# Acrylics are EASY, now that I know...



## ed4copies (Mar 12, 2010)

WHAT???

At least once a week, I get a call from someone who has "blown up" several blanks and now wants to know if we are having problems with our blanks.

No, WE aren't, but clearly the CALLER IS!!!

So, we talk for a while and I usually find a way that they can be successful.  But, for the last decade, I have had no problems turning acrylics.  I vaguely remember when I started turning them, I also had difficulties, but those are long-gone "nightmares"!!  NOT savored memories!!

So, if you have recently conquered the fine transition from Wood to acrylic and can still remember your "AHA@!!!" moment, can you post it here to help me answer these questions, when they arise??

Thanks to all who contribute!


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## JBCustomPens (Mar 12, 2010)

When I started using better plastics, more higher quality. And when I sharpened my tools!


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## mick (Mar 12, 2010)

Ed, not exactly an AHA moment but here's some of the things I pass along when asked about turning the different "plastics"

1. Hone your tools often.....and then hone them some more!
2. Not all "plastics" are created equal..what works for one may not work for another.
3. If you're unsure of a material or have not turned it before go slowly....refrain      from agressive cuts
4. I never had good results when trying to use a gouge to round acrylics or bring close to size. Always found them to be too agressive. Could have been the grind or my general inexperience but I have better luck with a round nose scraper or now one of the carbide cutting tools offered by a couple of our members. I've found it to be invaluable in turning plastics.
5. Finish with a skew if you're at all comfortable using one. You end up with a much smoother finish, thus less sanding.


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## snyiper (Mar 12, 2010)

I by no means a expert on acrylics as I just started turning myself. I have found a carbide tool helps. Grind edges off with sander  (advice from Ed)  Round ends in first as not to catch them while turning (also Eds advice) I finish with a skew that is shaving sharp but I am probably using it wrong as a scraper. I have yet to master Cutting ribbons but scraping works well for me, go slow, sharpen often. I use a marble backsplash and fine sandpaper glued to it and a felt marker.


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## byounghusband (Mar 12, 2010)

WOW!!  Mick Stole my thunder....  

I agree with everything he said except #5.  I have a cheap a$$ HF 1/2" round nose scraper that I could almost shave with that does the trick for me.

Did anyone mention SHARP tools??? :biggrin::biggrin:


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## OKLAHOMAN (Mar 12, 2010)

Mike about said it all, I also use a roundnose scrapper and finish with a skew. I turn at the fastest speed my lathe runs, never drill completly through when drilling, wet sand with MM pads. PR and Inlace are chipperer so be sure you just take light cuts, let the tool do the cutting not applying pressure on the blanks. I turn approx. 95% man made materials and have less blow outs than the 5% wood I turn.


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## wood-of-1kind (Mar 12, 2010)

A "self promotional" moment - when I discovered ROTONDO :wink::biggrin:


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## johnnycnc (Mar 12, 2010)

My blow ups were from, in no particular order:
-using ca glue to install tubes (I use epoxy now, much better luck for ME.)
-using too small of a tool
-not properly sharpening said tool
-pushing too fast, too hard, with that small, dull tool

I use a 3/4 gouge or carbide insert tool now to rough, keep it sharp, ride the bevel where applicable.
Also, the proper height of tool rest, and tool angle to the blank can have major affects.
Another big one, for me, was just to slow down a bit. 
Haste does indeed make waste!
If you don't want to take proper time, you will only be doing it over in many cases.


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## Rmartin (Mar 12, 2010)

Don't let the blank get HOT! Period (or in this case exclamation point)

I use WD40 when drilling. Some use water to keep the blank cool, but water is not as good a lubricant as WD40.

I like to color the epoxy. I've tried painting the inside of the blank, painting the tube, and painting both the blank and tube, and still had problems. So now I only add a drop or two of testers to my normal two part epoxy before glueing in the tube.

Sharp tools! I use carbide inserts, as one side gets dull, rotate. No shapening EVER, which is nice. Cut as close as you can to actual size.

Sanding causes heat! I refer to my first point, Don't let the blank get HOT! If you've cut as close as you dare, there should be little sanding to be done, more like polishing. Use a wet sandpaper.

did I mention, Don't let the blank get HOT!


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## tbfoto (Mar 12, 2010)

I'm enjoying the replies to this post. I just started turning acrylic and was having a hard time. I knew it was not the fault of the material but my skill at turning it. Practice will improve things. 

Keep the ideas coming...there are some of us still learning and NEED the ideas.


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## workinforwood (Mar 12, 2010)

Sounds like you should write a tip page on your site for working with acrylics.  Perhaps list the different common types of acrylics and the dangers of using them.  For example..the inlace will blow up if not drilled slowly..  The PR will crackle and chip like broken ice if you use too much pressure on your chisel when turning..the trustone will blow up if you try and drill all the way through so stop before you reach the end and trim the blank to reveal the hole...alumilite, urethane resin blanks can be turned with dull rat teeth without any damage to the blank although the constant strands are a nuesance they are the perfect beginner acrylic.  You get the idea.


