Just starting

[bmcclellan]

Welcome from Central Mississippi. I too am new to turning. I have had my lathe about 8 months I guess. I have made lots of mistakes but it is an absolute joy to experiment on all sorts of projects.

I did bite the bullet and purchase several things from Penn State when I started. I started by purchasing a pack of slimline kits and then ordered what ever accessory they stated was needed as far as bits and bushings. I have done this with many of the kits I have bought. I figured I had the bits needed but I chose this route so that I could have a new and "should" work bits when drilling. I also bought 2nds of any drill bit I ordered to have a backup on hand.

 

[1bigtuna]

Yep blow outs happen,[emoji23] destroyed some real nice wood. Heat is a real bid factor. I have a vac hooked up and back the drill out and clean out the drill every 1/4" some real hard woods I'll only drill 3/4" and let cool off. I've even used compressed air can u clean computer key pads . It cools the wood fast. Go slow and and listen you will hear when start coming to the end of the blank
Kevin



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[Ray1955]

CA THIN GLUE

ok so I am reading I could use for a finish the Super Glue ?
vs CA adhesive (cyanoacrylate)?

I can tell you the thick stuff DOES NOT WORK....

Thanks I don't want to wait to order something if I can use something else and
get these pieces I have completed put together.

Thanks,

Ray

 

[Ray1955]

Wow, bought these fiber pads from Harbor Freight they were labels Fine......used water but they didn't do very good on my only clear acrylic blank.

Bought the mentioned Super Glue from Harbor Freight and it worked beautiful so far.
The idea of wax on the bushings worked great too but you can't over use it cause you don't want it on your blanks........ I have made 5 key chain pen/stylis.......I have two slimline I will turn tomorrow. I have been very lucky so far learning. I am planning next week to use milk jugs and make my own plastic bushings for when I apply the super glue....then I can do away with the task of using car wax......
Ray

 

[Skie_M]

Those fiber scrubbing pads are like 3M scrubbing sponges ... around 300 grit. Even the Ultra Fine falls way short at around 600 grit ... 0000 steel wool is near 1200 grit, I think, but I'ld be leery of bringing ultra-thin metal swarf to a lathe intentionally and seeing if it'll grab things on the spinning blank ....


As for doing away with using car wax ... dont! It's an excellent way to add a final protective layer to repel water, oils, fingerprints, ect, after you've finished off polishing the pens and other items! My personal preference is Turtle Wax Hard Surface (liquid, not paste).

 

[leehljp]

ok so I am reading I could use for a finish the Super Glue ?
vs CA adhesive (cyanoacrylate)?

Super Glue = cyanoacrylate (scientific designation?) = "CA" for short; all one and the same.

We use the "CA" term here for short.

 

[Ray1955]

CA Thin glue

only probably I see with this is the small ounces you get at Harbor Freight,
the container "squeeze tubes"........I always feel like the tube is leaking cause even being careful its hard not to get it on your fingers.

But it does a nice job.......once you coat the blank, you can't keep rubbing.....

So far so good thanks for all the advice.

Ray

 

[Skie_M]

only probably I see with this is the small ounces you get at Harbor Freight,
the container "squeeze tubes"........I always feel like the tube is leaking cause even being careful its hard not to get it on your fingers.

But it does a nice job.......once you coat the blank, you can't keep rubbing.....

So far so good thanks for all the advice.

Ray

The squeeze tubes do sometimes have their issues ... Make sure you find a cap and applicator tip that fit nice and tight, and keep spares handy! They are cheaply made (the cap and tips themselves) so they aren't the best quality sometimes.

Keep them out of direct sunlight, softens the plastic and makes it expand, causing leaks that way too.

180 - 240 grit sandpaper works pretty well to remove cured CA from your fingers and skin ... but you can also GENTLY peel the CA off. Unless it hurts you or it's someplace that hinders movement, you can actually just leave the CA on your skin. In fact, CA is considered hypoallergenic for most people, and it's common practice for some people to seal small cuts and scrapes with CA instead of looking for a band-aid. I've done this myself on a few occasions ... it lasts a good 2 days and it's waterproof and washable.

 

[Smitty37]

Drilling wood is 500 - 600 rpm. Using a drill press can present some problems. Is the table 90 degrees to the drill bit all around. Do you have runout on the chuck. What type bit are you using. (do not like brad points for pen blanks) Make sure you are clamped securly. Make sure you have a backer board so when you come through the blank the bit continues into another piece of wood. There needs to be no gap between them. You can use the method that was mentioned above only if the blank is long enough for your kit. Heat is your enemy to many operations of making a pen so keep the bit cool and clear the swarf from the hole many times as you drill. This will also help in keeping the bit cool. All this goes for any material you are going to drill. Good luck and have fun.

Doesn't travel distance on the drill press also come into play? Mine would only travel a little about 2 1/2 inches which meant I couldn't do all blanks in one swipe which caused some other issues.