# Attempting cholla...



## GrantH (Jan 7, 2012)

Is there any advice for me when I go to turn this today? 

It says to turn it between centers first, can I use my spur center and 60* live? They don't cost a fortune...but i'd like to not blow this thing up if at all possible. Any and all tips are appreciated. I've never done this level of work before so it's going to be fun. I've been turning to slow I think, but not entirely sure. It's on the lowest setting, but with that cranked up it seems really fast. I'll double check that to be certain.

And yes, my tools are sharp!


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## Texatdurango (Jan 7, 2012)

GrantH said:


> Is there any advice for me when I go to turn this today?
> 
> It says to turn it between centers first, can I use my spur center and 60* live? They don't cost a fortune...but i'd like to not blow this thing up if at all possible. Any and all tips are appreciated. I've never done this level of work before so it's going to be fun. I've been turning to slow I think, but not entirely sure. It's on the lowest setting, but with that cranked up it seems really fast. I'll double check that to be certain.
> 
> And yes, my tools are sharp!


 
Your post leaves out a few details.  Can we assume the cholla has already been cast in a resin of some sort?  If so, I might assume the caster poured the blank then cured it under pressure.  That being the case, turn the blank as you would any other synthetic blank.  The cholla skeleton shouldn't break or chip out.

I make my own cholla blanks by casting them in alumilite and always turn them round between centers before drilling but I use a steb center which is far superior to the spur centers that come with most lathes.  Don't apply too much pressure with the spur center.

We'll be looking for a photo in the SOYP forum shortly!


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## Robert111 (Jan 7, 2012)

GrantH said:


> Is there any advice for me when I go to turn this today?
> 
> It says to turn it between centers first, can I use my spur center and 60* live? They don't cost a fortune...but i'd like to not blow this thing up if at all possible. Any and all tips are appreciated. I've never done this level of work before so it's going to be fun. I've been turning to slow I think, but not entirely sure. It's on the lowest setting, but with that cranked up it seems really fast. I'll double check that to be certain.
> 
> And yes, my tools are sharp!



I was guilty of turning too slowly until I asked a specific question about my problems and mentioned I was turning at 500-750. Everyone advised turning faster, and I'm convinced that's been great advice. I now turn between 1200 and 2100. Very few catches, faster rate of work, and just much more pleasurable. In turning, speed does not kill.


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## brownsfn2 (Jan 7, 2012)

On my first attempt I used a spur drive and 60 degree live center. It is really important that you center the cactus on the centers so when you turn it down enought to drive you can drill it in the absolute center. On my first peice I did not know that the cactus was slightly off center. When I got close to the final dimensions there was one part of my pen on just one side that had no cactus. So the first attempt was disappointing to say the least. When I try again I am going to turn it down further before cutting or drilling to make sure the cactus is straight in the sections of blank I use for the pen.

Once rounded I turn all my acrylics at 2400 - 3000.


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## Robert111 (Jan 7, 2012)

GrantH said:


> Is there any advice for me when I go to turn this today?
> 
> It says to turn it between centers first, can I use my spur center and 60* live? They don't cost a fortune...but i'd like to not blow this thing up if at all possible. Any and all tips are appreciated. I've never done this level of work before so it's going to be fun. I've been turning to slow I think, but not entirely sure. It's on the lowest setting, but with that cranked up it seems really fast. I'll double check that to be certain.
> 
> And yes, my tools are sharp!



I've turned a couple chola blanks. The key for me is getting them centered correctly. They look much better if they're centered so that the chola skeleton's holes do not run together. So just make you  center on the skeleton, not the blank, and of course, that's best done by turning between centers.


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## Robert111 (Jan 7, 2012)

Robert111 said:


> GrantH said:
> 
> 
> > Is there any advice for me when I go to turn this today?
> ...



I should add that you can turn between centers best by drilling pilot holes in the centers of each end of the skeleton, and then adding slight kerfs in an "X" pattern on the drive center end. That helps the drive center grip the blank without you needing to use a lot of force.


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## GrantH (Jan 7, 2012)

Sounds like I did it correctly then, maybe a little slow, but correct. I used my spur drive and 60* live center, centered the cactus itself rather than the blank, and got to turning! I must say, it was a pleasure! Nothing is more fun than seeing ribbons of resin peel away!


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## GrantH (Jan 7, 2012)

I did the hard part perfectly and the easy part terribly. I glued in my brass tube without painting it  DOH!! Anyone have a possible solution?


