CA its easier and no particulate in the air.


-Grey Ghost-

 

[Graciocues]

CA is brittle......but you can make it not brittle......it can b/c flexible like an auto clear and not chip or bubble when hit. You see CA is like old skool car window glass......now they add layers of plastic b/t the glass to make it shatter proof.....you can do the same with CA by adding other stuff to it and make it layered and it will b/c flexible and wont be brittle.


Hint......there are a few differient "chemicals" or products that are found in the home that work......the other you can buy at the paint store in diff varieties......

oh and I wet sand CA its easier and no particulate in the air.


-Grey Ghost-

I was mixing my super glue 3 parts thin with 1 part med gap filling and had better results. Super glues are not the same and can have bad reactions when mixing. Use caution when mixing chemicals.

The main reason I quit using CA was the odor. It's a good finish when properly executed. CA clear would not prevent me from buying a cue.

All the finished used on cues are good when properly executed. Some will hold up to the test of time better then others.
The automotive clears are designed to handle anything thrown at them. The auto world spends millions advancing their products to make a thin transparent material the shield of armor it is. It's almost amazing how durable the auto clears are these days. There's nothing that compares and if you want to use the best material on your cue set up to use auto clear. You can apply auto clear without spraying. You get what you pay for so don't buy the $30 a quart crap. If you can afford the investment and your capable of learning the UV system it has many benefits. $250 a quart isn't cheap and it comes with a learning curve.

 

[Mcues]

Theres nothing wrong with a CA finish. Its like anything else. It all relies on the grade of the product and the skill of the person applying it. I have used epoxy, several auto clears, UV, and CA. With everything I try to find the best product and application technique. I can do a CA finish anytime & put it against anybodys finish in the strength & durability dept. As for polishing, I was able to eventually get it to shine as well as anything else I have used but my shine & polishing could be better overall, no matter the finish. Its not hard to do nor is it dangerous given that you have good ventilation. Like I said, its all about whos doing it & what product theyre using.

Most people get in trouble hurrying the process..spraying hardner every other coat etc.
With a good epoxy base I can do a durable CA finish over two days .

Mario