This may need to be in Penturning instead of SOYP, because I think this is more of a 'look how I screwed this up' instead of a 'look how awesome I did' post.
I received, with much entusiasm, a box from Exotics on Saturday containing two cholla blanks, two pine cone blanks, a reincarnated wood blank, and a worthless wood blank. A pine cone blank made it on the lathe first simply because this particular blank didn't have to be reverse painted. The reincarnated wood blank, which looks like amboyna burl, is next in line.
Anyway, this was my first attempt with mixed media blanks, other than a cholla blank. The blank turned fairly well with a sharp skew. There was one air bubble, which was plainly stated as a possibility in the listing. I successfully filled it with dust and ca.
My real problems came with trying to rush through the CA finish. I wound up sanding the blank back to bare wood after my first finishing attempt went sour and starting over. I got the finish applied again tonight successfully.
I pressed in the barrel couplers, and realized I had built up too much finish and had a ridge at both ends. Then I looked closer, and realized I had cracked the blank on the resin end. I think I let the coupling get slightly cocked, which probably stretched the tube enough to cause stress cracks in the resin.
So, in conclusion, here is what I should have learned from this but probably didn't:
1 - When working with expensive blanks with tons of potential, don't be in a hurry. Make a cocobolo twist pen instead. Then you are out $2.75 max.
2 - Pay attention to your finish build up.
3 - pay attention when pressing parts into tubes - resins aren't as forgiving as wood.
The finish build up isn't too bad, but I noticed it. The cracks are almost invisible unless you are in strong direct light, but I know they are there. I will probably take it apart, turn the barrel a little smaller, and try again.
Thanks for looking, I hope this was somewhat helpful to someone.
Adam
I received, with much entusiasm, a box from Exotics on Saturday containing two cholla blanks, two pine cone blanks, a reincarnated wood blank, and a worthless wood blank. A pine cone blank made it on the lathe first simply because this particular blank didn't have to be reverse painted. The reincarnated wood blank, which looks like amboyna burl, is next in line.
Anyway, this was my first attempt with mixed media blanks, other than a cholla blank. The blank turned fairly well with a sharp skew. There was one air bubble, which was plainly stated as a possibility in the listing. I successfully filled it with dust and ca.
My real problems came with trying to rush through the CA finish. I wound up sanding the blank back to bare wood after my first finishing attempt went sour and starting over. I got the finish applied again tonight successfully.
I pressed in the barrel couplers, and realized I had built up too much finish and had a ridge at both ends. Then I looked closer, and realized I had cracked the blank on the resin end. I think I let the coupling get slightly cocked, which probably stretched the tube enough to cause stress cracks in the resin.
So, in conclusion, here is what I should have learned from this but probably didn't:
1 - When working with expensive blanks with tons of potential, don't be in a hurry. Make a cocobolo twist pen instead. Then you are out $2.75 max.
2 - Pay attention to your finish build up.
3 - pay attention when pressing parts into tubes - resins aren't as forgiving as wood.
The finish build up isn't too bad, but I noticed it. The cracks are almost invisible unless you are in strong direct light, but I know they are there. I will probably take it apart, turn the barrel a little smaller, and try again.
Thanks for looking, I hope this was somewhat helpful to someone.
Adam
