Turning acrylics

[alamocdc]

Some folks, especially new turners, are leary of turning acrylics, or plastics. It really isn't difficult, as long as you remember to go slow and keep your tools very sharp. I haven't turned since I moved back in 2008 until a few days ago. And I was a little apprehensive. But I had an order to fill so I had to gut up. I was both surprised and excited when it went well. So much so that I had my neighbor make a short video not long after I got started. The quality isn't that great, but if it helps just one take the step to turning materials other than wood, I'm happy.

Enjoy! Or rake me over the coals. LOL!

Turning Acrylic

 

[Gerhard Christmann]

Hello bill,

nice vid but lift your lathe 1 - 2 inches,
and you will feel a difference

regards from Germany
Gerhard

 

[alamocdc]

Hello bill,

nice vid but lift your lathe 1 - 2 inches,
and you will feel a difference

regards from Germany
Gerhard

You are right, Gerhard. When I first mounted the lathe to the stand I thought it seemed high, but in retrospect, it is actually lower than the bench I had it on in Ohio. I have a mobile base that I had intended to put under it, but thought I'd give this a try first. The mobile base should give me just enough lift to do the trick. Working in my garage, all but my Powermatic 3250B and stationary table saw are on mobile bases. That way I can pull my planer and scroll saw out when I need to use them. And when I'm doing pens I can move my drill press, band saw and soon my midi lathe out for use. Its a little more of a hassle than having everything in place, like I did in Ohio, but its workable.

 

[raar25]

I am with you Bill. I am just finishing my monthly wholesale shipment of acrylic pens and am thinking of going to acrylic materials exclusively because they are so much faster to finish than wood.

 

[alamocdc]

I am with you Bill. I am just finishing my monthly wholesale shipment of acrylic pens and am thinking of going to acrylic materials exclusively because they are so much faster to finish than wood.

Back when I was turning daily, I did both wood and synthetic. Though it took me about a year after getting started to try anything other than wood. I have always loved the look of wood. It's one of the reasons I got into woodworking. But you are right, synthetics are much faster to finish than wood. All you have to do is sand and polish them. With wood you have to apply a finish of some sort (my preference is still lacquer) and many of these finishes take time to cure (lacquer at least a week, if done properly). And those that are fast, like CA, take time to learn to do well (I'm still not that good at it). However, there is one quick finish for wood that I learned from Chris (Wishman) that is pretty easy to learn. That is dissolved plexiglass. Goes on fairly quickly and dries nearly immediately. Then you just sand and polish it out like any acrylic.

You are still using that as a finish, right, Chris?

 

[sthoover47]

Tell us more about this dissolved plexi ??

 

[alamocdc]

Tell us more about this dissolved plexi ??

I learned it from Chris, so I'll let him tell you.