First trip to Rockler

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Kragax

Kragax

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Joined
Jan 17, 2015
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280
Location
western new york
I had to take my daughter to a Dr. Appt. in a town 96 miles away. While I was there I visited a Rockler store. It wasn't as big as I thought it would be but it was still pretty cool. They had boards of Padauk and other exotics but to pricey for me right now. I did buy some pen blanks. We looked at the laser inlay blanks, again pricey but pretty interesting. I wonder though what the process is to use them. After assembly do you still turn them or just sand them and finish them. I sometimes get a catch and I can see that being an issue with these. My only disappointment is that today the were going to do a CO2 laser demonstration as well as a CNC router demo. Too far to go back but maybe some other time.:frown: I will being going once or twice a year for wood hopefully. I was a neat store, we have nothing like that here. Everything has to be mail order.
 
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There are several great videos online concerning inlay work for pens, you should look them up! :)

Generally, though, you'll want the brass tube that fits the inlay kit on hand .... you slip the main section of the inlay over the brass tube and begin fitting all the small pieces into proper place, securing as you go with little rubber bands. Work your way from one end to the other .... when finished, you ensure that your brass tube is perfectly centered exactly where you want it, and then you glue the tube in place, and then soak the ENTIRE inlay with thin CA, so that it flows in between all the pieces and glues them all to the brass tube. LEAVE THE RUBBER BANDS IN PLACE.

Once it's dried and cured (leave it for a few hours, don't use accelerator), you can trim the barrel with some form of sanding disc or belt. DO NOT USE A BARREL TRIMMER ... it WILL blow apart on you!

Mount it on the lathe and turn the rubber bands off carefully .... use extremely light cuts with a skew or just work it down to level with 120 grit abranet or the sanding paper of your choice. It comes fairly close to finished dimensions already, so that isn't much work.

Finish with whatever you choose, be it a CA or lacquer, ect ....
 
I have done quite a few of these and after glueup I start off with light guts with my gouge all the way to finish. I find that if there are several colors the sanding will drag darker dust onto the lighter parts and it doesn't come off. Care and delicacy is the key for me. I finish with CA then. And I also find that ordering inlays from the online vendors gets you a better price and selection.
 
Kragax said:
Actually I'M Panama NY 80mi east of Buffalo. The Rocker was in Depew NY, part of Buffalo.
93 miles away.
Click to expand...

I don't know why I thought you were in the Syracuse area. There was a Woodcraft in the Buffalo area in one of the towns on the south side but I think they closed.
 
It's always a treat for me to visit our Rockler store in San Diego.It's like a candy store!

I find I like to see and feel something that I'm interested in buying,vs buying it sight unseen on-line,although the prices are higher.

I like sifting thru the bins of pen blanks,and love the rush that you get when you find a really cool one!



Steve
 
"The only difference between Men and Boys is the price of their toys!"

Problem is, I couldn't afford them then, and I can't afford them now.... :O
 
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