# MY BRAIN IS BURNING (long)



## RAdams (Mar 24, 2010)

Good grief. I have just about burned out all of the last few brain cells i had left. I want ot share all of this with those trying to go kitless.



As most of you know, I have been trying to make my first kitless pen. I have poured over hours and hours of reading material on the subject. I have ruined a good dozen blanks (at least), and i have learned so much it is painful! 

The other day i recieved a box of alumilite blanks to "play" with. A couple of the blanks are WAY to cool to just ruin trying to cut ghetto fabulous threads so i decided to tube them and make modded kit pens with them. This was my FIRST experience with alumilite of any sort. I figured doing these would help get me in gear for working with this material in a kitless form.

The first thing i noticed is that somebody fibbed... In fact, a couple of people fibbed. THIS STUFF DOES HAVE AN ODOR WHEN DRILLED. For me, it was more irritating than the smell of PR. Not as noxious, but much more irritating to the sniffer. 

Drilling this material was a new challenge in itself. I used my drill press because i had to drill these blanks slightly off center. I just about lost a thumb when i got lazy and didn't walk the whole 5 feet to the tool chest to get my strap clamp to hold the blank while drilling. This material reminded me more of ebonite than an acrylic product. It heats up the drill bit VERY VERY VERY FAST. I have never had to drill anything so slow. 

I can definately feel a HUGE difference in this material and PR. I had no idea the two were so DRASTICALLY (sp) different. I am excited to make a kitless out of this super sweet material, and i think i am a PR to alumilite convert! I heard a rumor that a blank of alumilite could be literally bounced off of a concrete shop floor after being tossed about 15 feet in the air. I would never dare do this with a PR blank. It would be in a million pieces for sure. 

I also tried to make a tool today. I SOOOOOO desperately want to make a kitless pen, but i am a poor boy and have no die holder. I have pretty much figured out a way to ghetto fab my way through all of the steps but cutting the external threads. After all of the catasrtophic failures i have had, I dont want to just waste this alumilite i have, so i tried to make a die holder. Now i know why they don't make ANY tools with a wooden MT2! I used a piece of purpleheart i had laying around. I mounted it between centers and cut the basic shape i needed. Once i got it good to go, I put it in the headstock. It was instantly wobbly and popped right out when i got near it with a tool. 

The good news... I learned a bunch of cool stuff today reading through the ENTIRE IAP library. I have added several things to my list of "Gotta do's" and found another "Hero" or two! 

So, In closing. I just want to say DON'T GIVE UP! cause I'm not! And you people can't let a loud, dreaded, tattoo'd, pierced FREAK beat you!


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## workinforwood (Mar 24, 2010)

Don't toss those alumilite blanks 15 foot in the air or they will break.  Those are CC alumilite, not the water clear.  The CC is harder, so it is slightly more brittle, the water clear alumilite will bounce nicely.  You do need to drill slower and clear the hole.  If you have a bolt and no tap for it, you can make a tap from another identicle bolt.  Use a grinder to cut 4 channels across the threads.  Use a belt sander to taper the end.  Wear goggles when cutting, wear gloves when sanding on the belt sander because that bolt will get hot! DAMHIKT.


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## cnirenberg (Mar 24, 2010)

Ron,
Keep on with the good fight.  Once you go kitless, its hard to go back.  My wife is super sensitive to smells so I know what you are taking about with the PR vs. alumilite.  I drill on the lathe with the shop vac nozzle up next to the drill bit.  It sucks the chips out and gets some of the smell with it before I usually get in trouble.  Just drill slow and clean out the hole and bit or that blank will heat up and get out of shape.  Been there done that and I got the shirt to prove it.  Good luck.


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## workinforwood (Mar 24, 2010)

Everyone seems to smell different things for whatever.  I have always found alumilite smells like bowling balls.  I find PR to have no smell when drilling.  I'm used to it now though, so it doesn't bother me a bit.


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## RAdams (Mar 24, 2010)

well the first blank was a catastrophic failure.

I used CA glue out of fear that the gorilla glue would push the scrolled piece out of the blank... Instaed, i got poor glue coverage and, as always, the LAST clean up cut... BLAMMY. No more pretty scrolled star. LOTS AND LOTS of colorful words. 

Sad part is that i glued up both blanks with CA, so i am sure the other one will explode too. Guess the upside is that i learned not to use CA to glue tubes PERIOD. what a flippin idiot i am.


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## glycerine (Mar 24, 2010)

Speaking of dreaded, let's see an updated pic of the hair!!


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## cnirenberg (Mar 24, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> Everyone seems to smell different things for whatever.  I have always found alumilite smells like bowling balls.  I find PR to have no smell when drilling.  I'm used to it now though, so it doesn't bother me a bit.



I kinda like the smell of Alumilite in the morning.  Smells like...........well, Alumilite in the morning.  Its a nice change from the day in day out Arid Extra Dry.....


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## Paul in OKC (Mar 24, 2010)

Hey Ron, what size is your die?


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## RAdams (Mar 24, 2010)

Paul in OKC said:


> Hey Ron, what size is your die?


 


It is a little tiny cheapo set from HF. the three i have been practicing the most with are: 1/4-20, 3/8-16, and 1/2-13. I got the drilling and tappind down to an art after reading all of Skip's handy dandy tutorials (THANKS AGAIN SKIP) 


Don't worry folks (as if you were:biggrin, I haven't completely given up. I will get there, I just gotta slow down a little bit. I really thought "Oh Yeah, kitless will be NO Problem!" Boy was i wrong!!!

P.S. The wifey will be doing maint. on my hair later today. After she "Tidies" my locks, I will post an updated pic! This time i will use my digital camera instead of a friends iphone so the lighting and everything will be much better than the old pic!!!


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## workinforwood (Mar 24, 2010)

That's a bummer on the blown up blank.  I heard of one other person destroying one, but that's it..so you must just have real bad luck.  I always use 5 min epoxy with acrylics.  I mostly use a rotondo tool, works really good on alumilite, I will hog those scrolled acrylic blanks out with deep aggressive passes and I have never broke one.  But hey..someone's got to do it!  It's only a pen blank.  I started working on a new kitless pen this morning, but then the dang boss called and I had to go into work, so now I can't continue till the weekend.  Maybe you can make a kitless pen out of your hair.


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## witz1976 (Mar 24, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> Maybe you can make a kitless pen out of your hair.


 
Great...now we will see this next year for the Ugly Pen Contest :biggrin:


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## RAdams (Mar 24, 2010)

witz1976 said:


> Great...now we will see this next year for the Ugly Pen Contest :biggrin:


 


YUP! Now i gotta change my idea for the ugly pen contest next year!:biggrin:




I only blow up blanks when i get hasty and glue with CA. I will use 5 min. epoxy next time for sure. 

I just finished half of the other scrolled blank. It made it, but the paint didnt do good, so there are spots of brass. Now i know why you rejected these two blanks Jeff! Oh well. It has been fun geting used to the alumiite.


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## Rfturner (Mar 24, 2010)

*Going kitless*

I just did my first close ended fountian that was a modified classic fountain. I am working on a few that are almost competely kitless but I know just how frustrating it can be. Just keep plugging away and before you no it you will be there


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## RAdams (Mar 25, 2010)

Thanks Ryan! I am tryin! It s a fun and frustrating challenge. I am not easily beaten, especially when it comes to something like this. As a floor covering installer, I understand that it is 30% tools and 70% knowledge. I will acquire both over time. Soon enough i will be posting amazing pieces of artwork. 

One step at a time... Right now, my goal is to have a IAP feature pen! Attainable i think!!


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