Ever had a 'dud' blank?

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Xander

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Feb 11, 2012
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My room mate asked me to make a pen for her orthopedic surgeon. She paid for the kit and picked out a blank and gift box. So I drilled, painted, glued tube, and started turning. The blank is acrylic... purple 'pearl' with black, looks real nice. Anyway, as soon as the blank got to the round stage I noticed all the color was gone and it was pretty much all black. I continued, hoping some color would appear as I got close to finished size. Well, .... I ended up with a pure black pen. NOT what we wanted. This was to be delivered friday but now I have to go purchase an new blank locally and start over.

Has this ever happened to you?
 
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Yep. I've turned a three color blank before, red, yellow and black, and had a section that was all yellow. People asked why I used two different blanks. Ugh...

Every now and then I get huge air bubbles in PR - which is really disappointing when the colors are so deep and rich. Oh well - epoxy has fixed them all so far.
 
Oh yeah. We see a lot of posts along the lines of "I couldn't beleive what was hiding inside" or something similar. Unfortunately it goes both ways. I've had a few of my own casts where I turn one or two from the same batch that I love and then the third from that same batch just falls flat for some reason. That really sucks because you already have an expectation.
 
Yep, bought some blanks from a member who was just starting to cast. Looked really good from the outside a red black combo. The inside was almost all black and the results of the remaining color was pretty awful. The first was a total loss, the second painting the tubes helped a little. The third one sits and waits.
I also have had the air bubbles in the PR from a vendor here. It showed up just as I was getting to final dimension and went all the way to the tube. It was almost an 1/8 of an inch in diameter and there was no way to cover it up. So I trashed it. In all cases I don't blame anything or anyone but chance. It happens to almost everyone at sometime or other. Its part of the adventure.
 
Xander said:
My room mate asked me to make a pen for her orthopedic surgeon. She paid for the kit and picked out a blank and gift box. So I drilled, painted, glued tube, and started turning. The blank is acrylic... purple 'pearl' with black, looks real nice. Anyway, as soon as the blank got to the round stage I noticed all the color was gone and it was pretty much all black. I continued, hoping some color would appear as I got close to finished size. Well, .... I ended up with a pure black pen. NOT what we wanted. This was to be delivered friday but now I have to go purchase an new blank locally and start over.

Has this ever happened to you?
Click to expand...

Hi Xander,

No doubt, no one would appreciate that to happen to them, particularly if is the only blank available to work with and, there is a deadline...!

HOWEVER, that is the exception and very rarely a reality. It does happen but, considering the thousands of blanks that are turned every single day, you don't hear many claims such as yours.

Acrylic blank production is improving all the time, particularly from the big manufacturers still, there will be always the possibility of something go wrong, this multiples to a degree, to the "home" blanks production and less technological systems so, a small price to pay in my view, for the amazing array of blanks options available to us, at the present time...!

Hope you get a blank replacement and that your deadline is not broken...!

Good luck

Cheers
George
 
Several times It is a bummer but it happens. On the other hand I have had a few come out more stunning after they are turned. I consider this surprise for better or worse to be the nature of the business.
 
Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has been disappointed. Got a new blank this morning from Woodcraft. Not really the color I wanted but it will have to do.
In answer to The Penguin.... I reverse painted Metalic blue enamel.
Next time I get a few extra $$ (like that is ever going to happen) I think I'll stock up on blanks so I have a few on hand instead of getting just enough for ther kits I have.
 
I wouldn't paint a dark blank with a dark color - unless you're really looking to darken the finished pen.

I've got an example at home that I'll post later. It's a 2-tone purple blank. I made 2 pens, one painted black and the other white - dramatic difference between the two.
 
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The Penguin said:
I wouldn't paint a dark blank with a dark color - unless you're really looking to darken the finished pen.

I've got an example at home that I'll post later. It's a 2-tone purple blank. I made 2 pens, one painted black and the other white - dramatic difference between the two.
Click to expand...

