turning crushed velvet pens

[woodman95]

Hi all,

I'm gonna try some crushed velvet pens and also other type plastic materials. I've made many wooden pens but never any from these materials. Other than setting my lathe to a slower speed, using sharp tools, and taking lighter cuts to try to keep the heat down, I can't find much on the web in the way of instructions.

Can anyone offer advice on this topic?

Thank you in advance for any tips or info.

Don

 

[wudwrkr]

Don,
I have done a lot of acrylics. I only slow down the lathe speed for sanding. You already know to keep the tools sharp. You will get a nice stream of material flying off the lathe. Of course, this becomes a pain when it starts to wrap around the mandrel, but you will get the hang of it. If you try to cut too much material, you can get some pits in the material. When sanding, I wet sand with water starting from 220 all the way up to 12000MM. I also will sand length-wise between grits up to 3600MM. I finish the blank off with plastic polish (you can use HUT, Brasso, Novus,...) and then buff with white diamond.

I am sure you will get lots of other advice. Just try it and see what works for you. Good Luck!!

 

[ed4copies]

Crushed velvet is a "hard" plastic (not difficult, hard as opposed to soft).

If you are comfortable with a gouge, use a BIG one, if you like skews, again I suggest rounding (if you don't sand off the edges) with a BIG one (3/4" or larger). Once it's round, IN MY OPINION, use only flat tools-skew is best, scrapers if you are uncomfortable with a skew. Plastic is damaged (read blown up) by turners who insist on using a pointy tool. Take the edges down from the outside, in to avoid chipping off (not a big probability with crushed velvet, but good practice).

Now, start turning and call me when something goes wrong-just remember to tell me the TRUTH and I can help. "I didn't do THAT!!!" won't make you a better turner!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![][][]

 

[Johnathan]

I really would not turn down the speed. As long as your not stoping with the tools, but keep them moving, you're not going to have a problem. I only slow down when I'm about 3600 MM or applying CA. Hope this helps.

 

[Butcher]

Another little tip:

Get a dryer sheet and wipe down your tools, tool rest and the blanks. This will help keep the shavings from sticking by static. When turning, make a few passes then wipe then a few more passes.

 

[ed4copies]

Originally posted by Butcher
<br />Another little tip:

Get a dryer sheet and wipe down your tools, tool rest and the blanks. This will help keep the shavings from sticking by static. When turning, make a few passes then wipe then a few more passes.

That's pretty cool.

I use a wire brush to remove all the shavings, with the lathe running, but I may add this too!

 

[Russb]

Keep your speed up. Proper tool technique is more critical on synthetics than on wood. After sanding I use Brasso to bring up the shine, others use plastic polish.

 

[woodman95]

Thanks for all the information and help. I'll be trying it over the next few days and I'll let you know how it turns out - or doesn't. []

Thanks again!

 

[mick]

Don, I turn almost as many "plastics" as I do wooden pens and what works for me, again this is just MHO, is to use a round nose scraper to round over your blank.I don't know how sound this principle is since I'm self taught but I feel like with a round nose scraper you have less surface contact, thus less chance of catchs resulting in a blowout. Use very, very light passes. Once your blank is round and fairly close to shape, start with your skew. I use a 1/2" or a 3/4" oval for final shaping. I feel that by using a skew to finish up you can start sanding at a much higher grit. I have lucked up and managed to get my skew so scarey sharp that the acrylic or whatever "plastic" you are turning will actually shine it is so slick. I also like the idea of the dryer sheets. I had read that somewhere before. I think I'll try it the next time I turn plastic. I'll echo everyone else about the slower speed for sanding only. Also I've had great luck with the Hut plastic polish, but I may have to try Brasso!

 

[bonefish]

Drill slow, and clean the drill bit often. The bit gets hot and the plastic builds up and adheres to the flutes in the bit, making it even hotter, and leaving no place for the drilled out material to go, except out the side of the blank when it cracks from top to bottom.

I have had several wood blanks crack, for the same reason, and I use the same method on those, also.

Also, support the end the drill comes out of. I set the crushed velvet, and all acrylic of a small block of wood, and drill through the blank and on into the wood. This prevents the blank from bursting (most of the time.)

Bonefish

 

[JimQ]

Definitely keep the speed up. If you have the clearance on your drill press, drill half the blank, cut, drill the other half, then cut off the excess. If you have a short stroke DP, you are more likely to have trouble with plastic, since you can't withdraw the drill bit all the way.

JimQ