Today's Handful of Turbins

[Bob in SF]

I'd read some conflicting reviews about these - so I'd thought I'd give them a spin:

3 Tips (gathered the hard way);
1) Make a hardwood press block to safely insert the click subassembly into the top barrel: hardwood (or resin) drilled 3/4" deep with an 11/32" drill.
2) Precisely mill the ends, no tolerance for shortened tubes.
3) Fractionally widen the stylus opening to eliminate "retraction drag": I used a small cylindrical diamond bit on my Foredom flex shaft - but Dremel or other rotary tool should be fine.

I used Douglas and Sturgess clear casting polyester resin to cast the blanks in clear pvc pipe molds, injecting extra color with a 10cc syringe with 3/16"ID aquarium tubing; as explained in my earlier thread here:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f178/spiral-clear-casting-blank-drying-motor-140035/

Warm regards, Bob

 

[thewishman]

They look good.

 

[Rockytime]

Your blanks look great as well as your turning. I, however, do not care for the Turbin looks. I think the click button looks like a overgrown pimple. Just my personal taste.

 

[Bob in SF]

Thanks, Chris!

Les - funny you should mention the organic nature of the click button - here in SF, we have a profusion of tech people - and if they hold the click button close to their head, then hold their cell phone camera right next to it, they can take a micro-fisheye selfie.
(My selfie days were about a half a century ago, shot with a Brownie Starflash camera):wink:

 

[Rockytime]

Thanks, Chris!

Les - funny you should mention the organic nature of the click button - here in SF, we have a profusion of tech people - and if they hold the click button close to their head, then hold their cell phone camera right next to it, they can take a micro-fisheye selfie.
(My selfie days were about a half a century ago, shot with a Brownie Starflash camera):wink:

After ruining the first Turbin while inserting the click button I made this little fixture from 1 inch square tubing. The rest of the pens worked out well.

 

[Bob in SF]

Nice!
Thanks!

 

[magpens]

Very nice looking pens, Bob ... I like especially your blank artistry !!

 

[Bob in SF]

Thanks kindly, Mal!

Clear PVC pipe casting has been a game changer for me over the past few weeks.