Turning Acrylic and Acrylister

[Anne in Canton]

Hello!

I am having difficulties trying to work with Acrylic and Acrylister: the blank explodes on me.
So I googled the issue and found out they recommend a Fingernail Bowl cutting gauge.
Here are my questions:
1) best technique to drill holes in the pen blank
2) best tool to turn, if Fingernail Bowl cutting gauge is the best what size should I get? 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"?
3) what speed should the lathe be on?
4) best finish technique and material?
5) is there a size to not go above on the blank's hole?

Thank you!
Anne.

 

[EricRN]

Hi, If the blank is exploding, could be an issue with the glue up on the tube. I use 5 min epoxy. If you use a lubricant while drilling, make sure you get all the lubricant out as that can cause the glue to fail.

For drilling, I use pen jaws on a supernova chuck to hold the blank and drill with the bit in a Jacobs chuck in the tail stick. Go slow. A quarter inch or so before pulling out and cleaning the dwarf off. I also use water with a touch of dish soap as a lu to can't to keep things cool.

For turning, I rough out a cylinder and get it close to size with a very sharp roughing gouge. I finish using a negative rake, circular carbide cutter. A sharp skew will do the trick too, but I'm not good enough with it and pen blanks don't leave much room for cleanup if you get a catch.

 

[EricRN]

I meant to say "swarf" not dwarf. Auto correct got me.

 

[qquake]

Let me preface this by saying I hate turning acrylester. I have turned it several times, and have been successful more times than not. But I have had failures. Acrylester is "chippy" (brittle). My aggressive turning style isn't a good fit for blanks like this. I have to force myself to slow down, and take careful, light cuts. I have had the most success with a radiused carbide chisel. My handle is homemade, and I use 15mm square cutters with a 2" radius. Lately I've been holding the cutting edge at about a 30 degree angle, so I get a "shearing" cut. For final shaping, I generally use 220 grit sandpaper dry, but I've gone as low as 100 or 150 grit. I've had the most failures trying to shape the blank with a chisel. The ends are usually what blow up on me.

For drilling, I use the same bit and vise I use for any other blank. I've drilled up to 27/64" with no problems. I turn them at the same speed as anything else, 2000 RPM.

All that being said, there are some impressive looking acrylester blanks, and if you're successful, they're usually worth the extra effort they require. For polishing, I use the same regimen that I use for any acrylic blanks. 220-320-400-600 grit sandpaper wet; either 3M (Zona) Tri-M-Ite polishing paper wet, all six grades; or Micro Mesh, every other grade for a total of five, wet (1500, 2400, 3600, 6000, 12000); Meguiar's 105 Ultra-Cut Compound; and finally Meguiar's 205 Ultra Finishing Polish (thanks TonyL for the advice!). This regimen is giving me the best finishes on acrylic I've ever gotten.

My best advice is to GO SLOW. BE PATIENT. TAKE LIGHT EASY CUTS. The photos are from the last acrylester I turned, called Wildflower, from Arizona Silhouette. It turned out really nice, and my friend was very impressed with it.

 

[egnald]

Hello Anne and Greetings from Nebraska.

Drilling:
I use standard drill bits or special bits designed for drilling acrylic materials. For two barrel pens I typically cut the blank in half, leaving plenty of extra length. Then, I drill the blank deep enough to accept the tube but not all the way through. Drill bit catches on the exit hole are one of the main causes for cracking the blank. After drilling, I saw off the extra length as scrap. When drilling it is imperative that you clear the flutes on the drill often, like after each quarter of an inch. It is also helpful to pause when about half way through to let the drill bit and inside of the blank cool down. Heat buildup is a big culprit in having blanks crack and blow out when they are being drilled.

Gluing:
Make sure to scuff the tubes before gluing. I also clean mine with denatured alcohol after scuffing to make sure there is no oil or residue on the tube that could hamper adhesion. I use epoxy to glue the tubes into all of my plastic blanks. Before inserting the tube I make sure that all of the surfaces of the tube are covered will with glue. This is especially critical if the wall of the blank is going to be thin after it is turned. (Oh, yes, I almost forgot - paint the tube and the inside of the blank if there is any chance that the material is semi-transparent so that the tube doesn't show through after it is glued in).

Turning:
Inlace is very brittle so don't be to aggressive with cutting. I have been successful with carbide tools, but I have been using negative rake carbide cutters because they make less aggressive cuts. It is easy to know if you are being too aggressive because the blank will chatter and chip out. I also turn my lathe down to about 2000 RPM when I work with Inlace. I stop well proud of the bushings and get to the final shape by dry sanding with a relatively coarse 150 grit. After I reach 800 grit I turn to wet sanding using micromesh for finishing.

