Acrylic pen

[Rob]

This probably shouldn't be here seeing as there is no wood involved but here is my first acrylic pen.  I had forgotten how much fun turning can be.

 

 

Rob

[amazingkevin]

This probably shouldn't be here seeing as there is no wood involved but here is my first acrylic pen.  I had forgotten how much fun turning can be.

 

 

 

Rob

Sharp as a tack! good one!

[merlin]

Nicely done Rob............... 

[Rob Roy]

A beautiful pen Rob,lovely piece of work. I have one question though................IS IT ANY GOOD AT SPELLING?????.       .

Take care Rob.

Rob Roy

[Phantom Scroller]

Rob very chunky acrylic that polished up nice . My first one looked like that, I was to scared to go any further in case it shattered.    Roly

[Paul hd]

Great looking pen Rob. What Pen kit is that?

[tonylumps]

Really Nice Rob. Careful you don't get hooked .I just did pen # 136.But I still make a lot of dust with my SS.

[Rob]

Great looking pen Rob. What Pen kit is that?

Thanks Paul it is a Sierra kit.

 

Rob

[Rob]

Well I decided that this pen could lose a little weight (couldn't we all   ) so I took it apart and turned a bit more off.  It's funny how the colour looks different but it is the same blank. 

 

Rob

[Phantom Scroller]

Well I decided that this pen could lose a little weight (couldn't we all   ) so I took it apart and turned a bit more off.  It's funny how the colour looks different but it is the same blank. 

AcrylicPen.jpg

 

Rob

 

Looking Good. Do you have a tool to take them apart without breaking them then Rob.  Roly

[Rob]

No I don't Roly. I only had to remove the top and clip so I stuck a long bolt in it and hit it with a Birmingham screwdriver aka a bloody big hammer. ☺

 

Rob

[Paul hd]

I like the slimmer look.

I suppose as the acrylic gets thinner the brass tube starts to have an effect on the colour. I like both the colours.

[Clayton717]

great job. I turn more acrylic pens than wood. I like the colors you can get with them, and since I make my own blanks it's easy to get the color combinations I like.

[don watson]

I like the slimmed down pen better. Great piece of work.

[Rob]

great job. I turn more acrylic pens than wood. I like the colors you can get with them, and since I make my own blanks it's easy to get the color combinations I like.

Thanks Clayton.  It seems easier to get a good finish on the acrylic versus a CA finish on wood but how economical is it to make your own acrylic blanks?

 

Rob

[Paul hd]

  It seems easier to get a good finish on the acrylic versus a CA finish on wood

 

Rob

Hi Rob,

What process do you use when using CA? I have found getting a good finish with CA on wood a little easier than getting a good finish with Acrylics.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Paul hd

[Clayton717]

Thanks Clayton.  It seems easier to get a good finish on the acrylic versus a CA finish on wood but how economical is it to make your own acrylic blanks?

 

Rob

For me it is a lot cheaper. I buy the resin for roughly $ 55.00 for a gallon,(cheaper if i buy more than 1 gal) I can get 60+ 3/4" blanks 5" long out of a gallon. I can make lots of different color combinations or make some of the specialty blanks - like coffee beans, pasta, hot pepper seeds that most of the companies sell for upwards of $ 10 each. I also make my own bottle stopper blanks and other things from the resin. The solid pen blanks when I make them takes under 2 ounces of resin each, if putting in coffee beans or something else it takes less. I also enjoy making my own blanks and I have some of my turning friends come over to buy blanks from me.

$ 55. gal / 128 ounces = $ .429 per ounce for the resin.