Just a little experiment

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Hippie3180

Hippie3180

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This is an "acrylic" blank I got way back when I was turning kits. It's from Craft Supplies USA, of course I'm not exactly sure what the material is, but I believe it may be Polyester. Whatever it is, it took threads, it was harder than Alumilite, better shine than Alumilite and it was a smelly turn.

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That looks really nice Michele.
It looks like one of the Ribbon blanks, specifically the Dark Cyan w/White (I have one in my drawer too that I got from Turners Warehouse). Its composition isn't noted on the site either.
I assume it took you two blanks to make the pen.
 
d_bondi said:
That looks really nice Michele.
It looks like one of the Ribbon blanks, specifically the Dark Cyan w/White (I have one in my drawer too that I got from Turners Warehouse). Its composition isn't noted on the site either.
I assume it took you two blanks to make the pen.
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Thank you! Yes, two blanks. If the price is an indication, I believe it may be Polyester. 🤷‍♀️
 
rixstix said:
Your threads look pretty clean. External and Internal. AND I didn't hear any foul words from here. :)

Did you make the pen out of a single blank or two identical blanks? Can't say that I've seen many Acrylic (or Poly) blanks long enough for barrel, cap and section.
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Haha! There were no expletives used in the making of this pen. Two blanks.
 
No foul language while cutting threads = definitely not polyester or inlace acrylester :D

Did it smell like mothballs (camphor)? If so, you struck gold, that's the indicator of true celluloid (cellulose nitrate).

Might be polyurethane (I think Rhino Blanks were made of this) if it isn't acrylic acetate.
 
duncsuss said:
No foul language while cutting threads = definitely not polyester or inlace acrylester :D

Did it smell like mothballs (camphor)? If so, you struck gold, that's the indicator of true celluloid (cellulose nitrate).

Might be polyurethane (I think Rhino Blanks were made of this) if it isn't acrylic acetate.
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I don't think it was any of those. Smelled more like a styrene(stinky.)

Definitely wasn't an acrylester.

I turn polyurethane often, was harder than that, shined up better than that + like I said it was smelly.
 
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It's probably Acrylic Acetate or Kironite. They are commercially made in factories, but often with ribbons in them like that one. They are harder material than the resins used by casters. Lots of retailers carry them for Penturners use. I know Exotic Blanks has them.
 
I agree with John I turn a lot of this and it looks like acrylic acetate. To me it's smells like a fresh package of soft plastics for fishing. Ernie over at BTW has the best selection of it (Acrylic acetate) Really well done pen
 
JohnU said:
It's probably Acrylic Acetate or Kironite. They are commercially made in factories, but often with ribbons in them like that one. They are harder material than the resins used by casters. Lots of retailers carry them for Penturners use. I know Exotic Blanks has them.
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Good to have an idea of what it is. We had no idea, it wasn't as finicky as some material you get for kits, not as chippy.
 
Bean_Counter said:
I agree with John I turn a lot of this and it looks like acrylic acetate. To me it's smells like a fresh package of soft plastics for fishing. Ernie over at BTW has the best selection of it (Acrylic acetate) Really well done pen
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Yes, weird plastic like smell. Fairly hard but not too chippy. Took threads, one just has to be careful.
 
That's a very successful experiment! It looks great!

The harder, chippier blanks do tend to shine up better and stay that way after handling, but they are a pain in the butt to work with. I generally work more with woods because of the stink of the plastics, but have definitely been using up some of the resin blanks lately. It's better to work with them when I can open windows.
 
Well, it looks like an acrylic (polymethyl methacrylate a.k.a. PMMA) blank to me. Although some people have made ribbon-style blanks out of polyester resin (PR), the results I remember seeing had much sharper edges to the ribbons. The fact that it tapped and threaded easily also suggests acrylic. PR usually is more difficult to tap and thread.

The styrene odor, however, suggests PR. Polyester resin consists of polyester macromolecules dissolved in styrene (with additives). The styrene continues to offgas even after the resin has cured. That is what gives PR its strong smell. Acrylic has a different (and usually milder) odor. Are you sure it smelled like styrene (fiberglass) and not like vinegar (acetic)?

As noted, acrylic and PR generally are both harder than urethane. That makes them easier to polish and more scratch resistant. Urethane is typically more flexible which makes it less likely to chip or shatter if dropped.

Note that Inlace Acrylester (tm) and RhinoPlastic (tm) are both made from polyester resin, not urethane nor acrylic. Their resin formulations, however, are different than Silmar 41 (which is very popular among home-casters), and the manufacturing processes may be different as well. That is why they have very different turning characteristics.

It can be difficult to know what a blank is made of, as many polyester blanks are incorrectly advertised as acrylic. I haven't checked in a long time, but RhinoPlastic (tm) used to be advertised as acrylic despite being PR. If a blank is advertised as "Acrylic Acetate" (AA), then it probably is acrylic (PMMA).