Inlace and other brittle plastics require a lot of patience compared with wood - especially in drilling and turning/sanding.

I have a lot of Inlace blanks in my cache because of the huge variety and what beautiful pens it can produce, however, I also have a lot of Inlace blanks in my cache because it is not my preferred material for plastic blanks. My preferred blank material is RhinoPlastic as it is less brittle and easier to turn. Alumilite blanks, typically custom made, are some of the easiest turning material for plastics that I have ever used. If you want to try Alumilite I highly recommend DiamondCast brand Alumilite blanks produced by McKenzie Penworks.

Having cracks and blowouts can be very frustrating, but with patience and practice I'm sure you will develop a regimen that works for you.

Regards,
Dave

PS Here is a picture of the last Inlace pen I made. The blank was called Peacock. The back side (bottom photo) had much more purple in it than the front (clip) side.

One Pen - Three different views as rotated:

 

[TonyL]

I can teach you, using HSS or carbide, how to turn it beautifully as many on this forum can. I can set up a zoom or come on by.
It may be one of your favorite materials to turn. Here's my approach: I do not know what the best way; I only know what works for me.

• Well sharpened HSS, roughing and finish cuts with skew OR any carbide cutter
• 2500 to 3200 rpms
• With the chisel "bar" resting on the tool rest , approach edge of chisel from above and slowly making contact with the blank until cutting edge is level with or slight above the center line of the blank
• Do not stab the blank (do as described above)
• Make cuts from center of the blank to ends
• Don't be afraid of some pock marks (happens with dull tool, moving along the blank too quickly, stabbing the blank, etc.)
• As long as you have a few mm above the blanks final dimension, pock marks can marks off.

Again, not the best way, just the best way for me.
PS. I don't even sand or cut off the corners anymore, but I did when I first learned. Very happy turning.

 

[leehljp]

AS you have read, there have not been any on this forum recommending the fingernail gauge. The fingernail gauge is used more in bowl work than pen. For fingernail gauge, you will need to become proficient with sharpening first then shaping and sharpening. You may be, and if so, that is very good. But I think that since this is new to you, shaping and sharpening fingernail gauges would require some experience. And, Unless experienced, fingernail gauges are overkill for pen turning.

I agree with Tony above. If you use HSS tools fine. However, If you have or can purchase a couple of carbide tools, those would probably be better. I prefer HSS as I have considerable experience in sharpening them, however it takes time to develop this experience; therefore Carbides are usually better for those without shaping and sharpening experience because carbides are tougher and stay sharp much longer than HSS.

I will echo the thought on epoxy - if you are having blowouts. If it continues, polyurethane glue may be better - It has its quirks but blowouts are practically NIL with that glue. If interested, do a search on polyurethane glue. It is a expanding foam glue and does not let go. The problem with CA and Epoxy is that air bubble are formed when inserting the tube into the drilled out blank, even if both are well coated. The blowouts occur when excess force meets hidden air bubbles.

 

[Magicbob]

I have developed two different tools for turning plastics.
The Magical Skew is a carbide "Shear Scraper" that was developed because I could not turn inlace at all, it does work and it works on wood just as well. Earlier this year I introduced the NRS, this is a negative rake tool that uses regular carbide cutters.
You can find them both on the website www.tshadow.com
Your user name says you are in Canton, if it is Canton, Ohio I am just up the road in Akron. You are more than welcome to visit and sample the tools.

 

[1shootist]

Youre getting some really great help above.
I just wanted to add, I agree wholeheartedly with this statement...""Let me preface this by saying I hate turning acrylester"".
So do I

 

[ed4copies]

If you learn to turn acrylester, you will be able to turn any "plastic" that is currently being marketed. So, it is worth the effort. The rest of them are all easier!!

You will experience some failures, but try to focus on what you are doing RIGHT, when you have a pass that yields nice ribbons. Then, do it again.
In time, it becomes habit and simple--practice is the only way to become proficient.

Good luck!! When things are going poorly, change to cutting wood. Repeated attempts that fail will only give you a bad attitude.

 

[MPVic]

Let me preface this by saying I hate turning acrylester. I have turned it several times, and have been successful more times than not. But I have had failures. Acrylester is "chippy" (brittle). My aggressive turning style isn't a good fit for blanks like this. I have to force myself to slow down, and take careful, light cuts. I have had the most success with a radiused carbide chisel. My handle is homemade, and I use 15mm square cutters with a 2" radius. Lately I've been holding the cutting edge at about a 30 degree angle, so I get a "shearing" cut. For final shaping, I generally use 220 grit sandpaper dry, but I've gone as low as 100 or 150 grit. I've had the most failures trying to shape the blank with a chisel. The ends are usually what blow up on me.

