To Mars and Back!!!

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Rollerbob

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Ok, you probably don't want to hear all this but just give me a little umbrella of grace. Received a few of the Ancient Mars blanks from Exotic Blanks. Being new at this gig I just had to turn one. Holy moly was this forever a challenge. Started with the usual proceedure(won't bore with that) waited for the epox to set, knocked the corners off my blank for easier turning(learned that on this site) and placed on the mandrel for some fun. Started with good sharp tools(another insight from said site)and commence to cutting, trying to remember slow and patient, slooow and paaatient, you get the drift, finally time for sanding. Starting with the big grit to smallest and then micro to 12000 and then I got this bright idea to throw a little CA and sand some more, big, BIG mistake. So, I sanded some more up to 12000. Then noticed a lot of scratches after all this. So, I tell my self you just didn't put enough CA on. you guest it, I put more CA on and sanded again all tttthhheee wwaaayy tooo 12000000! Still not looking good, so back to Mars bar and started over again, FINALLY after 4.5 hours I have a $12,000 pen for sale!?! Any takers? Best pictures I could take, not sure what the little whiteflakes are in the picture but this blank is gorgeous, great work to EB.
 

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alphageek

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Beautiful pen. I know these blanks well... You WILL get better at them.

Since you told so much, I guess I'd have couple of questions/hints... 1) You say sharp tools - skew? If not that may make a difference... The skew takes some handling, but will be worth it. 2) There is variations in sharp (I get better all the time at that too!) 3) Sanding... What grit starting with and wet or dry? Wet beats dry on these acrylics HANDS down.

Hopefully with some more experience, this won't take as long... But for being new at this, you did GREAT.
 

neon007

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Looks nice. I have made many PR blanks that look just like that. Only thing I may suggest from exp and from your pic is the need to paint the tubes first. The blanks get so thin that most will show the tube. The white specs look to be tiny voids that are filled with dust or polish. Could be wrong but that has been my exp as well. To fix that I blow them off with compressed air after sanding.
 
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Rollerbob

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Beautiful pen. I know these blanks well... You WILL get better at them.

Since you told so much, I guess I'd have couple of questions/hints... 1) You say sharp tools - skew? If not that may make a difference... The skew takes some handling, but will be worth it. 2) There is variations in sharp (I get better all the time at that too!) 3) Sanding... What grit starting with and wet or dry? Wet beats dry on these acrylics HANDS down.

Hopefully with some more experience, this won't take as long... But for being new at this, you did GREAT.
Thanks, I did use a sharp skew. This was the only tool that seemed to prevent chipping. As far as sanding, started at 150 thru 600 and then MM but did not wet sand, sounds like part of my problem, huh? The white specks are in the pic only not on the pen. I've done a few PR blanks but this one seemed to be much thicker and quite hard. Thanks again for your advice.:wink:
 

Rollerbob

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mama said there'd be days like this. try some plastic polish too. but for sure, wet sanding is the only way to do this right.
Well, Well look what the cat drug in! Wet sanding would have probably saved a few hours but what the hey know better next time. Plastic polish was applied, the pics don't do it justice:mad:
 

mickr

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why put CA(plastic) on plastic blank? Why start at 150 grit? Want to understand your method...
 

Rollerbob

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why put CA(plastic) on plastic blank? Why start at 150 grit? Want to understand your method...
Gotta understand, I am new at this so first thought I needed to start with coarse working my way to finer, as far as CA thought that it would fill any voids that might exist. No scholar here! Certainly open for tutoring:)
 

wdcav1952

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Funny, your avatar looks like that of a scholar! :biggrin:

You'll get there as this is a great example of perseverance. The end result looks very nice, and that is the important thing.

Try wet sanding if you like, but it is not necessary. As I have mentioned before, listen to advice from all directions, but find what works best in your hands and your shop.
 

alphageek

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Gotta understand, I am new at this so first thought I needed to start with coarse working my way to finer, as far as CA thought that it would fill any voids that might exist. No scholar here! Certainly open for tutoring:)

It depends on you're skill... I normally don't use CA unless 100% necessary (IE airbubbles). You'll know when there is something that needs filling when you see it. (And I'm NOT convinced that CA is the right answer for that - working on some other ideas Ed gave me for the rare times there are bubbles.)

