Weaving Aluminum into blanks

[Burnpile]

I'm just a hobbyist and have had fun "lacing" my blanks with veneers or aluminum (beer can) over the year. I just laced a couple pieces of Padauk and spalted maple with aluminum and they have blown apart. I'm using Epoxy instead of CA glue but am having trouble with blowouts. I'm using Brad-point and standard bits. Again I've had some success in the past. One thing I'm wondering about is the PennState drilling jig I'm using because most recently the holes I'm drilling don't seem to be going straight through the blank. Any suggestions?

 

[NJturner]

Your experiencing two different issues in my mind - drilling and blowouts.

Drilling - my only suggestion is to abandon the PSI drill jig and drill on the lathe, preferably with a collet chuck. Also be sure to check the alignment on your lathe before drilling on it - your tailstock and headstock need to be perfectly aligned. You should get better straight through drills. I know lots of folks have preferences for types of drill bits, but I personally don't see much difference as long as they are sharp. Also always use a starter bit to get things centered and on track, then drill for size.

As for the blowouts, I don't do aluminum lacing, but most blowouts I get are due to catches of some sort, usually caused by me pressing to hard or a not quite sharp tool. Increase your lathe speed and reduce the pressure on the cuts.

Good luck!

Kevin

 

[Burnpile]

Thanks, I'm probably guilty of 1. Not using a starter bit and 2) Exerting too much pressure (too impatient)

 

[Curly]

It could just be the way the pictures look on my screen but the aluminium looks shiny. Do you scuff the metal with sandpaper when you glue the blanks? The epoxy usually needs some "tooth" to the parts to mechanically bond them together. Also if you clamp them too tight the epoxy will squeeze out resulting in a weak bond.

 

[Burnpile]

Thanks I do sand the aluminum but am probably guilty of clamping the material too tight. I always sand the tubes in the kits even the ones that are rough up to create more "teeth".

 

[JohnU]

If you're using the drilling vise, make sure to clamp it in place and lock down the table so there's no movement during drilling. If you use the lathe, make sure to let the bit find center on the blank before locking the tail stock so it drills straight. As stated above, drill slower and make sure you're using sharp bits. Be sure to clear the hole as you go, removing the cuttings. Don't force the bit or let the drilling build up too much heat. Heat will soften the epoxy. Also, make sure you have plenty of epoxy on those glue joints. I always liked to have extra squeeze out so I know I have enough. Lastly, try wrapping the blank with some tape or is square, glue extra scrap wood around the outer sides to support the blank while drilling.

Here's a video where Dick Sing talks about drilling and other pen making tips.

 

[Burnpile]

Thanks for the suggestions, l salvaged enough of my original blanks to turn a Presimo pen with the spalted maple and aluminum. It took a 10MM bit but this time I drilled a starter before the 10MM as suggested by NJturner. I also used a homemade jig to get the hole straight. (I'm not familiar with a collet chuck). To see if I learned anything I've glued up a couple more blanks. One with Padauk and one with Bourbon Barrel Oak and Beer can aluminum (I call it my Shot and a Beer Pen). I'm going to try to turn the Magnetic Graduate or Vertex Supreme, I like the magnetic "click". We'll see if I've learned anything.
Thanks again for the suggestions,
Burnpile

 

[NJturner]

Thanks for the suggestions, l salvaged enough of my original blanks to turn a Presimo pen with the spalted maple and aluminum. It took a 10MM bit but this time I drilled a starter before the 10MM as suggested by NJturner. I also used a homemade jig to get the hole straight. (I'm not familiar with a collet chuck). To see if I learned anything I've glued up a couple more blanks. One with Padauk and one with Bourbon Barrel Oak and Beer can aluminum (I call it my Shot and a Beer Pen). I'm going to try to turn the Magnetic Graduate or Vertex Supreme, I like the magnetic "click". We'll see if I've learned anything.
Thanks again for the suggestions,
Burnpile

Nice work - on the salvage and the turn!!

Collet chucks are descended from the metal working community. They provide you with minimal to no runout errors and a good solid, repeatable ability to hold your workpieces. They come in a number of different styles and sizes, with an ER32 collet style and associated chuck being the most popular size used for pens. Here is a link Collet Chuck for the Stainless Steel Bottle Stopper one I currently use as a possibility. The chuck itself stays while you change out different collets inside of it for different diameter material that it will hold. You purchase the different collets based on the size needed, 'click' it into the chuck, then mount the chuck with collet into your headstock - using either direct threading it to the headstock, or the headstock morse taper, depending on what type of chuck you buy. If you combine the collet chuck with a good Jacobs chuck for the tailstock drill side, like this one Drill Chuck and insure your lathe is aligned, you will solve a lot of your drilling issues. The biggest difference in collet chucks is the size (ER32 is typical), their maximum diameter (fractional or metric), and if they have a through hole in the chuck or not. Longer blanks are helped by a through hole, the one I referenced is not a through hole chuck - it is a closed hole, so blank size is limited by the depth of the chuck. Depending on your blanks, this will be an issue or not matter at all.

Hope this helps!

Kevin

 

[lvturner]

Nice work - on the salvage and the turn!!

Collet chucks are descended from the metal working community. They provide you with minimal to no runout errors and a good solid, repeatable ability to hold your workpieces. They come in a number of different styles and sizes, with an ER32 collet style and associated chuck being the most popular size used for pens. Here is a link Collet Chuck for the Stainless Steel Bottle Stopper one I currently use as a possibility. The chuck itself stays while you change out different collets inside of it for different diameter material that it will hold. You purchase the different collets based on the size needed, 'click' it into the chuck, then mount the chuck with collet into your headstock - using either direct threading it to the headstock, or the headstock morse taper, depending on what type of chuck you buy. If you combine the collet chuck with a good Jacobs chuck for the tailstock drill side, like this one Drill Chuck and insure your lathe is aligned, you will solve a lot of your drilling issues. The biggest difference in collet chucks is the size (ER32 is typical), their maximum diameter (fractional or metric), and if they have a through hole in the chuck or not. Longer blanks are helped by a through hole, the one I referenced is not a through hole chuck - it is a closed hole, so blank size is limited by the depth of the chuck. Depending on your blanks, this will be an issue or not matter at all.

Hope this helps!

Kevin

What are you doing for square blanks and collet? Are you mounting and rounding and then putting on collet chuck?

 

[NJturner]

What are you doing for square blanks and collet? Are you mounting and rounding and then putting on collet chuck?

I don't use square blanks - I cast my own in vertical round molds. When I do have a special need to use something not round, I do round them out on the lathe with a chuck with a set of pen jaws on it and a live center in the tailstock to size the blank for the collets. Any other operations, like drilling, are done once rounded.

Kevin

 

[Burnpile]

Following the advice of the many contributors, (Thanks!) I was finally able to drill a 10.5mm and 12.5mm in the blanks I made from Bourbon Barrel Oak and Beer Can Aluminum. The Magnetic Graduate pen turned out nice and I made a desk set out of the same Bourbon Barrel. It's for a friend that prides himself on being a Kentucky Bourbon Connoisseur. Maybe he will share…

 

[randyrls]

To join the thread; The breakage of the bond between the aluminum and blank may be caused by the drill bit cutting flute getting "under" the aluminum and prying it up and away from the blank. I have seen metal workers "flatten" the cutting edge so it does not "dig in" to the material being drilled. This used when the material being drilled is very hard and bit breakage is a problem. Heating and increased pressure needed will not be optimum, but it is better than ruining the work piece.
PS. There is an entire science to drill bit geometry with arguments about what constitutes the best drill bit. The obvious answer is: "The one that works"!