Review: CSA's "Pen Makers Choice" resin

[redfishsc]

Here is a pen I posted in the SOYP forum but I wanted to mention the blank here. This is CSA's new "Pen Makers Choice" (PMC)resin. I ordered the "Polar Ice" blank.

Anyhow, this particular blank was transparent enough to see through before I ever even cut it. I painted the tubes white, which worked great.


However, I do not like this material. It misbehaves, IMO, more than I will care for.

Now, I talked to the tech's at CSA and they seemed to think the problems I had were an anomoly and they are sending me another blank, which I'll turn when I get the itch. I have a lot of pens to make until then can't complain there. CSA does have great service though.


1) The material is too soft. I can dig my fingernail into the finished product, which means it will take deep scratches easier than the harder celluloid, PR, and acrylic acetate.

2) The bird nests that form around the mandrel are hard to remove, since the softer material is less brittle-- IE, you can't crumble the bird nest off, you have to shred it apart. [B)]

3) Heat does not do this stuff favors. I know all plastics are heat intolerant, but I turned a LOT of PR resin and Acrylics, and they can handle some warmth. PMC will expand and seperate from the tube if you have too much heat, which isn't hard to do. This can easily be worked around but if you goof it you will wind up re-gluing the blank. It happened to me as I was putting the final Brasso-buff on the Jr Retro below.

4) It smells like all other AA blanks, but the stink HANGS AROUND. What I'm about to say is not an exaggeration: I have the pen in my pocket and I am in a library computer lab: I can smell the pen in my pocket right where I am sitting. No joke, it's that strong. I have not touched the pen all day long until 30 minutes ago when I came to the library and took it with me. Just plain weird. Hopefully it will go away with time. Hopefully, as this is too nice of a pen to be all raunchy.

 

[ed4copies]

Your description leads me to believe the pen blank is "rubbery". Is the smell a "rubber" smell.

When you sanded, did you have most of your trouble with the lower grit(s)?

Did CSU's tech department give you any CLUE as to the nature of the blank???

 

[redfishsc]

They did say it was supposed to be softer than other blanks, but not as soft as I described (which may just be my picky nature). Yes, rubbery in texture is the term I'd use, somewhat exaggeratingly, somewhat seriously. Does that help?[B)] The smell isn't really a rubber, it just smell strongly of Acrylic Acetate.

I turn my resin entirely with a skew, so I start sanding at 400 grit, and from there I buff with two buffing compounds, so there was actually only a little sanding going on. The heat and expansion happened when I was buffing with the polishing compound (first is TurtleWax polishing compound, which I think is white diamond, lastly is brasso). Just the heat from the buffing (even though I ad water to the polishing pad) caused enough heat for a mild seperation, enough that I could pull the tube out easily with needlenose pliers.

 

[thewishman]

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Fish. That pen sure does look nice, your closed end shape is classy. Sad to hear that it is so stinky, hope the smaell fades.

Chris

 

[ed4copies]

Originally posted by redfishsc
<br />They did say it was supposed to be softer than other blanks, but not as soft as I described (which may just be my picky nature). Yes, rubbery in texture is the term I'd use, somewhat exaggeratingly, somewhat seriously. Does that help?[B)] The smell isn't really a rubber, it just smell strongly of Acrylic Acetate.

I turn my resin entirely with a skew, so I start sanding at 400 grit, and from there I buff with two buffing compounds, so there was actually only a little sanding going on. The heat and expansion happened when I was buffing with the polishing compound (first is TurtleWax polishing compound, which I think is white diamond, lastly is brasso). Just the heat from the buffing (even though I ad water to the polishing pad) caused enough heat for a mild seperation, enough that I could pull the tube out easily with needlenose pliers.

Well, here's my take on the problem.

I have NO technical knowledge of plastics, just the experience I have gained from turning them, so I COULD be completely WRONG!!

However, I believe the suppliers are throwing around names for their plastics that "sound good". "Italian resin" is worth MUCH more than a "plastic, made in Taiwan" isn't it? This is why I TRY to confirm with my sources WHERE the material is being used, even if I can't determine WHO is using it.