And if you're skew work is good, no reason to introduce scratches. I almost never use anything more course than 320 these days... And if I do a really good job on an acrylic can even start with 400 or 500 wet. And ON acrylics... ANYTHING dry will introduce scratches.. get to wet paper as soon as you are able to.
 

ed4copies

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This thread demonstrates that there is no ONE RIGHT way. YOUR way is the important thing, if it WORKS for YOU!!!

I use 150 grit sandpaper if there are "pre-exisiting pits" (I NEVER create them with MY skew and vibration, so they MUST have been there). The 150 grit will allow you to sand down, til the pits are gone.

Also, I DRY sand. This is not to say WET sanding is bad. I have always been a PRODUCTION turner, I make pens FAST and GOOD. Wet takes longer.

Also I have never been sold on CA to fill. I have done it, often (remember, I am the "experimental lab" for a PR Princess - not every experiment is a KEEPER). SOMETIMES the fill looks great. But the same procedure can also get white - I am experimenting with alternative methods. Will let you know when I find one that I like.

OH, NICE looking final pen!!!!

When I started doing acrylic, I was convinced a pen could not be made in less than an hour. I have since realized, EXPERIENCE will make all the difference. Now, 15 minutes is SLOW. But, I still have FUN!!! Hope you do, too!!
 

wdcav1952

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Dean, I have to mildly disagree with you on sanding. All, repeat, all sandpaper, whether wet or dry leaves a scratch pattern. Irregular scratch patterns are what is displeasing to our eyes. Regardless of how coarse or fine one starts to sand, the initial grit leaves its scratch pattern. The next grit used needs to remove this scratch pattern and replace it with the scratch pattern of the grit in use.This is why it is not a good idea to skip grits. Progressively and correctly moving through the grits results in a finer and finer scratch pattern, but the scratch pattern is still there. It is less visible to the naked eye, but is there nonetheless.

Depending upon the quality of the sand paper, the scratch pattern is more or less uniform. This is why it is difficult to obtain a decent finish with cheap sand paper. Micro Mesh has an awesomely uniform scratch pattern which is why it leaves such a pleasing finish. Followed by Micro Gloss, which has 1 micron abrasive crystals, the result is a finish that gets applause on the SYOP forum. It must be noted, there is still a scratch pattern, albeit one the it not detectable without magnification.

So, use your abrasives wet if you wish, or dry if you prefer. They all leave scratches. Control of the scratches is your objective.
 

Rollerbob

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Interesting comments on the sanding progressions. Piting or chipping did not seem to be a real issue once I turned to the skew, prior, trying to use a gouge did just as the name indictes, big mistake. As far as the scratches, after going through the first series of paper and then MM, then is when I noticed sizable scratches. This is when I turned to CA thinking it would hide said scratching, this is when I ran into my problem. Thus, causing me to get more aggressive with the heavier grit paper. Only then was I able to clean up te deep scratches. I used a magnifier between grits making sure each grit took out prior grits scratches,if this make sense. Once I cleared out all the junk off the blank, then and only then did I began to get the gloss that I have seen on so many pens on this forum. This was certainly a learning curve and knowing now it will not be repeated in the future. I do want to try the wet sanding just to see if it suites me and creates a better finish, but rest assured I am surrounded by some amazing pen creators and I thank you for your guidance.
 

alphageek

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Wow.. Yep agreed - to each their own.

Just to clarify - I agree with Cav in that in general 'skipping' grits isn't the greatest idea. However, I believe that each persons skew (based on tools, ability, etc) will leave initial scratch marks of different sizes.

For ME - If I sand at 150 or 220 most days I am introducing bigger scratch marks then the tool left. (Some days and some materials, this isn't true).

I also find Ed's 'production turner' comment VERY interesting... I've only been turning a couple of years now, but I have made marked inprovement in that time. What I find interesting is that personally, I'm FASTER with wet sanding... Now I'm wondering why that is. My initial guess is that my wet sandpaper must have better patterns than the dry and introduce less.

Oh.. and lastly I hope that Rollerbob and anyone else reads all of these as opinions. Each person WILL work out their own method.
 
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