Ebonite, brass, etc...

[Sugar Creek Pen Co.]

I recently tried ebonite for the first time. Any tips for turning? I turned it at about 1000 rpm on my metal lathe. It is very "aromatic".

Also, this rod is NYH black ebonite. I used it as a locking taper with a brass section. The brass turned a darker color almost overnight. Is brass reactive to ebonite?

Thanks,

Frank

 

[hooked]

I find that black NYH ebonite is the strongest-smelling and has an odor that lingers around for a long time when capped. I have a couple of pens I made with NYH sections maybe two years ago, and when I uncap them, they smell like rotten eggs. I don't find that this happens with SEM or the Nikko black ebonite, but they still smell like sulphur and burning rubber while turning.

I am not certain of this, but there is a product called liver of sulphur that is used to patina brass. Perhaps the strong sulphur in the NYH material acts as a patina agent to the brass?