Additionally, the term "celluloid" seems to add value. When I turned true Italian celluloid years ago, it had certain characteristics, one of which was "rubbery" drilling - many of the new "celluloids" seem to lack that characteristic. The OLD celluloids were also VERY opaque, we never thought of painting tubes, the material COVERED the tubes. I still have some of the OLD sticks and, from time to time I drill and turn them. They have not changed and my memory is accurate. So, I don't think we know WHAT we are being given to turn. Nor do I believe the customer service people KNOW what we are given. Their job is to make you HAPPY, not give you an ACCURATE explanation.

So, the point is, I don't think we can rely on what we are told. Evaluate each product, based on what you WANT in the product.

When I supply products, I will tell you what I KNOW about the product: Many have heard me say I don't know WHAT the "cats" are made of, I just know they turn better than any plastic I have used. When I say a product is used by better Italian penmakers, I have usually SEEN the pen in a high-end magazine or distributors' ad piece.

If you are selling your pens, be careful. I have met pen collectors who KNOW a LOT about plastics and resins. IF you inaccurately inform them of the "type" of plastic - you can kill your credibility and any chance you might have had of selling them pens.

It will be interesting to see if your next experience is any better.

I should be better informed soon, as I just received 100 of these blanks, yesterday! Always know the "available products", if possible.

 

[PenWorks]

I cut mine up last nite, had an order for 30 pieces which was a mix of Crushed velvet,the older and newer resins from CSU and some stuff from Pen Pro.
I would rate these as identical to the pen pro stuff in terms of hardness, they cut almost the same. Definately softer than the rock hard crushed velevet, but not that much different from some of the other CSU stuff. I did not notice the strong smell, but then again, my sence of smell has long been gone. I still think Berea AA still has the strongest smell of them all. Bottom line, I like the new stuff, easier to cut for me and no problems on the buff end. Just another opinion. []

 

[PenWorks]

I agree Ed, call it what you want. These definitions were taken from Dictionary.com So do you think using the term "RESIN" would encompass ALL types of plastic, celuloid, accetate and anything else we cut, besides wood ?

Resin
noun 1. any of a class of nonvolatile, solid or semisolid organic substances, as copal or mastic, that consist of amorphous mixtures of carboxylic acids and are obtained directly from certain plants as exudations or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules: used in medicine and in the making of varnishes and plastics.
2. a substance of this type obtained from certain pines; rosin.

Plastic
1. Often, plastics. any of a group of synthetic or natural organic materials that may be shaped when soft and then hardened, including many types of resins, resinoids, polymers, cellulose derivatives, casein materials, and proteins: used in place of other materials, as glass, wood, and metals, in construction and decoration, for making many articles, as coatings, and, drawn into filaments, for weaving. They are often known by trademark names, as Bakelite, Vinylite, or Lucite.

Celluloid
â€"noun 1. a tough, highly flammable substance consisting essentially of cellulose nitrate and camphor, used in the manufacture of motion-picture and x-ray film and other products.

Acetate
. Chemistry. a salt or ester of acetic acid.
2. Also called acetate rayon. a synthetic filament, yarn, or fabric composed of a derivative of the acetic ester of cellulose, differing from viscose rayon in having greater strength when wet and greater sensitivity to high temperatures.
3. a sheet of clear plastic film fastened over the front of artwork for protection, as an overlay, or the like.
4. a slow-burning base material, cellulose triacetate, used for motion-picture film to minimize fire hazard during projection, and also for animation cells.

 

[redfishsc]

Anthony, thanks for adding in your experience. I will take what you say much more seriously than what I do [8D] considering your day job, lol.



Let us know if any of your customers notice the lingering acrid smell.

 

[ed4copies]

Anthony,

As one professional salesman to another, I preface most of my remarks to customers with "I've been told..." or "I'm not an expert on (celluloid, acrylics, whatever)". And I often refer to pens as "resins", I believe "plastic" sounds cheap. Polyresins are pretty simple, we know what Dawn has poured, so I can refer to it as "one-of-a-kind" hand-made from start to finish.

After that, I let the prospect tell ME what the material is - they usually have a preconception of what they WANT it to be. If I KNOW they are incorrect, I will say so, but I KNOW very little.

You don't buy from people who impress you with how LITTLE YOU know, you buy from people you LIKE!!!

Just a FWIW.