Nice looking bottle stopper Tony. That and ocean mist are my 2 favorite acrylester blanks. They can be a little tricky to turn but are worth the extra care, and they polish up to a great shine. What is your preferred tool for IA?
About 4.5 years ago, IA frustrated me when using carbide. I was only 6 months into turning - so there's was little experience there. However, that motivated to learn how to use a skew (and as importantly sharpen HSS).
Since then I use HSS rough gouging for rounding and turning about 50% off, then use a skew with a Lacer grind for the rest. I will "hit" the carbide (the "Osprey" round, cupped, cutter), for tight spots. Even the toe of the skew. Don't get me wrong; I experience many unexpected design changes (catches, gouges, mistakes, etc.) sometimes.
Ok, back to my day job. Thank you for the compliments. I should add that I sharpen my tools, 5 to 10 times while turning a single BS or barrel.
I had ocean mist in my hand this w/e at Rockler. If you have a finished barrel, I would love to see what it looks like. Thank you.