I've always painted in a similar color to the blank and until now it's been fine. I have the offcut of this blank and upon looking at it, where it was cut, it seems to be 7/8 solid black with just a thin layer of purple and lighter blue on the 'top' surface. May not have been mixed very well in the production process. Had this happen once before but nowhere near this extent, just more color swirl on one side and plain unswirly color other side.

I might do some experimenting on a few blanks with painting a lighter color and see what happens.

Thanks for the input.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
Another reason why I am a 99.9999% wood only guy.
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I've seen more than a few "burl" blanks, where the "wild grain" covers half the blank, the rest is "plain".

Which raises the question, in my mind, are they really "burl" blanks???

Since I now sell some wood, I am interested in what the community expects when we use terms.

Does the price of the burl ALWAYS reflect it's intensity???

Thanks for any input!
Ed
 
ed4copies said:
Rifleman1776 said:
Another reason why I am a 99.9999% wood only guy.
Click to expand...


I've seen more than a few "burl" blanks, where the "wild grain" covers half the blank, the rest is "plain".

Which raises the question, in my mind, are they really "burl" blanks???

Since I now sell some wood, I am interested in what the community expects when we use terms.

Does the price of the burl ALWAYS reflect it's intensity???

Thanks for any input!
Ed
Click to expand...
I've been surprised with both resin & wood (including burls). Usually with resins it's a good surprise. Mainly because it's really hard to guess what's inside a blank. I've been surprised with wood too. But usually it's when the finish is applied, the grain seems to come alive. I will say that when I've done burl blanks that have eyes on at lest 2 sides, I've never been disappointed (I may have just jinxed myself). But I have had a couple of burl blanks that didn't seem to have much burl before they were turned, that were gems inside.

Back to the main topic:

I've had some blanks with bubbles. With a little patience, the bubbles can be filled with CA, and are virtually invisible. It takes a little time, and if production is your thing, I can see where it would be irritating. The problem is that there are so many variables when casting PR (My only type of casting so far), that you can never really be sure about bubbles or not. I did have a case where I think my resin was getting a little old, and near the bottom of the can, I'd get bubbles in the cups while mixing. Usually they settle out, but on a few, they came to the surface, but wouldn't pop. I do know that some of the blanks I made with that resin had bubbles inside. They were small, but they were there.
 

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ed4copies said:
Rifleman1776 said:
Another reason why I am a 99.9999% wood only guy.
Click to expand...


I've seen more than a few "burl" blanks, where the "wild grain" covers half the blank, the rest is "plain".

Which raises the question, in my mind, are they really "burl" blanks???

Since I now sell some wood, I am interested in what the community expects when we use terms.

Does the price of the burl ALWAYS reflect it's intensity???

Thanks for any input!
Ed
Click to expand...



unless im buying the exact ones that i see in the pictures, I expect them to look about 1/2 as good as the examples anything better im impressed, kinda like when you see a fast food commercial on tv those burgers look amazing but when you actually go buy one and unwrap it looks nothign like it. I just got in mail today a few blanks i ordered and one of them was one of those "exibition grade ones, well from the outside of it theres about 1/2 inch on one side that even resembles what i was expecting, just hoping theres something pretty on the inside
 
The Penguin said:
Here's the two pens I mentioned...this is the "purple rain" blank from Woodcraft: http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020297/21363/Acrylic-Pen-Blank--Purple-Rain.aspx

reverse painted black on the left and white on the right. I did these as an example of what reverse painting can do for a class I was in a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...

Thanks Penguin. Very noticable difference.

That blank looks like the one I got as a replacement. I did paint it blue and it came out really well. Nice bright colors and great 'pearl' look.
The other one was a complete .... POS. Black all the way through with just a thin layer of color on one side.

Most important thing, pen is finished and will be delivered tomorrow.
Never know, it might generate some interest and an actual paying order :wink:
 
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