Two Lousy Days of Turning.....

[SteveJ]

Beat a great day of most other things.

Trying to get some pens done for Christmas gifts before it gets too cold in my garage.

Finished a Gisi style pool cue pen and it crushed when I pressed the mechanism in. (Note to self, don't use a soft wood for the narrow end of a pool cue pen.)

Blew up an acrylic blank from H2O (Note to self, HUH?)

Blew up a stabilized apricot blank (Note to self, at least I have three more.)

Blew up a corn cob blank (Note to self, keep looking for that piece, it broke off square with the "kernels" so I might be able to glue it.)

Blew up a Chola Cactus blank (Note to self, try filling the hole with sawdust)

Each of them were the second half of the blanks...

I did manage to get a nice Australian majestic olive wood blank turned down.

Still, I was glad to be in the shop! Plus, I actually didn't pay for any of the blanks since they were either given to me (thanks H2O) or won in the Summer Extravaganza contests.

Just think, I could have been mowing the lawn...

 

[low_48]

Do you want some suggestions, or are you starting to figure out what is going wrong with your technique?

 

[Skie_M]

Sharp tools, light cuts ...

Make sure you're using plenty of CA for a good solid glue-up ... or epoxy and good surface contact!

Clean your brass tubes and the holes through the blank before gluing! (use a degreaser on the brass, and compressed air on the blank) Gluing your brass tube to your sawdust doesn't do much for ya.

 

[Jim Smith]

Don't you just hate those days... After a couple of bad outcomes, I tend to just shut things down and find something else to do if for no other reason than to save wasting materials.

Jim Smith

 

[Drewboy22]

It sucks that all those blew up... Do you know why??

 

[SteveJ]

Do you want some suggestions, or are you starting to figure out what is going wrong with your technique?

No suggestions needed at this time. I've turned hundreds of pens and am using a fresh carbide blade. Thanks for the offer!

 

[SteveJ]

It sucks that all those blew up... Do you know why??

I actually think the problem has to do not with my turning technique, but with my foot.

I'm wearing a "boot" in advance of proposed reconstructive surgery. It makes me stand a little differently and I believe it may have given me a slightly different angle while turning. I'll make adjustments!

Weirdly, I've been able to get a few others done since wearing the boot, including three delicate segmented ones.

 

[Skie_M]

Got a serious question for ya at the moment ....


Given your location (altitude, state of colorado) ... do you still have a lawn at the moment, or is it a snow field?

 

[jttheclockman]

Hello Steve

Those are minor set backs. Things even out in the end. Would love to see the pool cue pen and the segmented pens. you know how I am a sucker for things like that. I hear you about just being in the shop is a plus. I wish I was able to do that. Just not yet.

Keep that lathe spinning.

 

[Sabaharr]

Ya get what you pay for.

 

[SteveJ]

Got a serious question for ya at the moment ....


Given your location (altitude, state of colorado) ... do you still have a lawn at the moment, or is it a snow field?

No snow where I am yet. We haven't even turned off our irrigation, although that should happen this weekend. So one final lawn mowing. They are predicting snow for the mountains around us in the next few days, but we seldom get more than an inch or two where I live.

As a matter of fact, the golf courses where I live are usually only closed for a few weeks out of the year because of snow. So I could ski in the morning (1 hour drive) and golf in the afternoon if you don't mind some really chilly golf. I've lived here for 20 years and have only used a snow shovel a half dozen times.

 

[SteveJ]

Hello Steve

Those are minor set backs. Things even out in the end. Would love to see the pool cue pen and the segmented pens. you know how I am a sucker for things like that. I hear you about just being in the shop is a plus. I wish I was able to do that. Just not yet.

Keep that lathe spinning.

John, I have to remake the lower portion of the pool cue, but will show it when I finish it. I'll post one of the segmented pens at the end of the month for the 007 challenge that BradG posted.

 

[avbill]

John, Done that at lest once!

 

[healeydays]

Hate those type of days and we've all had them...

 

[H2O]

Steve,

I have some new colorants and some ideas.
When I get more resin, I will cast some more cores and get them sent to you.

 

[SteveJ]

Dan

When I get home later today I will try to show a picture of the half that turned well. It is a great looking blank!

 

[GaryMGg]

Beat a great day of most other things....
Just think, I could have been mowing the lawn...

You had to remind me of chores due.

 

[SteveJ]

Fortunately it rained today, so mowing the lawn was off the to do list. Managed to repair the cholla cactus blank but I think the corn cob is a lost cause. Might pair the tube that worked with a contrasting acrylic.

 

[Skie_M]

Put some pantyhose stocking or similar mesh over the end of a vacuum hose and go hunt the kernel down!

 

[SteveJ]

Still haven't found that piece of the corn cob blank, but I did manage to fix the Cholla cactus blanks. Turned out repairing it was pretty easy. It had merely blown out a small section of the acrylic which I was able to fill with some blank sawdust from an ebony blank I had turned long ago (yeah, I save sawdust of various colors for such a time as this!)

Also, I've included a picture of the other half of the blank I had received from Dan (H2O). I've got a few more which will make some great pens. I've posted a picture of two in the SOYP forum.

Thanks for all the encouragement. Today was definitely a better day in the shop.

 

[Skie_M]

Oh wow ... I love the chatoyance in that blank, it's beautiful ... can't say much for orange, but it balances the color in that blank pretty well.

 

[Jgrden]

Nice recovery. Good work.

 

[SteveJ]

In person the blank is more copper colored than orange. It is a great looking blank. Wondering if I can use it on another pen!