Resin pen turning in winter

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
Every winter I get calls about resin blanks "blowing up" on the lathe.

All resin is someone temperature sensitive! Store your blanks in the house, so they are warm. If you are going to drill (not pre-tubed blanks) and glue,
move them indoors to cure the glue. When turning, keep your shop as warm as possible--but the temperature of the blank is more important than the temp in the shop.
I have successfully turned many resins at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, but I am VERY comfortable turning resin--I suggest a temp of 65 or greater will give better results.

Hope this will save you a few "blow-ups" this winter!!

Pen turning is more fun when you actually get a pen!!

Enjoy!!

Ed
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

greenacres2

Member
Joined
May 2, 2017
Messages
1,686
Location
Northwest IN
Great suggestion Ed. I've noticed that in wood as well--a little more brittle at temps below freezing. (oh--and my fingers too!!)
Hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday!!
earl
 

JohnU

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
4,924
Location
Ottawa, Illinois
Your comments are always a great help Ed. Thank You! I often put a couple blanks in my front pants pockets to keep them warm from my body heat as they wait their turn to be drilled or turned. I believe I learned that from you also. šŸ˜¬
 

FrankH

Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
120
Location
Morgantown WV
Thanks for the suggestion - another potential problem I've never thought of.

On a related issue, my pen kits are stored in my unheated garage and so are subject to hot and cold temperatures. I have started worrying about how extreme temperatures effect pen transmissions and refills. Does someone have thoughts on this?
 

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
Freezing the refills doesn't do anything good for them.

We lost several hundred refills by mailing in the subzero temp.
Transmissions will become "tight", but when they warm up again, they seem to work fine.
 

FrankH

Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
120
Location
Morgantown WV
Freezing the refills doesn't do anything good for them.

We lost several hundred refills by mailing in the subzero temp.
Transmissions will become "tight", but when they warm up again, they seem to work fine.
Thanks for replying. I'll pull the refills from all of my kits and bring them inside. I've had a few stiff transmissions. I pulled the pens apart let a drop of 3im1 dry lube in the transmissions. Thanks again for the help.
 
Top Bottom