Mirror compacts

[BigRob777]

Here is a pic of two of my latest compacts. They make great gifts and don't take much time at all, compared to other projects.

Red Walnut, from New Guinea and curly maple, with blackwood, my first segmentation with these compacts.

Thanks for looking,
Rob

 

[rjwolfe3]

Those look sweet - something else to add to my list.

 

[cnirenberg]

Those look real god. Great job.

 

[BigRob777]

Thanks Guys,
Some people say that pens can be (in their basest form) the easiest thing to turn. Well, we know differently, especially if you want to do a nice job. These compacts, in my opinion, are the easiest thing I"ve ever turned and the quickest. I think I averaged 6 minutes apiece, for the plain ones, last year. By plain, I mean no real contour and no segmenting. I never turn anything plain. There's just too much beautiful wood out there to turn something plain.

My wife is even going to give them a try. Oorah!!!!!!
Rob

 

[soccer2010]

Those are real nice. Where do you get the parts? Any instructions or a tutorial?

 

[BigRob777]

They come from PSI, but I get them from woodturningz. They give one move level of discount than PSI does. If you buy 10, they're under $4.75 apiece. Pewter doesn't sell well.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKCMRG.html?mybuyscid=3567261633

You buy the mandrel, stick some carpet tape (double sided) on the 2" platen, on the mandrel and slap an 1/8" to 1/4" thick 2" plus square onto it.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKDCM200.html (mandrel) 8 bucks

Press it on and you don't have to use a live center to hold it still. I put the tool rest perpendicular to the ways, which is facing the flat of the wood and use a thin tenoning/parting tool
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCTEN.html

just to the outside of the circle. You're going to want to place it about 1/16" to the outside of the circular mandrel platen, then turn on your lathe. Press in, until you've cut out a circle. From there, I turn it flat and round the edge with a skew, laying flat on the tool rest, like a scraper. I use one of those scraper/type tools that are rounded, to work the surface flat.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCVERSAX.html (I think this is it)
I forget what they're called. It's a scraper with a rounded bottom.

They look best if you don't play with contour too much, as you have to sand all contours out. I took a thin slice of blackwood, cut diagonally accross the grain of the curly maple with a mitre saw and glued the thin strip between the pieces. I should have clamped it together, but you can only see the gap, if you hold it up to the light. Once it's glued to the compact, you can't see it.

Anyway, sand it and finish it, like a pen. So you have the
kits @ $4.75 plus shipping
mandrel at $7.95
carpet tape $?
use your pen turning tools and sand paper, micromesh.
If you dont' have wood this size, let me know, I'll get it to you much cheaper than psi has it.

That isn't too bad for a cost of starting up a new item. That parting tool is one of my most used tools. I use it when I'm having stubborn wood on pens too. If you have any questions, please e-mail me, or post here.
Rob