Rcd567
Member
Is there much difference between turning wood and turning acrylic blanks? Do I use the same tools, techniques, speeds? Sorry, I know this has to have been covered a hundred times, but I can't seem to find it in the search feature.
Trying acrylics?
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george
Member
Take a look in the LIBRARY under "Sierra Pen-Video Tips by Ed Davidson". He has made a poly resin Sierra, and it shows how he turned and finished it. Thas way has worked great for me - I used this technique for different celluloid blanks, tru-stone, corain and else.
I use the skew for final cuts (but under different angle then at wood), and wet send up to 12000 MM.
Otherwise I enjoy working this stuff. Doe it takes a little slower to turn it, it is cool not to always work with CA.
I use the skew for final cuts (but under different angle then at wood), and wet send up to 12000 MM.
Otherwise I enjoy working this stuff. Doe it takes a little slower to turn it, it is cool not to always work with CA.
Last edited:
Skye
Member
Just a few tips thrown at you:
When you drill it, exit the blank sllllooooooowwwwwwllllllyyyyyy. If not the blank can shatter when the bit exits the other side. If using a press, you can put some waste wood below it, sometimes helps. I just go slooooowwwwwwlllllly.
I use a round nose scraper. Bare in mind, it's not the best tool but I've got a worse skew, so that's my only recourse right now. I tend to move the tool slowly enough that I can just tell that the acrylic is starting to soften from the tool's friction heat.
Make sure you round off the square edges slowly. Lots of chip outs can occur here. If you have a belt sander, go ahead and knock down the sharp corners with that.
Sanding in stepped grits is a must. Wood can hide if you miss a grit, but acrylic is unforgiving. Make sure to hit your main three grits before hitting with all your micromesh (which I use with water or CA accellerator as a lube).
If the blank is a light color, or sometimes even a dark, you may want to consider painting inside the drilled tubes or painting the brass tubes a dark color to hide their brassyness when the blank is so thin at the nib and finial that it becomes translucent.
When you drill it, exit the blank sllllooooooowwwwwwllllllyyyyyy. If not the blank can shatter when the bit exits the other side. If using a press, you can put some waste wood below it, sometimes helps. I just go slooooowwwwwwlllllly.
I use a round nose scraper. Bare in mind, it's not the best tool but I've got a worse skew, so that's my only recourse right now. I tend to move the tool slowly enough that I can just tell that the acrylic is starting to soften from the tool's friction heat.
Make sure you round off the square edges slowly. Lots of chip outs can occur here. If you have a belt sander, go ahead and knock down the sharp corners with that.
Sanding in stepped grits is a must. Wood can hide if you miss a grit, but acrylic is unforgiving. Make sure to hit your main three grits before hitting with all your micromesh (which I use with water or CA accellerator as a lube).
If the blank is a light color, or sometimes even a dark, you may want to consider painting inside the drilled tubes or painting the brass tubes a dark color to hide their brassyness when the blank is so thin at the nib and finial that it becomes translucent.
talbot
Member
A few of the basic things I learned with acrylics:
I now use only epoxy to glue the tubes in place, works better for me and they stay put.
I use high speed, light cuts with very sharp edges on Continental gouge, skew and scraper.
I dont drill through the blank but go slightly longer than the tube length then cut off the end, it prevents blow out. I also start with smaller diameter bits and work up with some blanks.
I wet sand with wet and dry then MM and sand along the blank after each grit.
I now don't rush to get to final shape ... they take a lot longer than wood to complete.
You'll no doubt get many many replies to this and all will work so its a case of finding what works for you and sticking with it.
regards, Bill
I now use only epoxy to glue the tubes in place, works better for me and they stay put.
I use high speed, light cuts with very sharp edges on Continental gouge, skew and scraper.
I dont drill through the blank but go slightly longer than the tube length then cut off the end, it prevents blow out. I also start with smaller diameter bits and work up with some blanks.
I wet sand with wet and dry then MM and sand along the blank after each grit.
I now don't rush to get to final shape ... they take a lot longer than wood to complete.
You'll no doubt get many many replies to this and all will work so its a case of finding what works for you and sticking with it.
regards, Bill
Longfellow
Member
Drilling Acrylics
When drilling acrylics it helps if you use Mineral oil as a lubricant. Use it liberally. Also if you grind the cuuting edge of the flutes so it scrapes instead of cuts it will drill better and reduce blowout when exiting the piece.
When drilling acrylics it helps if you use Mineral oil as a lubricant. Use it liberally. Also if you grind the cuuting edge of the flutes so it scrapes instead of cuts it will drill better and reduce blowout when exiting the piece.
punkinn
Member
My 2 cents: I love acrylics. They turn (for me anyway) like hard butter (this is a very good thing). They are dead easy to finish - much easier than wood to get a mirror shine. When I first started turning pens, I said "nothing but wood!" and was a "purist" but I just fell in love with acrylics and TruStone. My customers seem to prefer woods but IMHO acrylics are just as satisfying to make. When drilling, you do need to go a bit slower than with wood and I have used water to cool the drill bit but honestly I don't think that's necessary if you just use some common sense and patience.
Dive in! Just do it! (and all those encouraging thoughts)
Most of all, have fun!
Dive in! Just do it! (and all those encouraging thoughts)
Most of all, have fun!
GoodTurns
Member
When cutting your blanks for drilling, leave an extra 1/2 inch (roughly) at the end. Don't drill all the way through, then go back and cut to length after drilling. this will just about eliminate the shattered ends that are (for me at least) quite common if you drill straight through. It adds a step but saves alot o' $$ in wasted blanks.