For drilling, I use the same bit and vise I use for any other blank. I've drilled up to 27/64" with no problems. I turn them at the same speed as anything else, 2000 RPM.

All that being said, there are some impressive looking acrylester blanks, and if you're successful, they're usually worth the extra effort they require. For polishing, I use the same regimen that I use for any acrylic blanks. 220-320-400-600 grit sandpaper wet; either 3M (Zona) Tri-M-Ite polishing paper wet, all six grades; or Micro Mesh, every other grade for a total of five, wet (1500, 2400, 3600, 6000, 12000); Meguiar's 105 Ultra-Cut Compound; and finally Meguiar's 205 Ultra Finishing Polish (thanks TonyL for the advice!). This regimen is giving me the best finishes on acrylic I've ever gotten.

My best advice is to GO SLOW. BE PATIENT. TAKE LIGHT EASY CUTS. The photos are from the last acrylester I turned, called Wildflower, from Arizona Silhouette. It turned out really nice, and my friend was very impressed with it.

Jim:
Thank you so much for taking the time to photograph your process - it is very helpful & much appreciated. The finished product is outstanding!!!

 

[eharri446]

I was told by an employee at my local Rockler stire to use a Spindle Gouge and carbide cutters to turn Inlace Acrylester and found out that it works. As has been mentioned above, make light cuts with light and even pressure on your chisel and everything should work out. I found it helpful to use a wood rasp which has four cutting surfaces and is slightly rounded on one side to round the blank bound before turning. Also, you will only want to use the portion that looks like a coarse file. The other cutting surface is to rough and might cause chipping.

 

[Anne in Canton]

I meant to say "swarf" not dwarf. Auto correct got me.

Thank you!!!

 

[Anne in Canton]

Let me preface this by saying I hate turning acrylester. I have turned it several times, and have been successful more times than not. But I have had failures. Acrylester is "chippy" (brittle). My aggressive turning style isn't a good fit for blanks like this. I have to force myself to slow down, and take careful, light cuts. I have had the most success with a radiused carbide chisel. My handle is homemade, and I use 15mm square cutters with a 2" radius. Lately I've been holding the cutting edge at about a 30 degree angle, so I get a "shearing" cut. For final shaping, I generally use 220 grit sandpaper dry, but I've gone as low as 100 or 150 grit. I've had the most failures trying to shape the blank with a chisel. The ends are usually what blow up on me.

For drilling, I use the same bit and vise I use for any other blank. I've drilled up to 27/64" with no problems. I turn them at the same speed as anything else, 2000 RPM.

All that being said, there are some impressive looking acrylester blanks, and if you're successful, they're usually worth the extra effort they require. For polishing, I use the same regimen that I use for any acrylic blanks. 220-320-400-600 grit sandpaper wet; either 3M (Zona) Tri-M-Ite polishing paper wet, all six grades; or Micro Mesh, every other grade for a total of five, wet (1500, 2400, 3600, 6000, 12000); Meguiar's 105 Ultra-Cut Compound; and finally Meguiar's 205 Ultra Finishing Polish (thanks TonyL for the advice!). This regimen is giving me the best finishes on acrylic I've ever gotten.

My best advice is to GO SLOW. BE PATIENT. TAKE LIGHT EASY CUTS. The photos are from the last acrylester I turned, called Wildflower, from Arizona Silhouette. It turned out really nice, and my friend was very impressed with it.

Wow!!! What a beautiful pen! Thank you so much for the detailed advice!

 

[Anne in Canton]

I can teach you, using HSS or carbide, how to turn it beautifully as many on this forum can. I can set up a zoom or come on by.
It may be one of your favorite materials to turn. Here's my approach: I do not know what the best way; I only know what works for me.

• Well sharpened HSS, roughing and finish cuts with skew OR any carbide cutter
• 2500 to 3200 rpms
• With the chisel "bar" resting on the tool rest , approach edge of chisel from above and slowly making contact with the blank until cutting edge is level with or slight above the center line of the blank
• Do not stab the blank (do as described above)
• Make cuts from center of the blank to ends
• Don't be afraid of some pock marks (happens with dull tool, moving along the blank too quickly, stabbing the blank, etc.)
• As long as you have a few mm above the blanks final dimension, pock marks can marks off.

Again, not the best way, just the best way for me.
PS. I don't even sand or cut off the corners anymore, but I did when I first learned. Very happy turning.