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## Dalecamino (Mar 12, 2010)

Ed , I have turned acrylics from ALMOST everyone who offers them . In my opinion it is not the material , but the approach taken when turning them . I started out using the 1/2 " gouge . Lots of chips when I used that tool , even when it's sharp . I watched a video in the LIBRARY , done by YoYoSpin ? , on how to turn an acrylic blank . I switched to the 3/4 " oval skew , and learned how to approach the blank with the tool and , the results are much better . Take light cuts and , see if it makes a difference . Hope this helps relieve some of your phone time ! :biggrin::wink:


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## Glass Scratcher (Mar 12, 2010)

Sometimes it is the PR.  Most of the time it is the sharpness of the tool and the angle the tool is presented to the blank.

My club laughed when I said I use four, 1/2" round-nose scrapers to turn one pen.


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## rsmith (Mar 12, 2010)

Ed, I think just to be SURE you aren't having problems with your blanks you should send me one of each and I'll try them out for you...you know, just to be absolutley certain...:wink:
On the serious side-the BEST advice I ever got was to turn the ends down at the beginning.  Pressure from the tool placed on a raised corner with no material behind it to absorb the pressure will crack that edge all too often


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## JimMc7 (Mar 12, 2010)

Turning acrylics & PR for me:
Keep tools sharp -- use a diamond hone when more pressure is required to cut
Knock the corners off with a disc or belt sander prior to lathe mounting
Use a roughing gouge with light cuts to round blank
Use a SHARP radius grind skew (e.g., Lacer skew) with toolrest at blank centerline and use a scraping cut (skew at or just below blank centerline) to turn to final dimensions -- usually L-to-R cuts but YMMV
Wet sand starting at 400grit wet/dry paper, then 600 and 1200 -- use a wet paper towel to wipe off residue between grits
Polish with Novus #3 & #2 using a Viva paper towel
I had several cracks/chips/blowout disasters until settling on this technique which is based on posts by others on IAP. I can honestly say NO blowouts/cracks since using this technique. There may be faster methods but I have no intention of converting as I can't afford extra blanks!

Similar methods for Tru-stone except I use a Woodchuck with R4 inserts for start-to-almost finish turning rather then SRG & skew. I do use a skew on the last few cuts because a bit easier for me to control than the Woodchuck and the carbide insert can put a groove in the CTC bushings if I tilt it a bit much (and yes, this is from experience!).


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## gbhazel (Mar 12, 2010)

It's just a hobby but i'm getting real good at parts into orbit. once in a while I mess up and get one to work out. Just takes practice and sharp tools. :beat-up::beat-up::beat-up:


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## thewishman (Mar 12, 2010)

I guess I am an anomaly. I drill all the way through acrylics (though I usually cut them long) and trustone, I use a skew upside down and sometimes sand a lot.

After seeing the _"Resinator"_ (ed4copies) turn acrylics at the first MPG, he converted me to turning with only a skew at high speeds and taking off a pretty good bite at a time.

Something I have learned on my own - you can fill in damage in some acrylics with dust from the turning and CA glue - just like in wood burls.

Turning acrylics is so much faster than applying a good finish to woods, acrylics have such an incredible range of colors and materials, and they sell more quickly than woods - they are the (deep announcer's voice) "material of the future!"


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## ed4copies (Mar 12, 2010)

Chris, are you listening???

Just one word, Chris,

*"Plastics"!!!!!*

(Here's to YOU, Mrs Robinson!!)​


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## thewishman (Mar 12, 2010)

ed4copies said:


> Chris, are you listening???
> 
> Just one word, Chris,
> 
> ...



You're welcome for the set-up. 

You're the top banana, Ed.:banana:


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## Lenny (Mar 12, 2010)

Sharp tools and going slow.... 

Dull tools and aggresive cuts, even when drilling = :at-wits-end::redface:
http://picasaweb.google.com/toolmanlh/LenSPens#5447538892409466482


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## bgibb42 (Mar 12, 2010)

thewishman said:


> I guess I am an anomaly.




I must be as well.  I also drill all the way through, and rarely leave them long.  I use a small spindle gouge for rough turning all my blanks round, then switch to a skew.  I started out using a round nose scraper, but as I practiced and learned to use the skew, it has become my preferred choice of tooling.  

I agree that high speeds, sharp tools, and light cuts produce the best results, but it seems that holds true for most, if not all pens, regardless of the material.

Wet sanding is a must in my shop; YMMV.   I also stop the lathe after every grit or every other grit of Micro-Mesh and sand the blank lengthwise to remove radial scratches.  I then finish the blanks with a bit of plastic polish.


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## Dudley Young (Mar 12, 2010)

Rotondo and skew works for me.


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## Jim15 (Mar 13, 2010)

When I first started turning Acrylics I found that turning at the top speed of my Jet mini was a big help.


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## capcrnch (Mar 13, 2010)

Sharp tools (correctly sharpened tools)
Patience! Don't take too much of a bite or you'll blowout for sure!


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## barkisini (Mar 13, 2010)

Ditto on most of the above.

