Hello from Maine

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Izaius

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Joined
May 4, 2025
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3
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I've been turning a while, finally joined up.
I got really into it for a bit, sold some on etsy, but found the margins too low.
I don't like in-person sales so it ended up being just a hobby business.
Now I just do it for fun and occasionally take commissions.
Happy to meet others who enjoy this great craft!


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I also do my own blanks. I built a system to make circular blanks with 3/8" holes. Saves on resin and time, because I'm lazy. :D

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Welcome from Utah!

Nice looking pens, and very interesting idea on the blanks with the hole in the pour.
 
Sure, happy to share. It will, indeed, work for any sizes and lengths you want. It saves a ton of time and effort.

You need the following materials:
  1. Resin of choice. I use Alumalite fast. Make sure it doesn't react with aluminum.
  2. Polished aluminum rod of the diameter you need. Cut to length. I got mine from HD.
  3. PVC pipe with inner diameter equal to the outer diameter you want for your blanks. Cut to length. HD again.
  4. Thin plastic wrap.
  5. Mold release spray.
  6. Optional big syringe or funnel.
  7. 3D Printed parts, or hand-milled. You can probably turn them on your lathe from HDPE.
The process is as follows:
  1. Attach bottom caps to a solid surface.
  2. Place wrap over caps to prevent resin from adhering to the caps.
  3. Insert metal rod. This will cause the wrap to bunch up so make sure you have slack.
  4. Insert Pipe.
  5. Spray release into pipe to coat pipe and rod. Wait for it to air out.
  6. Use the syringe or funnel to fill the pipe about 95% full. This may vary depending on the expansion coefficient of your resin. The idea is not have it overflow or touch the top cap.
  7. Apply top cap. this will keep the rod exactly centered in the pipe.
  8. Put under pressure. Or not, depending on your process.
  9. Once cured, pop the top cap off, and pull the pipe off the bottom cap.
  10. Tap the rod and the blank should slide out of the pipe.
  11. Place the blank onto a bench vice or other surface to support it. Use a smaller diameter rod and a hammer to tap out the rod in the middle.
  12. These two steps take just a few seconds per blank. Much faster and easier than drilling.
I have a 4-up but you could do as many as you can fit into your pressure tank.
There are a lot of benefits to doing this. I calculate that for every 4 blanks I make, I get a free one. This is because the rod means I don't have to drill and waste that material.
Even if I do need a larger size hole, the drilling process is faster and safer due to the existing hole and small amount of material to remove.

Happy to answer questions on the process.
What resin do you use?

Here is my setup:
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Thanks for the photos. I would think that different size "plugs" could be used. I have kits that take several different sizes, some smaller than 3/8.
 
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