Latest Pile of Turnings

[SabertoothBunny]

Finally got the chance to turn some pens, been too long. Did a bunch at once. I for one will not buy resin blanks from Woodcraft or use theirs anymore if I can avoid it. 2 resin blanks in this group are from there, one kept breaking and half just exploded and the other had mirco fracture that spread which I caught in time to save. The aluminum mesh ones are from Woodcraft also and those did well but regular resin, nope.

From left to right here we go...

1. Cigar pen, Washi style blank from Blankwerks (amazing blanks there, 100% recommend)
2. Chalk hold with purple heart
3. Cigar pencil, aluminum mesh
4. No idea what kit - HELP IDENTIFY - resin blank I got from someone giving up turning
5. Executive pen with desert ironwood (stuff is hard as a rock)
6. Fancy slimline - extremely fragile blank from Woodcraft
7. Fantasy twist pen - cracked blank from Woodcraft, was able to hide fractures decently
8. Magnetic roller ball, aluminum mesh
9. Panash with white oak

The critter pen holder is Krabby from Pokemon, a guy on Facebook 3D printed it for me. The other pen displays are a chunk of coral from the beach in North Carolina, a conch shell covered in coral from the beach in North Carolina and a interesting and colorful rock I found on that same beach in North Carolina.

 

[BULLWINKLE]

Finally got the chance to turn some pens, been too long. Did a bunch at once. I for one will not buy resin blanks from Woodcraft or use theirs anymore if I can avoid it. 2 resin blanks in this group are from there, one kept breaking and half just exploded and the other had mirco fracture that spread which I caught in time to save. The aluminum mesh ones are from Woodcraft also and those did well but regular resin, nope.

From left to right here we go...

1. Cigar pen, Washi style blank from Blankwerks (amazing blanks there, 100% recommend)
2. Chalk hold with purple heart
3. Cigar pencil, aluminum mesh
4. No idea what kit - HELP IDENTIFY - resin blank I got from someone giving up turning
5. Executive pen with desert ironwood (stuff is hard as a rock)
6. Fancy slimline - extremely fragile blank from Woodcraft
7. Fantasy twist pen - cracked blank from Woodcraft, was able to hide fractures decently
8. Magnetic roller ball, aluminum mesh
9. Panash with white oak

The critter pen holder is Krabby from Pokemon, a guy on Facebook 3D printed it for me. The other pen displays are a chunk of coral from the beach in North Carolina, a conch shell covered in coral from the beach in North Carolina and a interesting and colorful rock I found on that same beach in North Carolina.

Beautiful work ! I've run into problems with resins blowing out. Polyester worse than acrylic. Didn't matter where I got them. I use sharp carbide chisels. Ironically, it was a salesman at Woodcraft that told me about negative rake cutters. I bought one and replaced the standard cutter on my chisel. Upside: no more blowouts. Downside: slightly down turned cutting edge is less aggressive and requires a bit more time. Well worth it if you turn resin or very dense woods.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Beautiful work ! I've run into problems with resins blowing out. Polyester worse than acrylic. Didn't matter where I got them. I use sharp carbide chisels. Ironically, it was a salesman at Woodcraft that told me about negative rake cutters. I bought one and replaced the standard cutter on my chisel. Upside: no more blowouts. Downside: slightly down turned cutting edge is less aggressive and requires a bit more time. Well worth it if you turn resin or very dense woods.

I have a negative rake carbide tool I used and it still didn't stop the green one from breaking off or exploding. It was just a bad blank, microfractures or just not cured properly. I don't know but I won't be buying Woodcraft resin blanks. These were gifts from my wife so I was making those ones for her.

 

[BULLWINKLE]

I have a negative rake carbide tool I used and it still didn't stop the green one from breaking off or exploding. It was just a bad blank, microfractures or just not cured properly. I don't know but I won't be buying Woodcraft resin blanks. These were gifts from my wife so I was making those ones for her.

Not sure if they still have the same policy but I think they do. PSI will replace (free) any blanks that you aren't satisfied with for any reason. You send them a photo of the defective blank and a brief description of the problem. They send a replacement free. Still a pain to remove the bad blank from the tube, but not difficult. I use a skew chisel for this and it only takes a minute or two.

 

[Jim15]

Great looking group of pens.

 

[qquake]

Great looking pens! I've turned Woodcraft acrylic blanks many times, with no problems. You say you use a carbide chisel, are you using it with a "shearing" cut? Since I started using that technique, I can turn all acrylics, even inlace acrylester, without the chipping/cracking problems I used to have. This is a Woodcraft blank called Moonlit Ocean. It's one of my favorites.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Great looking pens! I've turned Woodcraft acrylic blanks many times, with no problems. You say you use a carbide chisel, are you using it with a "shearing" cut? Since I started using that technique, I can turn all acrylics, even inlace acrylester, without the chipping/cracking problems I used to have. This is a Woodcraft blank called Moonlit Ocean. It's one of my favorites.

I have made my fair share of resin blanks with a great deal of success. The other 2 regular resin blanks turned in this group were done without any issues at all. My problems was only with the 2 regular resin Woodcraft ones. Maybe I just lucked out and got the 2 bad ones.

 

[Jarod888]

Woodcraft sells both acrylic and acralester blanks. Acrylic is typically very shiny and has a glass like look. Acralester will typically be dull and may be chipped at the corners.

Acralester is horrible to work with. It is very brittle and in my opinion a subpar product. The shavings are usually chips and dust.

Acrylic is softer and vary rarely brittle. Typically, once round all you will get is ribbons when turning. With acrylic, speed is your friend when turning and your enemy when drilling.

Where did you get the chalk kit? I like it! I'd love to mine a few.

 

[qquake]

Woodcraft sells both acrylic and acralester blanks. Acrylic is typically very shiny and has a glass like look. Acralester will typically be dull and may be chipped at the corners.

Acralester is horrible to work with. It is very brittle and in my opinion a subpar product. The shavings are usually chips and dust.

Acrylic is softer and vary rarely brittle. Typically, once round all you will get is ribbons when turning. With acrylic, speed is your friend when turning and your enemy when drilling.

Where did you get the chalk kit? I like it! I'd love to mine a few.

Woodcraft doesn't sell inlace acrylester that I know of, but they do sell polyester blanks that are brittle. But I have no problem turning them with a carbide chisel and a shearing cut.

PSI sells the chalk holder kits.

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKCKCH.html