jedgerton
Member
OK, just when I thought I was getting the hang of this pen making thing, a recurring problem has got me stumped. I'm getting cracks in my acrylic turnings at the end of the tube. Usually the cracks are between 1/16" to 3/8" long and they are along the length of the tube.
I usually don't see them until I finish polishing the blank and then they stick out like a sore thumb. I've seen these in acrylic blanks from Woodcraft and in Inlace acrylester blanks from Woodturningz. I'm using Gorilla glue for gluing in the tubes and I use sharp tools with a light cut. In fact, my most recent problem pen, a Sierra, the blank was so uniform after turning that I was able to start with MM1500.
My polishing procedure is MM1500 - MM12000. I do this dry and frequently move the MM to avoid any buildup.
Any ideas?
John
I usually don't see them until I finish polishing the blank and then they stick out like a sore thumb. I've seen these in acrylic blanks from Woodcraft and in Inlace acrylester blanks from Woodturningz. I'm using Gorilla glue for gluing in the tubes and I use sharp tools with a light cut. In fact, my most recent problem pen, a Sierra, the blank was so uniform after turning that I was able to start with MM1500.
My polishing procedure is MM1500 - MM12000. I do this dry and frequently move the MM to avoid any buildup.
Any ideas?
John