TL adventures

[JohnH]

I've yet to try CA, but have been tempted a few times. Makes sense if you're painting a solid colour too. Be sure and wear a good respirator that protects from fumes.

For sure. I have one somewhere from my time as a print tech, but I'll have to find it.

[JohnH]

Well, I can recommend CA as a grain filler - easy to apply, easy to sand flat. The fumes and dust are terrible, but PPE and good ventilation take care of that.

I'm not sure what wood this body is, but it's been the nicest to work on of the kits I've had so far. I assume the 'A' stands for alder or ash? It doesn't seem to have the wide grain I've read to expect with ash, but it's also possible the kit wasn't a TL-'A' anything to begin with - I ordered it so long ago I just have to assume I typed the kit ID correctly, but who knows.

I read a lot of differing instructions online for using CA, so FWIW, I did two coats and tried both applying it with a credit card and paper towel. Both were fine - the card was very easy on the front and back, the paper towel was easier on the sides. I read someone on a forum elsewhere used a deck of playing cards to distribute it, which also seems like a good idea.

I'd also read differing opinions on how long to leave it before sanding back. Some people said 12 hours, some said 20 minutes, etc. I went down the middle and waited 6 hours.

Sanded to 180 after the first coat and 240 after the second. Feels great!

I used less than 9 ml to cover the body each time, so it really doesn't use a lot. As I said though, this wood doesn't seem to have a very open grain, so perhaps it isn't the best example of what CA can or can't do. I'll definitely try it again on the next build.

I had one minor set back with some rogue muesli ending up under the body and causing a few small dents (the joys of young kids), but steamed and sanded them out.

Also spent today building a spray jig with my daughter. We had made some dodgy pine cabinets under our stairs when we first moved in, and replaced them with better ones over Xmas. So we turned one of the smallest ones upside down, and drilled a hole through for the dowel.

[McCreed]

Yes, that's definitely not Ash. I should have looked closer earlier on.
That's either Alder or Basswood IMO. Unfortunately, neither one of those timbers requires grain filling... oops...

[JohnH]

Ha ha ha, it's no drama. I got to try something new, which is always worthwhile

[Simon Barden]

View it as a sanding sealer then, rather than a grain filler. Plus it will have strengthened the wood surface a bit, so you’re less likely to get dents.

[Simon Barden]

Just been looking to see how long GluBoost say to wait after applying their CA finishes before sanding, but they basically tell you to use their GluDry quick-hardening accelerant and then wait 30 minutes.

I’ve used accelerant before and it’s great for getting an instant glue joint, but the stuff I used does cloud and pucker the surface a bit. GluBoost’s version isn’t supposed to do that, but you do pay a lot more for it.

Otherwise I’ve seen a generic 24 hours for full hardening for CA mentioned, and I’d wait that long before putting any other finish over the top, but I’m sure 6 hours is perfectly fine for sanding back.

[JohnH]

I dodgied up a spray booth in our sunroom - works a treat!

[JohnH]

Pretty happy with the colour so far (this is after the first coat of clear).

I've put off spraying until now because it isn't ideal (have to close off the sunroom, kids at home, neighbours very close by, etc), but I've absolutely loved it. It's been the most pleasant finishing experience I've had, so huge thanks to Phrozin for his great step-by-step instructions

[Trevor Davies]

Looking good!

[McCreed]

Cool colour!

Is that grain showing, or the reflection of your roof?