For me, when all else fails, I break out the 80-grit gouge and spend more time sanding than cutting.


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## rjwolfe3 (Mar 13, 2010)

To me turning acrylics is super easy. It's the finishing that kicks my butt. I still struggle with fine scratches in the final product even though I have tried every method out there.


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## LEAP (Mar 13, 2010)

Ive found that the problems  I had early on usually happened when first touching the tool to the blank. I was trying to lead with the sharp edge without first touching the bevel. After watching a few hundred videos and reading about everything on the IAP It dawned on me that it was necessary to first place the bevel on the blank then move the tool until the edge begins to cut. This "discovery" lead to learning much better tool control no matter which tool I am using.  It was amazing how moving the handle just the slightest bit wether it was up,down, left, right or twisting along the axis changed the cut. Thankfully I only rarely trash a blank now days. When I do it's always my fault due to impatience, like taking that one more pass before going back to the grinder or trying to hurry the process and taking too deep a cut for the material I'm working with.


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## TellicoTurning (Mar 13, 2010)

ed4copies said:


> WHAT???
> 
> At least once a week, I get a call from someone who has "blown up" several blanks and now wants to know if we are having problems with our blanks.
> 
> ...



Ed,
Gotta give you your strokes AGAIN!:biggrin::biggrin:
I guess my AHA moment was at the MPG in CU when you did the demo with the skew... haven't had any problem since then, unless I get lazy and try to rush things... then that becomes my fault... 

A good sharp skew and attention to your work. Also works with wood.


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## GaryMadore (Mar 13, 2010)

Rmartin said:


> Don't let the blank get HOT! Period (or in this case exclamation point)



Yup - that's the only difference for me - and it's a critical one.

I think most (all?) of the other suggestions -all equally valid- boil down to this axiom.

Cheers!

Gary


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## PenMan1 (Mar 13, 2010)

A sharp round nose scraper sure helps with the really "brittle and chippy" acrylics.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 13, 2010)

rjwolfe3 said:


> To me turning acrylics is super easy. It's the finishing that kicks my butt. I still struggle with fine scratches in the final product even though I have tried every method out there.


 

Read Bgibb42's post. He has it right on the mark as I see it. When sading with micromesh, you go back and forth also as the lathe is spinning. Always wet sand with micromesh.


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## rjwolfe3 (Mar 13, 2010)

Yep that is our current method. Alicia does it better then I but it still has scratches. This is with brand new micromesh and clean water so no grit. We use PSI plastic polish afterward. Maybe we are just too picky.



jttheclockman said:


> Read Bgibb42's post. He has it right on the mark as I see it. When sading with micromesh, you go back and forth also as the lathe is spinning. Always wet sand with micromesh.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 13, 2010)

rjwolfe3 said:


> Yep that is our current method. Alicia does it better then I but it still has scratches. This is with brand new micromesh and clean water so no grit. We use PSI plastic polish afterward. Maybe we are just too picky.


 

No what you are probably doing is not sanding enough and then you need to wipe off the grit from the last pad used before moving on to the next. I always use a paper towel to do this. In case the paper towel gets caught while spinning it will just tear. This is the reason to use paper towels when doing CA finishes also. Just my thoughts.


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## RyanNJ (Mar 13, 2010)

what carbide tool is everyone using


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## snyiper (Mar 13, 2010)

Home made wood chuck type. r2 blade


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## DRScherz (Mar 13, 2010)

SHARP!! tools with light  cuts.  If it gets chippy, you're either being too ham-fisted with it or you're using the wrong tool.  A gouge will work for Acrylics, but not for PR.

I only use a skew on PR and I hone it often.  Haven't blown one up yet.   ALWAYS think A-B-C's with the skew:  Anchor- Bevel- Cut' Sharpen.  Anchor the tool on the toolrest; Rub the Bevel; Cut; Keep your tools sharp.  

Haven't had an issue with blowing out blanks while drilling.  Go slow on a low speed, clear out the flutes often.

Have had problems with the barrel trimmer.  Learned that it needs to be sharpened, and not to get agressive cutting with it.  You can shatter the end of a blank by cutting too agressively.


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## randyrls (Mar 13, 2010)

rjwolfe3 said:


> To me turning acrylics is super easy. It's the finishing that kicks my butt. I still struggle with fine scratches in the final product even though I have tried every method out there.



Rob; 

I cut sheets into strips about 3/4" wide and 11" long.  Use wet/dry sandpaper used with water for acrylics and keep the sandpaper wet.  Cover the lathe ways with toolbox shelving material.

 My regime takes longer to type than to do.  For each 320, 400, 600, 1000, and 2000 grit:



Using gentle pressure sand for about 15 seconds with the lathe running at low (500 RPM) speed, and then turn the lathe off and sand the length of the blank while turning the hand wheel manually.
Wipe down the blank AND sandpaper with clean water and a paper towel.
Turn on the lathe and do the next grit.
Now repeat all these steps with Micro-Mesh starting with 4000 or 4800 and ending with 12000.

Finish off with Plastic polish.  I prefer Micro-Gloss but other polishes intended for acrylics work well too.


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