Sharing what little I've learned

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immls

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Joined
Mar 28, 2011
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17
Location
PA
When I signed on I said I hoped to be able to share some things I've learned and while I by no means match up with 99.9% of the folks here I would like to pass on to the really new turners a couple of things that I've experienced..most of which I found about here anyway.
1. You can't beat sharp tools
2. Keeping them sharp a little at the time is a lot better than letting them get dull.
3. Sharpening isn't as hard as it sounds. Don't be afraid to try it
4. Higher speeds work better for turning acrylics
5. Always wear a face shield
6. You can bite CA off your fingers
7. The IAP library is very useful - the article on making silicone molds are very good. ALWAYS make sure your hands are wet before grabbing that glob of silicone
8. Try casting or anything else you are curious about
9. Don't worry if you don't have a lot of the toys some of the others use..try it anyway
Thanks
 
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PenMan1

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Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Messages
6,380
Location
Eatonton, Georgia
What I've Learned.......THE HARD WAY

1. If you spill (thin) CA on your skin..... BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN SPRAYING ACCELERATOR.

2. A pen barrel exploding at 4,000 rpms hurts a LOT LESS than a flying out-of-round bowl blank hurts at 4000. I guess that little knob DOES SERVE A PURPOSE.

3. A Woodchuck Pen Pro always drops to the floor, Heavy end first.
3A. If you use a Woodchuck and turn in flip flops, keep an extra pair of flops AND A CLEAN PAIR OF UNDERWEAR NEARBY. DAMHIKT
 
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crabcreekind

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Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
1,412
Location
Eugene, Oregon
1. If you spill CA on your skin wipe it off. Dont spray it with accelerator
2. Dont drop your $30 drill bits
3. Always test fit your pen tubes before you glue them in.
4. Dont try to clean your face shield off with acetone
And i have not tried number 6
 

MarkD

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Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
2,293
Location
Sayre, PA
I always wound up with CA on my index finger when I apply CA so I now put a few wraps of blue painters tape on my index finger prior to CA applications. It sure makes the clean up much easier.
 

witz1976

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Joined
Jun 28, 2009
Messages
2,144
Location
Bucksport, Maine, USA
...
3. A Woodchuck Pen Pro always drops to the floor, Heavy end first.
3A. If you use a Woodchuck and turn in flip flops, keep an extra pair of flops AND A CLEAN PAIR OF UNDERWEAR NEARBY. DAMHIKT


LOL nice to know I am not the only one without enough brains to wear shoes in the shop...

FYI Scary sharp skews has the same requirements. :laugh::laugh:
 

Jon-wx5nco

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2009
Messages
351
Location
Tulsa
Go ahead and polish your CA coated fingernails with MM. I looks just like a high end manicure.

ROFLOL I think I will pass. Am I the only one who puts 80 grit sand paper on a sander and sands the CA off the fingers?
 

Daniel

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
5,921
Location
Reno, NV, USA.
Something you will not find on the IAP.

"I started up my lathe and started turning, Then realized my gouge was still to sharp"

I turn barefoot a lot. It can be done if you are very very brave and the sight of blood now and then does not make you dizzy. Dizzy and running lathes are not a good combo.

Found wood is not necessarily good pen wood, Cheap wood is seldom if ever good pen wood. Found wood is not necessarily cheap wood.

Those really expensive tools are not that much better. but they are still really cool to own. The Rotundo and Scrugger type tools are really worth it I own both so I know. And they are real cool to own also.

You can never own to many accessories for your lathe. Finding them just gets harder.

The perfect finish does not exist but that is no reason to not keep looking for it.

The best pen style to try and make next, Is the one you like the most.

Should you try that new project, casting, blank material or pen kit? Yes you should it is only money time and your resources, not like it is your health in question here. Live on the edge a little.

CA only sets really really fast when it got on something accidentally. if you put it there on purpose it takes a long long time.

5 min epoxy really means about 3 seconds working time, use the 2 hours stuff.

Segmenting is some sort of foreign language meaning. Very long frustrating way to screw up perfectly good wood. Likewise Penturning is the pursuit of prefecting making sawdust. Take every scrap of wood within sight and proceed to make the biggest pile of it as possible. Many of us are so proud of our pile of sawdust we have preserved it in our shops for years.

Finally one of the best thing I have learned. The best discussions seem to come from the most unlikely subjects. read the forums a lot, you never know what will just start up.
 
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JimB

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
4,683
Location
West Henrietta, NY, USA.
If you set a budget for this hobby you are either a newbie or trying to trick your spouse. Either way you are going to learn a valuable lesson.
 

t001xa22

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Joined
Jun 17, 2011
Messages
441
Location
Arlington, TX
James at Crabcreekind has one of the best ones for me: re: test-fitting your tubes before gluing. I wish I had a nickel for every time I would forget to do that. I would end up with a fractional amount of tube sticking out of one end, and have to butt-splice another segment of tube into the other end.
 

firewhatfire

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Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
3,813
Location
Columbiana, Alabama
3. A Woodchuck Pen Pro always drops to the floor, Heavy end first.
3A. If you use a Woodchuck and turn in flip flops, keep an extra pair of flops AND A CLEAN PAIR OF UNDERWEAR NEARBY. DAMHIKT[/quote]

that is just funny. I didn't know you could turn pens in anything but flip flops and I bet my (I hope it misses dance is better than most) when it happens.

I don't do #6 I keep a windex bottle full of Acetone close by to get CA off. Just let it dry on there then spray it several times and wipe with paper towel.

As far as putting it on a pen blank I take a post-it note and fold it double, then fold my paper towel up on top of it. CA does not stick to it and rarely soakes through it. It takes it while to dry if you need something to put a drop on while you work with it.
 

jbswearingen

Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
752
Location
Bowie, MD
Something else to add to the list:

Make sure your 16 month old daughter hasn't stuffed anything into the bottom of your toaster oven...

Yesterday I pulled it out to speed up the cure time on a blank I had glued up. I set it to 120*, put the blank in, and turned my attention to a platter on the lathe. I started smelling smoke, but couldn't figure out why. Only 120*! I turned around, saw smoke billowing out of the oven and saw flames inside. Luckily I was in my garage and not my kitchen!

It appears that my daughter (who likes to open and close drawers and rearrange our stuff for us) pulled some microwave popcorn bags from the pantry and stuffed them into the bottom of the oven...under the center tray and to the back, so didn't see them.

Fortunately, though, the pen blank survived (as did our house!) and is now part of a great Elegant Beauty that I'll post up later.
 

Andrew_K99

Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2011
Messages
1,571
Location
Waterdown, ON, Canada
Something else to add to the list:

Make sure your 16 month old daughter hasn't stuffed anything into the bottom of your toaster oven...

Yesterday I pulled it out to speed up the cure time on a blank I had glued up. I set it to 120*, put the blank in, and turned my attention to a platter on the lathe. I started smelling smoke, but couldn't figure out why. Only 120*! I turned around, saw smoke billowing out of the oven and saw flames inside. Luckily I was in my garage and not my kitchen!

It appears that my daughter (who likes to open and close drawers and rearrange our stuff for us) pulled some microwave popcorn bags from the pantry and stuffed them into the bottom of the oven...under the center tray and to the back, so didn't see them.

Fortunately, though, the pen blank survived (as did our house!) and is now part of a great Elegant Beauty that I'll post up later.
LMAO

I can relate!! My son was born April 11th, just over 16 months ago now. He gets into EVERYTHING and loves putting things into other things. It's a fun age but very BUSY.

AK
 
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