Blank help!

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ldubia

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Aug 9, 2009
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Boulder Creek, CA
I recently purchased a couple of blanks made from a book. It is a great concept but I have been having a lot of difficulty with them. I have tried stabilizing the,m with CA, coated them periodically as I turn them, even soaked them in cactus juice under full vacuum for maximum stabilization. Each time I have tried turning them, the blank blows apart. I am using a healthy coating of epoxy on the inside of the tube. Each time the pages are ripped apart and pull away from the tube leaving just bits. I would really like to make these blanks but am at a loss.

Any assistance from anyone having successfully turned these would be appreciated. In other words...

H E L P ! ! !
 
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ed4copies

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Racine, WI, USA.
Larry, I also have no idea what the blanks you are trying to turn look like.

If you can post a pic of one, it would help.

IF it is a "secret blank" from someone, I understand completely, but I can't tell you much about how to improve your chances!!
 

ldubia

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The site I got these from is Woodchux. They have a few different things but that caught my eye due to the pen being finished in the picture. It was very cool. If you go to the site, it is on the bottom of the page. I made some of my own and will try those to see if they work any better. I will have to get some pics and post them for you.

Larry
 

CSue

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Did the blanks come with anny special instructions? Doesn't surprise me you have problems. Are you using a very "light touch" and sharp tool? It'd be great if there are any pieces left you can photo and post here.
 

Andrew_K99

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Waterdown, ON, Canada
If I remember, tonight I will look in my August copy of Woodturning Design to see if there is any recommendations as there is a how to article for a pen made with a paper back book. Best guess though is very light cuts with very sharp tools.

Here is a look Inside the August 2012 Issue of Woodturning Design

EDIT: The article was written by rizaydog who runs Woodchux where you bought the blank.

AK
 
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joefrog

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Mar 14, 2012
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Birmingham, AL area (Alabaster)
The site I got these from is Woodchux. They have a few different things but that caught my eye due to the pen being finished in the picture. It was very cool. If you go to the site, it is on the bottom of the page. I made some of my own and will try those to see if they work any better. I will have to get some pics and post them for you.

Larry

I love how that particular blank is "seeled" with glue. Maybe that's the problem! :biggrin:
 

ldubia

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Here are a couple of pics of the blank.

Book blank 1.jpg Book blank 3.jpg

I am using freshly sharpened tools,high speed, and light easy cuts.
 

KenV

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Oct 28, 2005
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Juneau, Alaska.
Larry-- looks like you are hitting the "paper joint" effect made worse by the shape of the blank. The blank has you turning air, with impact when the blank hits the tool.

The blank is not symetrical ---

Had some snake blanks like that, and ended up using a 36 grit to get then round.
 

IPD_Mr

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Jun 27, 2007
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Zionsville, In
In theory these blanks will be similar to the Eagle's wave that Eagle made. What Eagle would always drill into our heads is sharp tool, light (real light) cuts, heat is the enemy and CA CA CA. So when doing his blanks we would start sharp with fresh CA over the blank and tun until the CA was off and we started to get shavings (more like salt and pepper consistency) do one more pass then apply more CA. While the CA hardened we would go back and sharpen the skew. (slow wet grinder) Then start all over. His blanks would literally take us hours but it was worth it. Doing it this way kept the blank from getting war too. CA starts to fail at around 165 degree I think. If you get it warm like that it starts to soften and fail. Hope this is of some help.
 

PTsideshow

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Another thought on them CA isn't really recommended for paper use, some thick CA's can be used. Thin is recommended for sealing paper. And Cyanoacrylate glue has a low shearing strength, which has also led to its use as a temporary adhesive in cases where the piece can easily be sheared off at a later time.

Which could be related to the chisels angle of approach to the material, along with the comments in an early post about the turning of air in using the rectangular cross section.

I wonder if using the Cactus Juice in sticking the pages together before any type of adhesive is used, would work after pulling the vacuum and wrapping and cooking off?

If they are using the pulp paper paperback books, that is a very cheap form of paper and it contains left over chemicals that might react with the CA glue inhibiting the bonding action of adhesive. Which gives the paper backs a short relative lifespan compared to other papers.
:clown:
 

rizaydog

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Larry,
I am the maker of the blanks that you are refering to. They are not easy to turn but I think I might be able to help. I did write the article on these blanks in the August addition of Woodturning Design. The article explains how to make and turn these blanks.
As others have pointed out, sharp tools and very light cuts are a must. These are paper and will come apart easily. Another thing you can do before turning is cut the blank close to the barrel. Use a sander to remove even more material. As you turn, take a few light cuts and add ca glue. Keep repeating this step as you turn. It takes patients but it is effective. If you have any more problems, please don't hesitate to ask, or pick up a copy of my article.

Ray
 
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