SALKBL
Member
I am a new member and new to pen turning. I have turned one(1) slimline pen and that's it! I am relatively pleased with it, but realize it is no great piece of work.
I just joined the IAP and this is my first post. I have a question (maybe more than one).
I am considering trying to mold my own pen blanks. I have watched several videos on how to go about modifying a Harbor Freight paint pressure pot for pen blank casting. Putting aside a general distrust in the quality of HF tools, I cannot figure out why everyone (at least the ones I watched) made so many modifications. I understand the removal of the paint uptake pipe. Then folks remove the pressure relief valve and later reinstalled it on the output side of the pressure regulator. [In one video, the person boogered the threads and had to re-tap the hole. In another, the valve assembly was destroyed in the removal operation]. What's wrong with leaving it where it is? For almost all the modifications, I see a shopping list of elbows, reducers, couplings, nipples, etc. It looks to me like all I need is a cap for the air outlet on the pressure regulator, a cap for the paint outlet, a ¼" ball valve and air quick-connect on the inlet to the pressure regulator. What am I missing here?
I would be grateful for any advice and/or clarifications of my misunderstanding of the need for many changes. I hope to be a contributor to this organization and share what I can.
SALKBL
I just joined the IAP and this is my first post. I have a question (maybe more than one).
I am considering trying to mold my own pen blanks. I have watched several videos on how to go about modifying a Harbor Freight paint pressure pot for pen blank casting. Putting aside a general distrust in the quality of HF tools, I cannot figure out why everyone (at least the ones I watched) made so many modifications. I understand the removal of the paint uptake pipe. Then folks remove the pressure relief valve and later reinstalled it on the output side of the pressure regulator. [In one video, the person boogered the threads and had to re-tap the hole. In another, the valve assembly was destroyed in the removal operation]. What's wrong with leaving it where it is? For almost all the modifications, I see a shopping list of elbows, reducers, couplings, nipples, etc. It looks to me like all I need is a cap for the air outlet on the pressure regulator, a cap for the paint outlet, a ¼" ball valve and air quick-connect on the inlet to the pressure regulator. What am I missing here?
I would be grateful for any advice and/or clarifications of my misunderstanding of the need for many changes. I hope to be a contributor to this organization and share what I can.
SALKBL