Juma tube painting advice

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CaptainJane

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Hello Ed and Dawn. I just bought a couple of the Juma blanks, and was wondering about painting tubes to accentuate the "reptile" pattern. Will light color tube bring out the pattern, or hide it?

Thanks
JBS
 
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ed4copies

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Hello Ed and Dawn. I just bought a couple of the Juma blanks, and was wondering about painting tubes to accentuate the "reptile" pattern. Will light color tube bring out the pattern, or hide it?

Thanks
JBS




I have an opinion, but I have some time today. Let me try a few ideas and confirm my opinions--hopefully with a video.


The temp in my "garage-shop" is below freezing (about 30 degrees f), so it will be a while before I can get it warm enough to turn plastics.
 

CaptainJane

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Thanks. I bought the blue, green, and red/orange blanks - if it matters.
These are the most expensive blanks I have ever ordered, so it is too expensive to experiment.

I have wondered this about all blanks, but these beautiful Juma blanks bring out the question:
With a blank having a light underlying pattern - will painting tubes white accentuate the pattern, OR make it less prominent?
Or opposite - would painting tube dark color accentuate the pattern?
 

ed4copies

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Dawn and I had this discussion on the way in to the office.


Our opinions are precisely opposite of each other.



We will be packing and shipping until the post office closes at 3:30 PM. Then I will head to the garage for some quality enjoyment time--the heater is on now, so it should be "turnable" a little before 3.


We'll see who guessed right!!


Ed
 

magpens

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Jane,

Your question is understood, and it is a good one. . But it seems to me there is no definitive answer because the effect depends on which kit you use. . The effect also depends on the basic color of your blank, as well as on its manufactured structure which creates the "scale" patterning.

The effect will depend on the degree of transparency of the turned blank, and that, of course, depends on the wall thickness of the turned blank, which, in turn, depends on the kit.

It also depends on your style of turning, whether you turn your blanks straight-sided or slightly bulged, or whatever.

If you are putting the blank on a PSI Executive kit, and if you are turning straight-sided (no bulge), then the wall thickness is uniformly about 0.032", one of the thinnest in the world's arsenal of pen kits. . On the other hand, if you are turning a PSI Music kit, and doing it straight-sided, then the wall thickness is about 0.142" at the thickest part. . So the effect of painting the tube will be quite different between these two examples.

I am interested in Ed's response so I will stay tuned to read what he has to say. . Be sure to post any results or ideas you come up with also, please.
 
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More4dan

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I went to hobby lobby and found an acrylic paint the same color as the lighter color of the blank. Here is the result. Make sure to let dry a day.

Danny


 

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CaptainJane

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Hello Dan from down south of Houston in Santa Fe (Texas of course).
Thanks for the great pics of Juma pens. Your work is superb.

It appears that green tubes do not diminish the pattern at all. It looks quite pronounced, which is what I want.

You have been a great help.

I'm sure Ed and Dawn can educate us both even further.
 

More4dan

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Hello Dan from down south of Houston in Santa Fe (Texas of course).
Thanks for the great pics of Juma pens. Your work is superb.

It appears that green tubes do not diminish the pattern at all. It looks quite pronounced, which is what I want.

You have been a great help.

I'm sure Ed and Dawn can educate us both even further.



Jane thanks for the kind words. You can test a small cut off too using a painted stick the size of the tube to check the effect. I've gotten best results back painting the blank.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 

ed4copies

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I took a light blue blank and drilled it for a sierra tube (10.5 mm=.4134")


Then turned it without a tube, to the finished diameter (.48")


Clearly, this leaves a wall thickness of .0333" (.48-.4134=.0666/2=.0333)


Polished as if I was making a sierra --looks GREAT!! Then took black, white, chrome and normal brass tubes and inserted. The difference is minimal. Perhaps the black brings out the figure a minuscule amount, but I doubt anyone could tell unless you had two in your hand to compare.


I will do more with this, using other colors just to confirm, but presently I don't think painting will matter a great deal. Because there is a pattern, I would still paint at least the tube in case there is a clear spot in the pattern when complete--but that is just a lot of experience with acrylics being super-cautious.


Will post pics of the blank. Right now I HAVE to get the Sunday email done!!!!


Ed
 

magpens

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Thanks for doing this, Ed. . It happens to be of interest to me also.

I am interested in your turning too. You say you turned without a tube in the blank.
You turned down to a wall thickness of 0.033".
That is quite a feat. The acrylic would have almost no strength/stability at that thinness.

Did you turn down only a short portion of the blank, leaving the rest thick for strength ?
 

ed4copies

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Hey Mal,


Let's say I am pretty comfortable with acrylic!! I'll post pictures when I have time this week.
The section that is turned is 2.19", There is a 3/4" square at the end that was in the chuck to keep it turning.
 
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magpens

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OK, Ed.

Will accept that for NOW !

Just remember, please, that you promised to post more on this subject ... it's critical ! :):biggrin::wink:
 

magpens

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Thanks, Ed. . nice work.

Looks pretty fragile.

You probably supported the open end with a live center while you were turning .... yes ?

Or perhaps you even slid a spare brass tube temporarily into the hole also.
 
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ed4copies

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Yes, I did use a live center to gently support the end. I considered using a tube but decided it really had no advantage and would keep the live center from doing much good.



As they say, sharp tool, light cuts. Skew from start to finish, although at the end it was a half inch skew that was very, very sharp.



When I teach I always tell people, if you believe you will succeed, there is a 90% chance you will, if you believe you will fail, there is nearly 100% chance you will.


I sincerely EXPECTED to succeed.
 

ed4copies

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ON a different note, what surprised me is the opacity at that thickness!! Amazing material--it was pretty sturdy while turning, as well.
 

CaptainJane

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So, Danny - after studying your pen pics, I observe that the spaces between the "scales" are green. Which is the color you painted the tubes.
What do you think white tubes would produce?
Or black?
Still hoping Ed and Dawn help clear this up.

Perhaps I could experiment with a ribbon type blank, but ribbons are not anything like the Juma pattern. That Juma pattern is unique, and very cool.
Jbs
 

CaptainJane

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oops, missed Ed's nice reply

OOPS - I see Ed's reply now.

I was distracted while munching on my peanut M & M's from Ed and Dawn

I wish I was good enough to turn down a blank like that - but then, I have never tried.

Glad to know the Juma blanks are pretty opaque. I back-paint all blanks, and paint tubes too.

I will try the blue Juma blank with both white and black tubes. We will see.
 
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