Turning Acrylics?

[arcos]

So, following on from my recent dip into making pens I am about to place an order for some more and different kits.

I am considering having a go at turning an acrylic pen.

Is there anything that I need to consider before tackling acrylic?

[Les Symonds]

I did a bit of work with acrylics when I was in college (so many years ago that it seems a different lifetime). From what I recall, all machining was done with very fine toothed blades, followed by a fine file to remove tool marks, followed by lots of Brasso to get a good gloss finish on cut-surfaces.
Of course, arcos, the passage of time might well have rendered all that immaterial. None-the-less, I admire your drive and your willingness to keep trying out ideas new to you. When I first started turning I was very traditional/formal in my approach, so the 20-year break that I took from turning has done me some good. I eagerly await pics of what you produce.
Les (gwyntog)

[john taylor]

Turning acrylics can cause problems as you can rip out bits of them if you take too big a cut also drilling can be a problem.   Have a look at my site http://www.woodturned.co.uk/html/acrylic_pen.html which shows how I make acrylic pens.

john

[Paul Hannaby]

Acrylic is horrible stuff, smells bad, the shavings stick to everything, it melts if you overheat it and it chips and cracks if you abuse it. If you can cope with all that, have a go but my preference (in case you haven't already guessed!) is to stick to wood 

If you do go over to the dark side, try T cut as the final polish.

[arcos]

Turning acrylics can cause problems as you can rip out bits of them if you take too big a cut also drilling can be a problem.   Have a look at my site http://www.woodturned.co.uk/html/acrylic_pen.html which shows how I make acrylic pens.

john

Thanks John (nice website)

Hmm, maybe I will be looking at making a few more wooden pens before going over to acrylic (or maybe not)

[arcos]

Acrylic is horrible stuff, smells bad, the shavings stick to everything, it melts if you overheat it and it chips and cracks if you abuse it. If you can cope with all that, have a go but my preference (in case you haven't already guessed!) is to stick to wood 

If you do go over to the dark side, try T cut as the final polish.

Yep, I think I got that acrylic is perhaps not your favorite Paul!

I can hear the "dark side" calling though, just to have a go!

Thanks for the tip re T Cut... Will definitely give that a try

[woody]

Yes acrylic is a bit more difficult to turn but it is just a different discipline to learn and have fun with I have made hundreds of acrylic pens and yes it can be a pain  sticking to everything but as long as you take your time it can be fun, drilling and sanding is best done slowly and it dose take that bit longer to finish but you can produce some fantastic results and they sell better than wooden pens at times
So just give it a go you will either love it or hate it but you wont know unless you try and you will always wonder satisfy the desire happy turning

[arcos]

Thanks woody!

It is certainly something I am going to have a crack at this coming week...

Will post the results, good or bad, for everyone to see!

[George Watkins]

this is like saying that all woodturners only make stair spindles or chair legs 

there are dozens of types of resin... some do stink but some also have no odour... some are brittle but some are'nt

please dont tar all "acrylic" with the same brush

Acrylic is horrible stuff, smells bad, the shavings stick to everything, it melts if you overheat it and it chips and cracks if you abuse it. If you can cope with all that, have a go but my preference (in case you haven't already guessed!) is to stick to wood 

If you do go over to the dark side, try T cut as the final polish.

[thebowlerhattedturner]

arcos,
        with a little bit of practice you will find acrylic easier to turn than wood. It has no grain(normally) so you can get away with the odd turn up hill. You can cut it just like wood and something you may like to try is scraping it. Be gentle with it and take your time,give the tools enough time to do their work. Abrade to 600G and then use a cutting compound like "T" cut or burnishing cream. Wear protective glasses or face shield as if you get a splinter they fly readily and are very sharp. Stop the lathe to clear the shavings from the chuck etc.
Regards
John BHT

[Doug Barratt]

I had a dabble with acrylics a few years ago after watching a demo by John Berkeley who is well worth seeing if you get the opportunity.

http://www.johnberkeley.biz/

As John BHT says it is easier than wood, like all turning the sharper you get your tools the better, you still want all your personal protection gear & the finer the cutting paste you get for polishing the higher the shine you can achieve. I used a 3M paste that was for cutting back new car paint, very fine but gave a lovely finish.


Cheers

[woody]

Now for the unusual a friend of mine polishes his acrylic pens with a very cheep tooth paste and talcum powder or ajax which is a very old method of polishing and it works extremely well he refuses to pay the price for of the shelf polish

[julcle]

Hi Arcos  --  Don't be put off by acrylics, they can produce some stunning results. One thing that I have found is that you will need to colour the tubes when you glue them in because some of the blanks are translucent (I think that's the correct word) as you can see the brass through the plastic. I have used Humbrol Enamel Paint to colour my areldite and it seems to work well. Your sanding material needs to go a lot finer as well, after working down to 600 grit I switch to MicroMesh and go down to 2000 grit and a final polish with T-Cut.

[Paul Hannaby]

please dont tar all "acrylic" with the same brush

I have turned quite a few different types of plastic (including acrylic) and they all have one thing in common, they are all plastic and I have yet to find one I like turning!

For me, one of the pleasures of turning wood is the end result being tactile and warm to the touch. I'm afraid no plastic comes close on that score.

[George Watkins]

thats quite diffrent to what you said earlier Paul, I realise they are not to everyone's taste but your original post read like all acrylics stink and are horrible to turn which isnt true and was my point.

maybe you should try one of my blanks- they are really nice to turn and have virtually no odour.