Need some help

[clement]

Hi fellow turners,
I had the opportunity to buy some stabilized and dyed burl penblanks.
Since i never turn this stuff before, i ask for tips and hints before i start turning it. My intention is to convert this blanks in Cigar pens.
I've also buyed some acryl blanks and my experience with it is the same than with the above blanks.
After a few weeks of inactivity, i like to start asap with turning again.
So, if someone of you will help me i should very happy
If possible by mail please.
Thanks to all,

 

[clement]

Hi,
Did i post this topic on the wrong forum [?]
Or is there nobody that want's help a lonesome [] (pen)turner ?
I know that all of you are specialist in penturning, so a little help should be welcome.
Thanks a lot,

 

[vick]

Sorry you did not get a response sooner.
Stabelized pen blanks I usually just threat like wood. Depending on the supplier some can be very hard. I usually hate the advice I am going to give since it really should be used on all turnings but take light cuts with sharp tools.
Resin pens are a pain to drill drill slowly clean out drill bit often (about 1/8th to 1/4 an inch) and do not let your bit heat up. Some use water to cool the blank and bit I personally do not. I use the same tools to turn wood, stabelized wood, and resin. 3/4 roughing gouge most of the way and the skew once I get about 1/8th of an inch of finished size. Some suggest high speed on your lathe for resins. I do use high speed but I use high speed on the lathe for all pens. Usually fastest (about 4000 Rpm's I think) or second fastest speed (about 3200 RPM's I think). Not quite sure I have a tendency to not think of RPM's on my mini just what pulley I am on.

For sanding both I go down to my slowest speed. It is not as critical on the stabelized wood but make sure you are not generateing heat on the resin when sanding.

For finishing I finish stabelized wood like all wood I do with a CA finish. For resin no finish is required just polishing. I sand 220, 340, 400, 600 wet then go to micromesh. I wet sand through the first half of the micromesh and dry sand the last 4 grits. For the last 4 grits I wipe the blanks clean with a cotton terry cloth towel from an auto store instead of paper towel since paper towel can leave small scratches. For final polishig I use a plastic polish called micro-gloss applied useing the same cotton terry cloth towel with the lathe on. Then wipe off blank length wise to remove the polishing compound. Other plastic polishes like novus are also excellent.

Hope this helps. Many people have different methods and most of them work well.

 

[clement]

Thanks for the tips Mike, i di'nt have any idea about the hardness of stabilized blanks. Now i know that i have gone to work it very carefully []
When i've finished the pen, i will take a picture and post it. Hopely it will be good []

 

[vick]

No problem. They key word was some stabelized blanks are very hard. The ones I have got from AZ Silhouette were not all that hard, ones I got from River Ridge are like rocks.

 

[Scott]

Hi Clement!

Mike has told you about what I would have said. Stabilized blanks are very nice to work with, and you should enjoy them. Plastics have a tendancy to chip out when you go to fast, so just take your time and use sharp tools. Most plastics are somewhat translucent, so paint your brass tubes before gluing them in so that the brass doesn't show through the plastic. You will do fine!

Scott.

 

[clement]

Hi all,
Thanks for the tips, i'am gonna try it today maybe. And work very carefully []
I think also that a made a mistake when i asked a answer by mail, maybe most people suppose that i receive answers by this way []
Have good turnings,

 

[Chuck B]

Clement,
j'ai regardé juste votre site web. Vous avez fait quelque beau travail. Les stylos ne doit pas être de problème pour vous.

Chuck

 

[angboy]

Originally posted by recon
<br />Clement,
j'ai regardé juste votre site web. Vous avez fait quelque beau travail. Les stylos ne doit pas être de problème pour vous.

Chuck

Hey, quit using that kind of language here- what if kids are reading the board! [][]