Thank you Tony! This is very helpful! I use both HSS and carbide but they may be a little dull, so I just ordered a sharpener and extra carbide bits, hopefully that will help along with your advise and all other members' advice!

 

[Anne in Canton]

AS you have read, there have not been any on this forum recommending the fingernail gauge. The fingernail gauge is used more in bowl work than pen. For fingernail gauge, you will need to become proficient with sharpening first then shaping and sharpening. You may be, and if so, that is very good. But I think that since this is new to you, shaping and sharpening fingernail gauges would require some experience. And, Unless experienced, fingernail gauges are overkill for pen turning.

I agree with Tony above. If you use HSS tools fine. However, If you have or can purchase a couple of carbide tools, those would probably be better. I prefer HSS as I have considerable experience in sharpening them, however it takes time to develop this experience; therefore Carbides are usually better for those without shaping and sharpening experience because carbides are tougher and stay sharp much longer than HSS.

I will echo the thought on epoxy - if you are having blowouts. If it continues, polyurethane glue may be better - It has its quirks but blowouts are practically NIL with that glue. If interested, do a search on polyurethane glue. It is a expanding foam glue and does not let go. The problem with CA and Epoxy is that air bubble are formed when inserting the tube into the drilled out blank, even if both are well coated. The blowouts occur when excess force meets hidden air bubbles.

Thank you!!! I guess I will need to learn to sharpen my tools as I have some HSS ones!

 

[Anne in Canton]

Hello Anne and Greetings from Nebraska.

Drilling:
I use standard drill bits or special bits designed for drilling acrylic materials. For two barrel pens I typically cut the blank in half, leaving plenty of extra length. Then, I drill the blank deep enough to accept the tube but not all the way through. Drill bit catches on the exit hole are one of the main causes for cracking the blank. After drilling, I saw off the extra length as scrap. When drilling it is imperative that you clear the flutes on the drill often, like after each quarter of an inch. It is also helpful to pause when about half way through to let the drill bit and inside of the blank cool down. Heat buildup is a big culprit in having blanks crack and blow out when they are being drilled.

Gluing:
Make sure to scuff the tubes before gluing. I also clean mine with denatured alcohol after scuffing to make sure there is no oil or residue on the tube that could hamper adhesion. I use epoxy to glue the tubes into all of my plastic blanks. Before inserting the tube I make sure that all of the surfaces of the tube are covered will with glue. This is especially critical if the wall of the blank is going to be thin after it is turned. (Oh, yes, I almost forgot - paint the tube and the inside of the blank if there is any chance that the material is semi-transparent so that the tube doesn't show through after it is glued in).

Turning:
Inlace is very brittle so don't be to aggressive with cutting. I have been successful with carbide tools, but I have been using negative rake carbide cutters because they make less aggressive cuts. It is easy to know if you are being too aggressive because the blank will chatter and chip out. I also turn my lathe down to about 2000 RPM when I work with Inlace. I stop well proud of the bushings and get to the final shape by dry sanding with a relatively coarse 150 grit. After I reach 800 grit I turn to wet sanding using micromesh for finishing.

Inlace and other brittle plastics require a lot of patience compared with wood - especially in drilling and turning/sanding.

I have a lot of Inlace blanks in my cache because of the huge variety and what beautiful pens it can produce, however, I also have a lot of Inlace blanks in my cache because it is not my preferred material for plastic blanks. My preferred blank material is RhinoPlastic as it is less brittle and easier to turn. Alumilite blanks, typically custom made, are some of the easiest turning material for plastics that I have ever used. If you want to try Alumilite I highly recommend DiamondCast brand Alumilite blanks produced by McKenzie Penworks.

Having cracks and blowouts can be very frustrating, but with patience and practice I'm sure you will develop a regimen that works for you.

Regards,
Dave

PS Here is a picture of the last Inlace pen I made. The blank was called Peacock. The back side (bottom photo) had much more purple in it than the front (clip) side.

One Pen - Three different views as rotated:
View attachment 244059View attachment 244060View attachment 244061

Dave, thank you so much for this detailed response! I will definitely look into the Rhino Plastic and Alumilite blanks. The reason I got the Acrylister was because it looks beautiful but if you say there is another type of blank that's easier to turn and as beautiful, if not more, I will for sure switch! Your pen is gorgeous!

 

[Anne in Canton]

Hi, If the blank is exploding, could be an issue with the glue up on the tube. I use 5 min epoxy. If you use a lubricant while drilling, make sure you get all the lubricant out as that can cause the glue to fail.

