finishing alluminite

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scroller99

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I casted a pen from alluminite and couldn't get it to have a very good shine, mm and then buffing gives it a matte-semi gloss finish? and ca then mm then buff didn't get much better? I let the blanks cure for over 48 hrs. and when you sand do they seem to get soft again? I didn't have as any trouble with regular pr after this bach is gone I'll being going back to sturgiss I guess. thanks in advance Howard
 
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if you're using the quickset Alumilite it will soften with heat. I usually sand up to 400 then do ca/blo then mm up to 12000 and it works pretty good for me.
 
I normally sand to 12000 mm, finish with CA then follow the CA with plastic polish.

I have worked with about 40 Gallons of Alumilite (making blanks not turning them) and have never had a problem with it becoming soft while cutting the block into blanks or finishing or turning. Make sure you are mixing it by WEIGHT not quantity and although once set the blanks can be worked with in a very short time I normally let the blocks cure for about 3 days before I cut them up. On occasion I have had the top part of the block (the part exposed to air) stay a bit sticky but once I cut into the block it is dry and solid. Also, when I am making the Amalgam-Mutt" blanks (the resin & wood blank mix) some woods like mesquite and Banksia nuts, "weep" (as in release some sticky stuff after the block has hardened) IF and WHEN this happens I leave the block on a shelf for 6-10 days and by then the weeping solidifies. Although I agree heat may soften alumilite it would take A LOT of heat...finishing does create heat but it should not create so much heat to soften the blank (if it creates that much heat your fingers should be burning before the blank starts softening (assuming the alumilite was misxed correctly).
 
I had the same problem getting a high gloss shine with alumilite too...the heat from sanding DOES soften the surface of the blank and I'm not burning my fingers either (it's not the whole blank that gets soft just the surface).
I solved the problem .... I switched to PR ... no problem anymore [}:)]
As for coating alumilite with CA or Plexi....whats the point , it's just an extra step thats not needed with PR.
The only downside to PR is the smell...which I happen to like ... :D, and the brittleness if you use too much hardner ...which I also like ...just learn the right way to sharpen and use a skew and thats not a problem either [}:)] .
I know I'm gonna get flamed for posting this but it's just my opinion and your mileage may vary ... flame away
 
I have turned Many Pens made from Alumilite and Have not had this problem.
and I get a great glassy glossy shine,and agree with Eugene's comments
 
The depth of shine is the biggest difference in alumilite and pr, You can't get that same depth in alumilie that you do with pr, you can get a nice finish but it just lacks depth, I've turned one Alumilite Cactus from Curtis and just could not get that depth.
 
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