Coffee bean blanks

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qquake

qquake

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Has anybody ever turned one of the coffee bean blanks? If you just polish it but don't use a finish, will it retain the coffee odor?

Coffee Bean Pen Blanks - Red

Mmmmm... smell the Coffee. Enjoy the fragrant aroma of dark bean coffee rising from your lathe and completed pen. These blanks are made from genuine coffee beans set into alumilite. Make a unique gift and conversation piece for any coffee lover. Sharp tools and a protective top coat (such as CA)...
www.exoticblanks.com www.exoticblanks.com
 
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I am guessing it depends on how you "polish" it. If you just sand to a shiny surface on the resin, yes. The beans still have a coffee smell. They can also be scratched, nicked broken, etc. Been there, done that.

If you use any polishing aids as in creams, waxes, etc. I expect you will diminish the smell to some extent if not completely masking it with the compounds. I ended up finishing with CA and people swear they can still smell it. I can't.
 
First of all use lot of CA in the turning process, keep tool very sharp, small cuts as those bean will go flying. Good luck in getting it to the finished ready size with out have blow outs.
Smell goes away , use a good CA finish of several thin and top off with med CA and you can then after 24 hours use micro mesh and buff.
 
I have mae a lot of coffee bean pens - maybe 30. I make my own blanks. I sell them to help a missionary! All advice above is good. To preserve the beans in the pen - must put a finish on it. Use thin CA during turning to help keep beans in. You will still have chip out or fly outs. I keep a small container of ground coffee next to lathe - when I get a chip out I pack hole with ground coffee and then thin CA. Sharp tools are a must - I never use carbide on these - keep the skew sharp!
I wish there was a way to keep the coffee smell!
 
I tried one today. It did not go well. :)

I might be able to salvage it.

CA glue and coffee beans are likely to be needed. Also, save the shaving when turning for patching blowouts.
 
NT_2112 said:
I tried one today. It did not go well. :)

I might be able to salvage it.

CA glue and coffee beans are likely to be needed. Also, save the shaving when turning for patching blowouts.
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sharp tools, light cuts, no carbide , coffee grounds and CA are your friends -
 
I was doing micro cuts on a metal lathe, turning the small dial, not the big main dial. I'll try it again someday.
 
NT_2112 said:
I was doing micro cuts on a metal lathe, turning the small dial, not the big main dial. I'll try it again someday.
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Have done lot of coffee beans and cheery pit pens,I don't think using metal lathe will work as you can't control the angle to get a sheer like is needed with a skew for this type of blank coffee or cherry pit .

I have a metal lathe with years of experience so that is why I say metal lathe would be hard pressed to work due to cutting angle.

So that being said, suggest. after drilling flood the drill hole in the blank with Thin CA shake blank to get CA completed in the hole drilled.
Let cure 24 hours. Clean up drilled hole and install tube with Epoxy and let it cure 24 hours.
Then use between center set up with very sharp skew,(note you must keep
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skew very sharp at all times) after few cuts cover with Thin CA, repeat this until you get blank to required size. I find also speed of 2000 seems to work best. finish with micro mesh.

Bottom line is they can be turned but takes to much time makes , which me not ever want to do coffee bean or cherry pit pen again.
Keep coffee grounds handy for repair of blow out and lot of thin CA.

Just my 2 cents

Charlie
 
I wonder if stabilizing the coffee beans before casting would help? I will give that a try for my next cast that I do. Unless someone has experience with that and it still was a pain to turn.
 
PBorowick said:
I wonder if stabilizing the coffee beans before casting would help? I will give that a try for my next cast that I do. Unless someone has experience with that and it still was a pain to turn.
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Don't know as I have never stablized beans but for sure make sure you remove all the oil from the beans before casting.
 
Any pen I've ever turned where blank is pieces in epoxy or other filler I've ways used a negative rake.Then go with really small cuts slow side to side very few blowouts.
 
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