Cyanoacrylate Complete finish

[rouxwood]

I have read the posts about CA repairs, Clapton's CA refinish on necks, and Bourgeois doing CA top finishes. I've seen GluBoost videos of electric guitar finish with their CA product. I have finished other wood products (lathe turnings) with CA and they come out beautifully. Does anyone have experience with a complete acoustic finish using CA and what are the opinions on the acoustic effect? It seems like it would be thin enough to have minimal effect on the sound and hard enough to be very protective.

[zmf]

Your question is outside my knowledge base, but I'd suggest that you might want to post your question in the Custom Shop subforum.

[redir]

On the last 4 guitars I built I used CA as a pore filler and it works like a charm. I know some turners use it for a finish and I have seen some discussion of it being used as a finish on guitars in the past. My guess is that it probably would work though I don't think you can get a high gloss out of it. And it's not been time tested and proven either. So even if you do test panels and love how it looks it's not known what it might look like say ten years from now. Unless I'm mistaken and this is already out there in the wild.

[charles Tauber]

I made an arch top guitar for a good friend of mine who is also a professional musician. His body chemistry eats through lacquer in a few months. A few years ago, I repaired a large area of the arch top where his picking arm contacts the guitar top: he had long since eaten through the finish in that area. I used coats of CA glue for the repair. Aside from the discolouration of the top where the wood had been bare, it looked good as new and indistinguishable from the rest of the high-gloss finish. Unlike the original finish, the CA repair, several years later, seems impervious to his body chemistry.

While I haven't used CA glue for an entire finish, I don't really see why it couldn't be. The fumes from it could be nasty, however.

[Larpy]

I read somewhere years ago (in a source I remember thinking was reputable) that Jean Larrivée finished guitars with CA glue at some point.

[printer2]

I used CA for a pore filler on an oak fretboard years ago, I did a mat finish on it, looks good as new. The fumes were... ...a bit much. I think it would be taxing to do a whole guitar. Doable, I just would not want to.

[redir]

As for the fumes, when I pore fill with CA I do it in a part of my workshop that can be opened up as a breezway out doors. I run a large fan across the work bench and the fumes have never bothered me.

You can also buy fume-less CA but it's expensive and I'd still want to use it out doors.

Glue-Boost is some really good stuff. You can use that for filling Nitro repairs and it comes out flawless but again that stuff is pretty expensive too for an entire guitar.

[John Arnold]

For those who are sensitive to CA fumes, I recommend Bob Smith Super Gold odorless. It is the only CA I use. It is compatible with all the accelerators I have tried, including GluBoost aerosol.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

I recommend Bob Smith Super Gold odorless.

Thanks, John.

It appears in Canada, Amazon.ca sells it. Shipping is free, but a 2 oz bottle is $108.99

Canada Hobbies also sells it for $36 plus shipping: https://www.canadahobbies.ca/product...foam-safe-2oz/

[John Arnold]

I buy from these guys (no affiliation).

https://www.gravesrc.com/bsi-thin-fo...e-ca-2-oz.html

[rouxwood]

Thanks for all of the replies. It sounds like everyone is on the same page. Smells bad and a little expensive but would make a good finish and is cheaper than putting together a whole spray booth. I might do my next build with GluBoost for the poor filler and go hand rubbed poly over that.

[nickv6]

Just to add....I finished a pocket knife handle (which I had made from bare wood) in ca glue. The water grade one, rubbed in with cloth. Fumes were bad but the finish with only 3 coats polished up to a very good gloss. I've used it quite a bit and the finish seems impervious to damage.
Nick

[tadol]

Has anyone ever done any tests on CA as a finish? Long term durability, wear resistance, UV, etc etc - And cost comparisons? I don’t know, but it seems like a costly and unpleasant choice for a finish on larger projects -

[OregonJim]

I turn custom fountain pens on a lathe and often finish with CA. It's the glossiest and most durable finish I can produce, but you need really good ventilation.

[Dave Abrahamson]

How is it applied?
Do you pour it on? Dip? Drop? Brush? Spray?
I've just never head of using it for anything but a drop fill for finish work.