# Pen Chemistry



## BradG (Dec 6, 2012)

Hello Chaps
Ive posted this in the advanced section of the site, as i feel that the information contained within is more suited to the experianced pen turner oppose to those new to the hobby.


I have setup a website all about Pen chemistry. On here i will share all of the different processes i use with finishing metal pens, along with video tutorials, some free software i have written for doing calculations,MSDS's and some other goodies.

Please feel free to drop by and have a nosey, though please keep in mind the site is young! and im still adding lots of content and new categories so may want to keep checking back to see how it evolves

www.penchemistry.co.uk


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## mredburn (Dec 6, 2012)

Nice start,
 were is my tutorial :biggrin:

Is it the 9th yet?   

Its a great start Brad and I look forward to its devolopement


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## BradG (Dec 6, 2012)

no not the 9th yet and be warned! if it snows heavily where i live before then i will be off snowboarding and the video will be delayed :biggrin:

Though chances of that are slim as I have my masks here waiting which im itching to use so no doubt would be filming during the evenings instead lol


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## mredburn (Dec 6, 2012)

Candles are made to burn at both ends.  You can rest when your old.:biggrin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pm4fQRl72k


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## RichB (Dec 6, 2012)

Wana Bet.  I am more busy after retirement with this hobby.  Can't wait to see more Brad.  I really enjoyed your video.


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## BradG (Dec 6, 2012)

some days i feel like an octopus. lol... Would say i need a holiday but each time i do that i end up going on an extreme sports holiday! :biggrin: two weeks in the mountains this winter... 37 days away from now to be precise. not that im counting or anything!


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## Haynie (Dec 6, 2012)

I noticed in your video that you were etching that pen without gloves.  Is it that safe?


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## Curly (Dec 6, 2012)

Looks like the beginnings of a great website. :good: Do you have plans for a section on the neutralization and disposal of the waste?


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## OKLAHOMAN (Dec 6, 2012)

Now I know I need another 24 hours in a day just to watch these and 24 more to put that gained knowledge to use. So much to do so little time.


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## BradG (Dec 6, 2012)

Haynie said:


> I noticed in your video that you were etching that pen without gloves. Is it that safe?


Note the piece was sellotaped to a length of wood, i wasnt poutting my fingers in it. an odd splash here and there isnt going to do you harm. it wont burn you like it would if you were to get a small splash of acid on your hand without noticing.

The short answer is, yes you should wear gloves.




Curly said:


> Looks like the beginnings of a great website. :good: Do you have plans for a section on the neutralization and disposal of the waste?


 
Thats a good suggestion indeed, il be sure to create a section covering that.




OKLAHOMAN said:


> Now I know I need another 24 hours in a day just to watch these and 24 more to put that gained knowledge to use. So much to do so little time.


 
Tell me about it


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## mredburn (Dec 6, 2012)

For your tutorial on disposing of the waste, May I suggest it show you quickly looking around and then dumping a pot of nasty steaming hot liquid over your neighbors fence. then running back inside.  Right around dusk would be perfect.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


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## skiprat (Dec 6, 2012)

mredburn said:


> For your tutorial on disposing of the waste, May I suggest it show you quickly looking around and then dumping a pot of nasty steaming hot liquid over your neighbors fence. then running back inside. Right around dusk would be perfect.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


 
Mike, he doesn't need to do that. He lives in Blackpool and is therefore allowed to just dump any old crap in the sea!!!  :tongue:

Just kidding really. The UK west coast used to have a terrible reputation for sea pollution but these days most of the beaches have first class status again. 


Brad I just signed up on your site and you will see I'll be a VERY regular visitor!!!  :biggrin:  Thanks for sharing your knowledge !!!!!!

I do think we're gonna have to change your name from Brad to Frankenfurter ( Rocky Horror :wink: ) though!!!!  :tongue:


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## BradG (Dec 6, 2012)

Yes we are prepared here Mike... Steve you should see my hosepipe leading to the beach :biggrin: has three headed toads hanging around it and everything and thats just the women you should see the wildlife!


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## mredburn (Dec 6, 2012)

Good thing you mentioned signing up Steve. I didnt realize you could. Went back and signed up right away. 

Brad It was my understanding the three headed toad women were caught hanging round the pub


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## skiprat (Dec 6, 2012)

mredburn said:


> Good thing you mentioned signing up Steve. I didnt realize you could. Went back and signed up right away.
> 
> Brad It was my understanding the three headed toad women were caught hanging round the pub


 
Mike, you obviously don't drink much. :biggrin: Blackpool is one of the Meccas for Hen parties and Slappers Abound!!! :biggrin:
The beauty ( and reason booze was created ) was that with enough inside you, by the end of the evening they ALL look like beauty queens!!. :biggrin:


Ok, seriously though Brad. Would you rather have the torrent of questions here or on your site? 

