Acrylic odor - Customer complaint

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LouisQC

LouisQC

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
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220
Location
Gatineau, QC, Canada.
I recently turned an acrylic for someone and now they complaint it doesn't smell very nice...

Now, I've done some acrylics that have stopped smelling after a few days, other, still do smell a bit after a few months.

Have you ever had such complaints? What have you done about it?

The pen is just MicroMeshed after turning and polished with Hut's.
 
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Louis,

I am really NOT trying to be argumentative or difficult, so please don't take it that way.

What IS the material, really?
"Acrylic" is being used to describe Alumilite, Polyresin, celluloid and other resins as well as real extruded or cast acrylic rod. They each have different smells and life. There are even SOME acrylics that have been "Perfumed" or so they smell.

NONE of them seems to last long, but you might ask your customer how she feels about the smell of her car, in the hot sun in the summer. Of course, if she happens to be a NASCAR fan, a whole new dimension of smells.................................well, you get the idea.
 
never heard of it. tell her...."Maybe you just have stinky fingers...stoopid!"
well...maybe that's just more of a pirate thing to say. You could lose an eye.
 
Ed, no worries, I understand your point on clarity.

The only description I have is the one from the supplier. Acrylic acetate, it's actually the liquid Lava blank (AA-48) from Berea.
 
Personally, I don't need that kind of aggravation. If she is willing, I would have her keep it for a month and see if the odor goes away. If not give her a refund or a different kind of pen. Or offer the same deal immediately if she doesn't want to wait a month. :smile:
 
Randy,

That will work only IF she can actually SMELL something. IF it is commercial blank (AA-48), all of the rest of the series will smell the same. MAYBE this blank was just cast, so it still has some production smell?????

My guess is the smell is between her ears, not really coming up her nose.

Of course you COULD tell her to eat a mint before she smells her pen, but that might not go over so well ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ya think????
 
This is being really hypothetical now, but did you perhaps use any kind of CA or epoxy when assembling the pen? Perhaps that's what she's smelling, if you did use anything.
 
Love some of the responses :)

I think I'll go with Randy's suggestion though. I'll offer a refund and keep the pen.


As for the odor, they all smell a bit when I turn them but the smell doesn't stay for long usually. Maybe my skew isn't sharp enough and heats up the blank? Just hypothesizing here...

Brian, the tube was CA glued.
 
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If your customer's last name is Lewinski ............................................................

And they were out of cigars.............................................................


Well, never mind.
 
ed4copies said:
Randy,

That will work only IF she can actually SMELL something. IF it is commercial blank (AA-48), all of the rest of the series will smell the same. MAYBE this blank was just cast, so it still has some production smell?????

My guess is the smell is between her ears, not really coming up her nose.

Of course you COULD tell her to eat a mint before she smells her pen, but that might not go over so well ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ya think????
Click to expand...

Ed, I believe you've hit on something that has had me puzzled.
About a year ago I placed an order with CSUSA. Included in the order were a 7/8 and a 5/8 scarlet red blank from their Celluloid line.
I turned the larger blank into a Panache and from the moment I drilled it there was such a strong smell that my eyes watered. I set it aside for a week or two before I carried it to a show.When I took it out of my case it smelled almost as strong as when I first turned it. Long story short I kept that pen 3 months before the smell wasn't noticeable. The smaller blank? I turned a slimline out of it several days after the Panache and there never was any odor. I now think that the offensive blank was much newer stock...or that's my guess.
 
ed4copies said:
If your customer's last name is Lewinski ............................................................

And they were out of cigars.............................................................


Well, never mind.
Click to expand...
So are you saying it might have been the monica blank on a cigar style kit:rolleyes:
 
ed4copies said:
If your customer's last name is Lewinski ............................................................

And they were out of cigars.............................................................


Well, never mind.
Click to expand...
:eek:O M G !!! I thought my coment was a little off color. you just took it to a hole new place!!!
 
I hear what you're saying Louis. I make a lot of acrylic pens and some colours do have a stong smell to them. (One that comes to mind is the lime green and black striped blank from PennState.:smile:) The smell mostly dissipates over time but I have some that still stink a little even after 6 months due to them being inside storage pouches. I would have the customer keep her pen out in the open and wait the month before deciding. Hope this helps.
 
I've noticed that all acrylics smell during turning, but I've never noticed one that smells noticeably after turning and assembly...mind you, I'm not sticking the pen up my nostrils either!

Perhaps the plastic polish that you use has a strong odor to it?

Andrew
 
I also turned a celluloid blank that I bought from CUSA and ther odor was such I sit the pen outside in the backyard as my wife is very sensitive to odors. After the month There was no such odor from the blank.

Fellow turners just because 98% of the therm-o-plastic blanks we receive from the different manufacturers are clean smelling there's always just one that can turn up the nose. Please do not discount the customers feelings.

Give a new pen or refund. I turned another vendor's problem into a very good sale. just because I listened to her and solved the problem!
 
I have never had an issue after a short while. Some people though have a very low threshold for what thier nose is able to detect for differing compounds. 1 Part per million of "something" may be detectable to only a few people while the general population is only able to detect it when it is in the 10-15 range. Some odor is natural for these materials.
 
Louis, turned a Purple Cushed Pearl (PSI blank) Designer for LOML and she just loved it ......the smell however stayed for a good 3 to 4weeks. She actually removed it from her bag and let it "air" untill the stench was gone.....now its in daily use and is still her favorite!
 
I also had this problem with a Berea AA blank. The smell was definitely noticeable - even from a distance. It's now been about 3 months kept out in the open and it has improved, but still there. I've turned many different acrylics - this one definately sets a record.

Steve
 
I turned an acrylic acetate sierra a while back that kept its plasticky odor for a solid month of actual use.

The only suggestion I can make is to put the pens on a shelf for a month before selling.

I've found that PR as well as other acrylics only keep the odor for a day or two. But that acetate just kept pumping it out.

Offer your customer another replacement that has no smell.
 
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