I hope that helps,
Eric
 
Sylvanite said:
Well, it looks like an acrylic (polymethyl methacrylate a.k.a. PMMA) blank to me. Although some people have made ribbon-style blanks out of polyester resin (PR), the results I remember seeing had much sharper edges to the ribbons. The fact that it tapped and threaded easily also suggests acrylic. PR usually is more difficult to tap and thread.

The styrene odor, however, suggests PR. Polyester resin consists of polyester macromolecules dissolved in styrene (with additives). The styrene continues to offgas even after the resin has cured. That is what gives PR its strong smell. Acrylic has a different (and usually milder) odor. Are you sure it smelled like styrene (fiberglass) and not like vinegar (acetic)?

As noted, acrylic and PR generally are both harder than urethane. That makes them easier to polish and more scratch resistant. Urethane is typically more flexible which makes it less likely to chip or shatter if dropped.

Note that Inlace Acrylester (tm) and RhinoPlastic (tm) are both made from polyester resin, not urethane nor acrylic. Their resin formulations, however, are different than Silmar 41 (which is very popular among home-casters), and the manufacturing processes may be different as well. That is why they have very different turning characteristics.

It can be difficult to know what a blank is made of, as many polyester blanks are incorrectly advertised as acrylic. I haven't checked in a long time, but RhinoPlastic (tm) used to be advertised as acrylic despite being PR. If a blank is advertised as "Acrylic Acetate" (AA), then it probably is acrylic (PMMA).

I hope that helps,
Eric
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The only material I feel I can eliminate is polyurethane. We cast our own and turn it a often, I'm familiar with its feel.

This is harder, but not crunchy like I believe (is it acrylester that's so crunchy?) The smell was like styrene. While it was more challenging to do threads, it was not impossible. With all that said, I'm still not sure exactly what it is.
 
No matter what it is made from, I think it turned out to be a very nice pen! Great work !

Question - I see Osprey Pens as the engraving on the nib. I am not familiar with them. Since lots of vendors seem to be out of Jowo, I have been looking for alternates. Is the thread sizing the same on this as a Jowo or Bock? Are they similar in body size and length to a Jowo or Bock? Easy to source? I appreciate your help!
 
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NJturner said:
No matter what it is made from, I think it turned out to be a very nice pen! Great work !

Question - I see Osprey Pens as the engraving on the nib. I am not familiar with them. Since lots of vendors seem to be out of Jowo, I have been looking for alternates. Is the thread sizing the same on this as a Jowo or Bock? Are they similar in body size and length to a Jowo or Bock? Easy to source? I appreciate your help!
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Here's a helpful link. They have nibs that are interchangeable with Jowo and Bock. I've not had trouble sourcing, we've sold pens with a few and no feedback good or bad. They are out of Austin,Texas.

I have used them in my sections that accommodate a Jowo#6 with 0 changes. They have all the different finishes as well also flex nibs.

www.ospreypens.com

Osprey Nib Units | Interchangeable Threaded Nib Units

Osprey Pens provides branded fountain pens that are unique with the modular threaded units. Luxury Milano or Standard Scholar fountain pens share the same threading and have interchangeable threaded nib units. In 2019, we are excited to feature our Flexpert insert with custom filler. Check out...
www.ospreypens.com www.ospreypens.com
 
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Hippie3180 said:
Here's a helpful link. They have nibs that are interchangeable with Jowo and Bock. I've not had trouble sourcing, we've sold pens with a few and no feedback good or bad. They are out of Austin,Texas.

I have used them in my sections that accommodate a Jowo#6 with 0 changes. They have all the different finishes as well also flex nibs.

www.ospreypens.com

Osprey Nib Units | Interchangeable Threaded Nib Units

Osprey Pens provides branded fountain pens that are unique with the modular threaded units. Luxury Milano or Standard Scholar fountain pens share the same threading and have interchangeable threaded nib units. In 2019, we are excited to feature our Flexpert insert with custom filler. Check out...
www.ospreypens.com www.ospreypens.com
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Thanks!! Appreciate the link. I will give them a look, as another supplier that fits without having to retool is a nice plus!

Kevin
 
I think it's a beautiful piece of work . As you asked recently the " acrylic " moniker gets attached to anything basically " not wood " and manufactured. The results however are stunning. I'd go for "kirinite" from the description and looks of the result but 🤷‍♂️..
Tou got a great result and that's what counts. Sadly that doesn't help identify enabling repetition but life's a learning process . Have fun
 
howsitwork said:
I think it's a beautiful piece of work . As you asked recently the " acrylic " moniker gets attached to anything basically " not wood " and manufactured. The results however are stunning. I'd go for "kirinite" from the description and looks of the result but 🤷‍♂️..
Tou got a great result and that's what counts. Sadly that doesn't help identify enabling repetition but life's a learning process . Have fun
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Yes, it would be nice to be able to truly identify the material so I could purchase the same material in the future. Weird.
 
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