Here's my first couple; 
I just watched the Titanium one. 

Thanks for the refraction explaination. Does this mean that you could 'polish back' through some of the layers of crystal and get a cool 'oil slick' effect?

I'm sure I wasn't the only one to be very suprised by the very short time in the acid. Literaly seconds. If you leave it longer, will the colour alter? 
Is the acid only reacting whilst there is current flow, because you seemed to keep it out wet without rinsing it for longer than you had it in the tank?

And lastly ( for this post anyway :biggrin: ) I'm assuming that the power supply being self modulating, makes up for varying distance you may have between anode and cathode? 
Why do you use two lead plates instead of just one.?


Just one final one.......please can my local church have it's flashing back? The roof is leaking !!:biggrin:


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## Dalecamino (Dec 6, 2012)

I'm signing up too Brad. Now you'll have at least three of the IAP Riff-Raff wanna be scientific followers bugging you. :biggrin:


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## skiprat (Dec 6, 2012)

Here's my power supply Brad. :biggrin: Think it'll work? It's pretty old but works well. I used to use it years ago to test trip coils on HV circuit breakers. 

All I need now is time to play!!!:frown:


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## BradG (Dec 6, 2012)

skiprat said:


> Ok, seriously though Brad. Would you rather have the torrent of questions here or on your site?


I am trying to setup an area for questions on there but its being troublesome at the moment.. will figure it out soon enough, though feel free to ask where you like 



> Here's my first couple;
> I just watched the Titanium one.
> 
> Thanks for the refraction explaination. Does this mean that you could 'polish back' through some of the layers of crystal and get a cool 'oil slick' effect?


Nope, as the density of the crystal formations changes.... but you are close to "flash anodising" with the way you are thinking  il show you that cool method at a later date, I know you will like that - though its difficult to do with professional power supplies like we have as they are designed to stop it happening.



> I'm sure I wasn't the only one to be very suprised by the very short time in the acid. Literaly seconds. If you leave it longer, will the colour alter?
> Is the acid only reacting whilst there is current flow, because you seemed to keep it out wet without rinsing it for longer than you had it in the tank?


Correct, with the cathodes being in the tank the current can only flow through the piece when its in the tank.

Regardless to how long you leave it in th tank past this point the colour will not change. it will only change if you vary the voltage.



> And lastly ( for this post anyway :biggrin: ) I'm assuming that the power supply being self modulating, makes up for varying distance you may have between anode and cathode?
> Why do you use two lead plates instead of just one.?


Correct again. you will find the closer to the plates you are, the less current you will use as the path of resistance is less. we could always consult Ohms law V/IxR but we will leave that out for now hey? :tongue:

I use multiple plates for a couple of reasons. electricity is lazy.. it will always take the shortest route so to ensure an even process i like the plates to surround the piece. this is more prominent with odd shaped items. if it was an oblong shape, im siure you can see that the voltage flowing through the end closest to the plates will be much greater than the other end of the oblong furthest away.

Secondly, when anodising the siurface area of the cathodes should be twice the size of the anode. all of that cathode surface area of the two plates gives me plenty of headroom for larger items or multiple pen pieces etc. remember that the inside of the pen counts as surface area too, not just the exterior of the piece being anodised. 



> Just one final one.......please can my local church have it's flashing back? The roof is leaking !!:biggrin:


 
Lol around here to combat this they replaced the stolen lead with a fake lead which holds no value so isnt worth stealing. the trouble is, it looks the same :biggrin: so they are still nicking it lmfao... er didn't quite think that one through did they.



dalecamino said:


> I'm signing up too Brad. Now you'll have at least three of the IAP Riff-Raff wanna be scientific followers bugging you. :biggrin:


 
lol Chuck thats what the sites for


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## BradG (Dec 6, 2012)

Steven that will be ace.... fantastic for anodising aluminium with 30A of current lol... thats big pieces of aluminium!

for titanium, you wont get some colours like green and pink (sorry :biggreen: ) as they are past 70V and you wont get orange which looks great... but you will get the blues etc so all good


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## BradG (Dec 14, 2012)

Ive added a download section to the site where members can download all the EPS files ive used in my products should they want to have them cut out in vinyl themselves.

Also, my Chemists Little Helper software is nearing completion of Verion 1.0, which will be available to download for free from the site.


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## mredburn (Dec 14, 2012)

ooooooooooooohhhhhhhh! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Got my citric acid in the mail yesterday. Waiting on the Ferric. It will be here next week.  WE are ready to  play!


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## BradG (Dec 14, 2012)

Brilliant! im sure you will have great fun :biggrin: ... maybe a little frustrating lol, but thats all part of the fun!


(and thankyou, by the way :wink: )


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