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## ed4copies (Jan 7, 2012)

What color is the resin?


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## GrantH (Jan 7, 2012)

dark pink.


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## ed4copies (Jan 7, 2012)

Yes, you are likely to see the tubes.  Unless you want to take out the tubes (depending on the glue you used this can be difficult to impossible without damaging the cholla), the only other remedy I know is to keep the pen as "fat" as possible.  The more material is left, the more it will look pink.

Sorry I don't have a more "magic bullet" answer for this one.

Ed


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## GrantH (Jan 7, 2012)

That was my fear. I only put one tube in and realized what I had done. I am using Monty's CA glue. Not sure that will give any clues to a way out of this, but I may just keep moving on it and make what I can from it. I can't do anything else with it as my keychains all call for 7mm and another blank wouldn't match grain wise. Ah well, the things you learn...


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## ed4copies (Jan 7, 2012)

If I was doing it, Grant, I would turn the pen and figure that was my best option at this point.

Yes, you COULD get the tube out, by dousing both ends with CA debonder (or acetone).  You run a risk of also messing up the polyresin, with the Acetone.  And, it is a VERY messy process, even if successful.

It won't be a BAD looking pen---only you and other penmakers are likely to notice it.

If you keep notes on your turnings, put this one in bold, as it will occur often.  I have NEVER received a note that says, "I wish I had NOT painted the tubes", so "when in doubt, PAINT!!"


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## Wingdoctor (Jan 7, 2012)

Another solution, if you are really careful, is to drill the tube out. Use the same drill you used to drill the hole, go slow, and put in a replacement tube. The brass tube is only a few thousands thick and soft so it should drill out easily with a regular metal drilling bit. *Do not use a brad point bit!* Paint the hole first this time.


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## GrantH (Jan 7, 2012)

I blew it up anyways, so it doesn't matter at this point lol. I hated myself for a while until I turned the flamed box elder. Mom is liking her new pen.


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## Brooks803 (Jan 7, 2012)

To help keep it together while turning is to constantly stop the lathe and soak the blank in thin CA to stabilize it. Just be careful not to glue the blank to the mandrel and bushings!


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## StephenM (Jan 7, 2012)

For the future - fuming the blank with ammonia will make the CA disintegrate.  I found that out after doing an experiment fuming white oak blanks that had the tubes glued in with CA.


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## ed4copies (Jan 7, 2012)

StephenM said:


> For the future - fuming the blank with ammonia will make the CA disintegrate.  I found that out after doing an experiment fuming white oak blanks that had the tubes glued in with CA.




Now THAT is a tidbit worth remembering!!


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## GrantH (Jan 7, 2012)

Something about fuming with ammonia sounds/seems a bit risky lol. That stuff isn't nice stuff in the smell department.  Worth noting for sure though!

I tried the CA tip on some pecan ?burl? that I had and well...it didn't work either. I don't know if it chipped out or if it was a loose grain than I thought it was (I knew it was a SOFT wood) but I trashed it as well. Lost a cool acrylic one today as well. BAD day to say the least. I did get 1 atrix and a slimline done though.


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## StephenM (Jan 7, 2012)

On this scale, it's easy.  A big tupperware to hold the blanks and a little tuperware for the ammonia.  Now the old French woodworkers - they'd outifit a room in oak and then seal everything up.  They'd set some pans of ammonia on stilts and the last guy out would light candles under the pans.  THAT sounds fun.

Your day doesn't seem so bad - I picked up my ceiling kit for the wood stove and got home and the box is missing the chimney cap.  Then I was closing the garage door and something went bad with the bottom limit.  It closed and kept trying to push down.  Tore the angle iron off the top of the door, popped the top section out of the track and there's a big rip in the door itself.


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## ed4copies (Jan 8, 2012)

StephenM said:


> On this scale, it's easy.  A big tupperware to hold the blanks and a little tuperware for the ammonia.  Now the old French woodworkers - they'd outifit a room in oak and then seal everything up.  They'd set some pans of ammonia on stilts and the last guy out would light candles under the pans.  THAT sounds fun.
> 
> Your day doesn't seem so bad - I picked up my ceiling kit for the wood stove and got home and the box is missing the chimney cap.  Then I was closing the garage door and something went bad with the bottom limit.  It closed and kept trying to push down.  Tore the angle iron off the top of the door, popped the top section out of the track and there's a big rip in the door itself.



Did "Tim the Toolman" supply that motor???

Sounds extremely overpowered.


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