Completely Lost Detail

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KarlSangree

KarlSangree

Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2022
Messages
14
Location
Secane, PA
I am a somewhat experienced with metal lathes and milling machines, but am brand new to wood turning and pens specifically. I have enjoyed a great amount of success with wood pen blanks but am struggling with the finish on acrylics. Here's my issue:

I turned a PSI police pen kit with the PSI thin blue line acrylic blank. After finishing, I noticed that the blue stripe running the length of the blank was gone. Before turning the blank, the blue was dark but definitely visible. Now, it can only be seen in the brightest of light.

I finished the pen by sanding 150 to 600 dry, then ended with wet micro-mesh to 12,000. The gloss is spectacular, but the detail is gone. Can this be saved? (my pen press will do disassembly) What should I do for a better result next time?

"This Blue Line" Pen Blank (photo from PSI website):
WXTBL2.jpg

Finished Pen
IMG_1721.JPG
 
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Welcome to the forum Karl.
The only thing I can suggest, is to paint the inside of the blank with white paint after you have drilled. This should brighten the blue line. A bit late for this one, but if you have another blank, you could try again.
 
 
Painting tubes and holes with most resins, as this relatively new turner has figured out, is generally a must. Very occasionally you come across a blank that is dense enough not to need it, but otherwise. Choosing the best paint for the pen is sometimes a bit of a thought process, but once you do paint them (and, you usually want to paint the hole at the very least, if not also the tube), it will really help the quality of your resin pens.

For your particular kit...just to make sure...is the line still there? Or are you saying it turned away completely? If it turned away, then you might have picked up a dud blank...

Even if you've assembled the pen...as long as you can figure out what kind of tube it uses, you can usually find replacement tubes (or get long tubes of the right diameter, and cut one down to the right size). With a new tube and another blank, you could paint the hole and the tube properly to make sure the blue shows up on the finished pen.
 
Have to say that is a dark blue line to start with. If it is a solid piece all the way through you will not lighten it up with white paint either. I have seen alumilite blanks that use a lighter blue line than that. That could be all acrylic. If you have any pieces left over do a little experimenting and see if painting will help and see if that color runs all the way through. That is not how they are suppose to look for sure.
 
Thanks to everyone for the replies.

I bought two of these "thin blue line" blanks and they are long enough to make two of this style pen out of each blank, so I have material to mess around with. I'll try the suggestions mentioned so far.
 
KarlSangree said:
I am a somewhat experienced with metal lathes and milling machines, but am brand new to wood turning and pens specifically. I have enjoyed a great amount of success with wood pen blanks but am struggling with the finish on acrylics. Here's my issue:

I turned a PSI police pen kit with the PSI thin blue line acrylic blank. After finishing, I noticed that the blue stripe running the length of the blank was gone. Before turning the blank, the blue was dark but definitely visible. Now, it can only be seen in the brightest of light.

I finished the pen by sanding 150 to 600 dry, then ended with wet micro-mesh to 12,000. The gloss is spectacular, but the detail is gone. Can this be saved? (my pen press will do disassembly) What should I do for a better result next time?

"This Blue Line" Pen Blank (photo from PSI website):
View attachment 327070

Finished Pen
View attachment 327069
Click to expand...
PSI will or exchange/refund… I realize you're trying to save it but…
 
KarlSangree said:
I am a somewhat experienced with metal lathes and milling machines, but am brand new to wood turning and pens specifically. I have enjoyed a great amount of success with wood pen blanks but am struggling with the finish on acrylics. Here's my issue:

I turned a PSI police pen kit with the PSI thin blue line acrylic blank. After finishing, I noticed that the blue stripe running the length of the blank was gone. Before turning the blank, the blue was dark but definitely visible. Now, it can only be seen in the brightest of light.

I finished the pen by sanding 150 to 600 dry, then ended with wet micro-mesh to 12,000. The gloss is spectacular, but the detail is gone. Can this be saved? (my pen press will do disassembly) What should I do for a better result next time?

"This Blue Line" Pen Blank (photo from PSI website):
View attachment 327070

Finished Pen
View attachment 327069
Click to expand...
PSI will or exchange/refund… I realize you're trying to save it but
 
KarlSangree said:
Thanks to everyone for the replies.

I bought two of these "thin blue line" blanks and they are long enough to make two of this style pen out of each blank, so I have material to mess around with. I'll try the suggestions mentioned so far.
Click to expand...

Hi Karl,

Do your blanks match the photo from the PSI website that you posted above? As in - is the blue line in the actual material as thick and as vibrant, and does it go all the way through the blank when viewed from the cut end?

It's quite possible they made a batch where the blue layer got so thin it vanishes.
 
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