For drilling, I use pen jaws on a supernova chuck to hold the blank and drill with the bit in a Jacobs chuck in the tail stick. Go slow. A quarter inch or so before pulling out and cleaning the dwarf off. I also use water with a touch of dish soap as a lu to can't to keep things cool.

For turning, I rough out a cylinder and get it close to size with a very sharp roughing gouge. I finish using a negative rake, circular carbide cutter. A sharp skew will do the trick too, but I'm not good enough with it and pen blanks don't leave much room for cleanup if you get a catch.

Thank you Eric for your advice, it looks like a lot of pen turners use the negative rake circular carbide cutter. I guess this is going to go on my list of next purchase! The blanks don't explode while drilling the hole, it's when I turn them, and after reading all the responses I think I am using the wrong tool and am "a little" too rough when turning!

 

[Anne in Canton]

I was told by an employee at my local Rockler stire to use a Spindle Gouge and carbide cutters to turn Inlace Acrylester and found out that it works. As has been mentioned above, make light cuts with light and even pressure on your chisel and everything should work out. I found it helpful to use a wood rasp which has four cutting surfaces and is slightly rounded on one side to round the blank bound before turning. Also, you will only want to use the portion that looks like a coarse file. The other cutting surface is to rough and might cause chipping.

Thank you!

 

[Anne in Canton]

If you learn to turn acrylester, you will be able to turn any "plastic" that is currently being marketed. So, it is worth the effort. The rest of them are all easier!!

You will experience some failures, but try to focus on what you are doing RIGHT, when you have a pass that yields nice ribbons. Then, do it again.
In time, it becomes habit and simple--practice is the only way to become proficient.

Good luck!! When things are going poorly, change to cutting wood. Repeated attempts that fail will only give you a bad attitude.

Thank you for your response and the Videos link!

 

[TonyL]

Thank you Tony! This is very helpful! I use both HSS and carbide but they may be a little dull, so I just ordered a sharpener and extra carbide bits, hopefully that will help along with your advise and all other members' advice!

I can teach you how to sharpen by hand or on a wheel. As far as carbide, after 10 to 15 banks (20 to 25 if wood only). I change the side. Many will think this is wasteful, but that is what works best for me.

 

[Alchemist]

I've so far turned one acrylic blank. It was a Crush pink lava blank. For drilling my blanks I use the lathe. I use a shopsmith and am new to wood turning in general. I'll admit turning this pen was scary. At first it was chipping and I didn't think I wasn't going to successful.

So, I used the slowest rpm (850) to drill it with multiple passes to clean the bit off. I also left plenty of room for the length. I used a normal bit to bore it.

I found that using a well sharpened skew with a homing every now and then really helped a lot. OnceI got it rounded I found it going easier.

This was my first acrylic blank. I have made some alumulite blanks that I will get to sooner or later. I will be happy to share how that goes when I cut them down.

So, everything I've read or seen says sharp tools are the best advantage!

 

[sorcerertd]

If you learn to turn acrylester, you will be able to turn any "plastic" that is currently being marketed. So, it is worth the effort. The rest of them are all easier!!

LOL, now somebody tells me these are the hardest ones to work with. I started out with 2 piece pens and acrylester (mostly wood, though) before I found out those were not really the best beginner materials. Guess I should be ready for anything? I also will chime in that I don't like the stuff, but it does make a pretty pen. I don't use any of the "plastics" often, mostly because I don't like the smell.

I don't have near the experience as most folks around here, but as far as contributing something, I drill everything on the lathe at low speed, 500 or 800 range. I've never used the crazy expensive bits made for acrylic. I have blown a couple out, due to my impatience. Maybe the bit would have helped?

As for gluing the tubes, I have only ever used gorilla glue (poly) for every blank material I have used and the only blowouts I've had were my own fault for being too aggressive, or just dumb, not the glue's fault.

Usually I'll turn any blank down pretty narrow with a roughing gouge, then go to the skew to get the final shape. Acrylester is a pain the way it chips out, so I try to use less pressure and leave more blank to work with than I do with wood. It does take a lot of care, sharp tools, and gentle cuts when you get close to the shape you want. I think the best advice I can give is to just barely round out the blank, then practice shaping it with a skew. Round, shape, repeat. Try different tools and, with carbide, different angles. When you get down to the actual bushing size, you should have a better feel for what will work for you. Scraping CA smooth and plastics are almost the only thing I use carbide for at this point. There is a skew available that has a rounded tip, with the bevel only on one side. It's like a scraper, but with a very low angle ground on the edge. Wish I could remember what it was actually called, but maybe someone will chime in about it. They are supposedly easy to work with and might be worth a try.