Inlace acrylester issues

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NT_2112

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Is it just me or is this stuff not good for bespoke pens?
My 1st time with it did not go well. :)




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magpens

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When you say "it did not go well" .... please elaborate .

Is it chipping ? ... or what ? . Turning this material is quite different from turning the usual "acrylic acetate" for example

One of the blanks you show (on top of the pile) shows some moderate chipping ... that is not out of the ordinary for "inlace acrylester" .
I would say that you have done well up to that point.

Now that you have it partially rounded, the turning should go better.
BUT ... you do have to use sharp tools and you must take very light cuts. . Carbide tools are better than HSS only because of less sharpening.
Some people use negative rake carbide cutters, and some of those say that the negative rake makes a difference while others say it doesn't.
 
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Curly

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It is not a very good material for bespoke pens because it is very difficult to thread at least until you have a bunch under your belt. Ebonite, Alumilite and the other acrylics are better to play with.
 

NT_2112

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Thanks for the feedback. I'm switching to ebonite and alumalite.

I was using the round carbide lathe bit and even with tiny dial adjustments on the metal lathe it was pretty chippy.

I'll save it for later.
 

magpens

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You have made a wise choice. . I forgot about the matter of threading which Curly pointed out.
 

1shootist

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Inlace acrylester has some really cool colors and patterns...too bad it can be a rascal to turn.

It'll be night and day difference between how that turns and the ones Curly listed.
 

More4dan

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Thanks for the feedback. I'm switching to ebonite and alumalite.

I was using the round carbide lathe bit and even with tiny dial adjustments on the metal lathe it was pretty chippy.

I'll save it for later.

Did you check if the blade is adjusted to hit the blank at or just below the centerline? I've noticed with Inlace this can make a big difference. Using the power feed with a slow feed rate also helps.

It's also important to support the free end with a live center when turning.

What depth of cut were you taking?

I've had good results using Acrylic (AA) blanks for kitless pens. I've never been able to thread Inlace material. The threads are brittle and break off while threading.

Danny


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