Acrylic Strangle Hold!! Help

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papNal

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Aug 9, 2009
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Tallassee Al.
I finally got some acrylic camo blanks to use on cart. pens to go with some antler,somebody fess up and tell me the secret to turning the acrylic and not having to stop lathe 40 times to clean off the strings that keep building up.I thought I had it solved for a minute or two when the DC sucked up the end of a string and slurped the whole strand for the cut,keeping things neat.However that only worked about 3 times then back to making bird nests on every cut.The blanks finished up fine,but took about 4 times as long to turn,Would GREATLY appreciate any tips(if there are any):frown: pap
 
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papNal said:
I finally got some acrylic camo blanks to use on cart. pens to go with some antler,somebody fess up and tell me the secret to turning the acrylic and not having to stop lathe 40 times to clean off the strings that keep building up.I thought I had it solved for a minute or two when the DC sucked up the end of a string and slurped the whole strand for the cut,keeping things neat.However that only worked about 3 times then back to making bird nests on every cut.The blanks finished up fine,but took about 4 times as long to turn,Would GREATLY appreciate any tips(if there are any):frown: pap
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If you are not confortable brushing the swirls off by hand or using your tool when the lathe is spinning then stop and do as you are doing. What is the hurry anyway??? You will save time with acrylic in the end because you do not have to top coat. Slow down and enjoy turning. :smile:
 
I use a 'handled' brass brush to keep the work area cleaned. You only have to touch the shavings to have them "exit stage left"! I do not turn my lathe off to do this.
 
I keep an old soft 2 1/2 long handled paint brush next to the lathe. I simple brush the shaving off with the lathe turning. It works extremely well, even with those tough ones that wrap around the busing or dead center.

Jim Smith
 
That's just a normal part of turning any plastic material, IME. If I can't pluck the strings off of the turning (I do, most of the time), then I just stop the lathe and pull them off. No big deal. Wait till you turn something like PVC....I have to constantly stop the lathe and tug pretty hard to get those ribbons to break loose.
 
I saw Ed Brown do a demo at the first Midwest Penturners Gathering and he use a plain old wire brush... a couple side to side swipes and the threads are cleared and you can make some more... you don't even have to stop the lathe.
 
TellicoTurning said:
I saw Ed Brown do a demo at the first Midwest Penturners Gathering and he use a plain old wire brush... a couple side to side swipes and the threads are cleared and you can make some more... you don't even have to stop the lathe.
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Thanks Chuck!! You are always kind enough to mention my name, I appreciate that!!

Yes, I have been doing this for years. But then, I used to make a LOT of pens in a short time. Not necessary any more. But, I still use my wire brush!!
 
You could always do what I do...

Quit sharpening your tools and the ribbons will turn into tiny little chips of material. They go flying all over the place instead of piling up on the mandrel!

On a more serious note... Are you speaking of the ribbons that pile up on the mandrel or blank or bushings? Or the ribbons that pile up on the lathe bed?

The stuff on the bed i just leave till the blank is done. The material on the mandrel, I just turn away... Literally. You barely gotta touch it with a tool and it goes flying. Try it, It works!
 
RAdams said:
You could always do what I do...

Quit sharpening your tools and the ribbons will turn into tiny little chips of material. They go flying all over the place instead of piling up on the mandrel!

On a more serious note... Are you speaking of the ribbons that pile up on the mandrel or blank or bushings? Or the ribbons that pile up on the lathe bed?

The stuff on the bed i just leave till the blank is done. The material on the mandrel, I just turn away... Literally. You barely gotta touch it with a tool and it goes flying. Try it, It works!
Click to expand...


Thanks to everone for your help.I'm doing the brush thing now,it does help. The ribbons I mentioned was the ones wrapping around the blank and turning area,most of the loose stuff gets slurped up by the DC.Ever so often I crank up my shop vac and attack all the wood chips,brass curls and other stuff that the DC can't pull in.Thanks again. pap
(PS) I'm trying to figure out a static discharger.maybe something like hangs off the trailing edge of aircraft wing.:biggrin:
 
I use a brush too while the lathe is spinning, but a soft paint brush and touch very lightly. A wire brush handle almost beat me to death once when the brush wire caught the mandrel.

Ken
 
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