I saw someone mention turning acrylic..

[txcwboy]

I saw someone mention some one else had a special way of turning the acrylic stuff. I was wondering where I can be educated on this process? It was mentioned about using a skew to do the entire job ? Or something special about it.

thank you

Dave

 

[Tea Clipper]

I don't know what you are referring to, but I use a skew to turn wood or acrylic and either one is done in exactly the same manner. Sharp tools / light cuts / lathe set at warp speed. [] I don't use the skew properly per se, I use it more in a shear/scrape mode.

If you want to see it done properly, please visit the library and view the videos that YoYoSpin has done on the PR pens and bottle stoppers. He makes it look easy. [}][]

 

[Glass Scratcher]

I believe Ed Davidson AKA YoYoSpin wrote an article or started a thread about grinding a skew to a different angle to turn Poly Resin (PR or EPR(Ed's Poly Resin)), Acrylics and/or assorted plastics.

Do a search on YoYoSpin in the message archives. You will have plenty of reading to do.[]

 

[ahoiberg]

just for a quick overview, i basically turn PR the same way i do wood and i know everyone loves using the skew but i sometimes will use a gouge to get it roughed. sand down the corners of the blank before using any tools though, this helps a ton. but ed does have the technique documented well.

sharp tools are nice, but i've been lazy before and used a slightly dulled one and it got me where i needed to go... maybe not as smoothly or quickly, but a nice, finished product nonetheless.

 

[hughbie]

like some of the others, i turn PR the same as wood. i usually start with a small gouge to knock off the edges and to round things out, then on to a scraper. to finish things off i then go to a skew........using it more as a scraper too. it seems to me i can get pretty darn close to the bushings with the skew and or the scraper. mostly it depends on my mood and what i feel comfy with at the time.

 

[mdburn_em]

I just thought I would add to the "knock the edges off" comment. Some might not know what that means.
When I turn a normal wood blank, I start in the middle and take my tool toward an end. With an acrylic, I start at the end and move toward the middle. I do that a couple times, then go to the other end and do the same. Repeat this process on the other half blank if you have two on the mandrel.

 

[doeringr]

I agree to the sanding down the corners bit. Based on the temp of your shop, when it's cold, the pr has a tendency to break of instead of cut off and you run the risk of taking out big chunks and having to spend a lot of time in the polishing process if they go too deep.

To the question though, I use gouges as well as a skew just as I do with wood. Light cuts and a sharp tool make all the diff!

-Rich