LeeR
Member
This pen represents a couple firsts for me:
1. Turning spalted wood
2. Using a CA finish
I've now done 23 pens, having started in the Fall, turning 15 or so for Christmas presents, and a handful for gifts to coworkers. I was a little apprehensive, having jsut turned an Inlace Acrylester blank previously, and that was a real pain, but it turned out pretty nice.
I bought several spalted pecans blanks from IAP member McBryde in early February. I finally completed a pen using one of his blanks (or I should say 1/2 of one of his blanks). I had bought about 5 really nicely figured blanks. McBryde generously threw in extras. I decided to use one of the "freebies" for practice, in case I ruined it. I actually blew apart the lower blank, when carelessly using a pen mill to trim the end. I used a disc sander to trim the upper blank, and all looked good ... but the blank felt like balsa. I covered it with thin CA, and began turning. Every 1/16" thickness or so that I removed, I re-applied the CA and kept going. I used a reground round scraper, with a slight top bevel to make it less aggressive. I've used the same scraper for acrylics with much success. (I saw the tip in a catalog. (I'm not that advanced a turner that I'd make up a special grind for a lathe tool all on my own!). After I got close to final shape, I switched to a skew. Now the next step was to try a CA finish, since this blank needed more CA to keep it in one piece. I placed an order with Johnnycnc for Delrin Eliminator bushings, and when they arrived in a few days, I mounted the blank between the bushings and proceeded with a few coats of thin, 6-7 coats of thick, and then MicroMesh'd to 12000, followed by HUT Plastic Polish.
Not wanting to cut up another blank for the rest of the pen, I decided to use an black acrylic blank for the lower portion.
I did a slight modification to this "budget" slimstyle. I bought these kits on sale, but I really am not much of a slimstyle fan. Rather than the use the skinny center band, I used the center band from a Streamline 7mm pen. I have a number of these kits, and was fortunate enough to get some of these CBs from fellow IAP members, to use on the few slimstyles I have left. (Thanks to Larry in Harrow and Rick_G for their generosity.) I also didn't realize I was buying the kits with the black stripe, but think they complement the black streaks in the pecan quite well.
1. Turning spalted wood
2. Using a CA finish
I've now done 23 pens, having started in the Fall, turning 15 or so for Christmas presents, and a handful for gifts to coworkers. I was a little apprehensive, having jsut turned an Inlace Acrylester blank previously, and that was a real pain, but it turned out pretty nice.
I bought several spalted pecans blanks from IAP member McBryde in early February. I finally completed a pen using one of his blanks (or I should say 1/2 of one of his blanks). I had bought about 5 really nicely figured blanks. McBryde generously threw in extras. I decided to use one of the "freebies" for practice, in case I ruined it. I actually blew apart the lower blank, when carelessly using a pen mill to trim the end. I used a disc sander to trim the upper blank, and all looked good ... but the blank felt like balsa. I covered it with thin CA, and began turning. Every 1/16" thickness or so that I removed, I re-applied the CA and kept going. I used a reground round scraper, with a slight top bevel to make it less aggressive. I've used the same scraper for acrylics with much success. (I saw the tip in a catalog. (I'm not that advanced a turner that I'd make up a special grind for a lathe tool all on my own!). After I got close to final shape, I switched to a skew. Now the next step was to try a CA finish, since this blank needed more CA to keep it in one piece. I placed an order with Johnnycnc for Delrin Eliminator bushings, and when they arrived in a few days, I mounted the blank between the bushings and proceeded with a few coats of thin, 6-7 coats of thick, and then MicroMesh'd to 12000, followed by HUT Plastic Polish.
Not wanting to cut up another blank for the rest of the pen, I decided to use an black acrylic blank for the lower portion.
I did a slight modification to this "budget" slimstyle. I bought these kits on sale, but I really am not much of a slimstyle fan. Rather than the use the skinny center band, I used the center band from a Streamline 7mm pen. I have a number of these kits, and was fortunate enough to get some of these CBs from fellow IAP members, to use on the few slimstyles I have left. (Thanks to Larry in Harrow and Rick_G for their generosity.) I also didn't realize I was buying the kits with the black stripe, but think they complement the black streaks in the pecan quite well.
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