bmachin
Member
Actually not mine, but a couple of recent posts reminded me of a great thread from a couple of years ago which is well worth reading for those who weren't around then and re-reading for those who were.
Bill
Bill
The fun of it is the variations and results. The known unknown. I enjoy the different feel of each material/blank.Also within that rant was another true statement not all woods react the same way either. Each material needs to e treated in its own way and the more you work with these materials you learn the properties. This hobby is simple to a point but within it there are complexities and the more we stay in the hobby and expand our talents the more of these complexities surface. Enjoy the ride and learn as you grow.
Also within that rant was another true statement not all woods react the same way either. Each material needs to e treated in its own way and the more you work with these materials you learn the properties. This hobby is simple to a point but within it there are complexities and the more we stay in the hobby and expand our talents the more of these complexities surface. Enjoy the ride and learn as you grow.
I will continue to use the word "acrylic" to mean "plastic" in the pen making context because that's what people understand, even though it is incorrectly used that way. If others start switching to "plastic", I will be the first to join in.
No. I am not going to stand up among my woodturning friends and start using different terminology to help force the pen turning world to conform to your desires. I will not be your crusader for correct terminology. I will wait to join in. You lead. Good luck.[...]
So do people a favor - stop perpetuating misinformation just because others are lazy with terminology. Don't wait to "join in". Be the one who sets the trend by calling materials by their correct and unambiguous names.
Sorry, I guess my rant got extended,
Eric
You could reach out to Chad @ Turners Warehouse, I know he makes those.What material is used to cast the steampunk blanks I buy? It is not listed. All of them turn like butter and are crystal clear. I've bought them from five different vendors.
My desire is that people use the correct terminology instead of incorrect and misleading terminology. Why would you insist on using incorrect terminology? I am leading. I invite you to join in.No. I am not going to stand up among my woodturning friends and start using different terminology to help force the pen turning world to conform to your desires. I will not be your crusader for correct terminology. I will wait to join in. You lead. Good luck.
You may understand that there are several different materials, and your woodturning friends may understand it, but many, many newcomers to the IAP most certainly DO NOT. Referring to synthetic materials generally as "acrylic" when they are in fact something else confuses them. They don't know to ask "what kind of acrylic [sic] were you turning" and will misunderstand your comments.I am misleading nobody. My woodturning friends and even people I just met seem to have no confusion at all. You may detest it, but someone may ask, "What kind of acrylic were you turning when it happened?" and we all get it. I am confident that everyone here gets it too. Even you.
Absolutely not! I am not trying to exclude newcomers. I am trying to keep from confusing them.Specialized, topic-specific terminology is often used as a barrier to entry against outsiders. This smells like that. This also smells like, "The whole world is marching out of step except us!"
Nobody has died over it, but the topic arises frequently (do a search and see) and new penturners are frequently confused by the implication that all plastic materials are "acrylic". They are not. "Acrylic" is a specific kind of plastic. The properties of "acrylic" are different than the properties of other plastics. Calling inlace acrylester "acrylic" is like calling amboyna burl "balsa" and water buffalo horn "bone".Obviously this issue rankles you and a few others a great deal, but the vast masses of woodturners don't care. They see wood and "acrylics." To them, pretty much any pen blank that is not wood is "acrylic." (Let's ignore the natural stuff like deer antler and buffalo horn, okay?) It has worked well enough for the last couple of decades. Nobody has died over it.
I don't view it as a "battle", just a peeve.Pick your battles. This is not one that I want to fight.