Paua abalone blank
- Thread starter qquake
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Be interesting to see if they can do a clear one with a laser.
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qquake
Member
If they can't, or they're not sure, I'll have the wood stand engraved instead.
Good idea,either way I'm sure they will be happy with the outcome.
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qquake
Member
jttheclockman
Member
Let me get this straight. You first used a HSS spindle gouge and got chippy and then switched to a negative rake scraper and got blowout on the end???????????? Did you use the scraper upside down?? No way any and I mean any scraper on any material will do that. Impossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are you doing?? It is a simple acrylic PR resin cast blank. Looks like you took a grenade to it.
Walk us through this. We are going to have to revoke your pen turning card Can you use a skew?? If so try that and do not use it as a scraper.
qquake
Member
Wow.
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Jim,
You are still above the bushing, so it is save-able.
Please send it to me and I will video turning it into a pen and return it to you. Perhaps LOTS of people can learn a little from this!!
Sorry you are having difficulties!!
Ed
You are still above the bushing, so it is save-able.
Please send it to me and I will video turning it into a pen and return it to you. Perhaps LOTS of people can learn a little from this!!
Sorry you are having difficulties!!
Ed
qquake
Member
Thank you Ed, I appreciate the offer, but it's almost done. And since it's a wedding gift for a friend, I want to complete it myself. Like I said, it was purely my fault. I have a bad habit sometimes of being too aggressive. But in my defense, I have many, many more successes than failures.
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jttheclockman
Member
Well look at you you saved it and did a great job. Call off the marines. How did you wind up doing it and what tool worked best.
You do know I was funning you right?? I put the smiles in there
These are on my list of trying to make. I have a few different ideas to this classic blank that I want to try. Do not have a laser to cut the strips so still working on that part.
How did you wind up doing it and what tool worked best.You do know I was funning you right?? I put the smiles in there
These are on my list of trying to make. I have a few different ideas to this classic blank that I want to try. Do not have a laser to cut the strips so still working on that part.
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Tremendous recovery!!!
qquake
Member
You know, I've been thinking about it, and I think the "grenade" happened when I lifted the handle of the chisel with the negative rake cutter too high. Because of the increased angle of the NR cutter, it got "under" the blank too far and really dug in. That's my theory, anyway. After it happened, I switched back to the standard cutter, was very, very careful, and took very light cuts. Like I said, all my fault, certainly not the fault of the blank. And when I said it was "chippy", I meant it was slightly more chippy than the stained glass blank I recently turned and finished. Nowhere near the chippyness of an acrylester blank. I got plenty of good ribbons from the abalone blank.
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qquake
Member
qquake
Member
I am really becoming a fan of the 3M Tri-M-Ite polishing paper. I'm getting better results than with Micro Mesh, and there are only six grades vs. nine. And it polishes up the bushings real nice, too!
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qquake
Member
And finally, Meguiar's 105 then 205. I'm breathing a big sigh of relief, I almost ruined the blank a couple of times. It was close! But I must say, it looks magnificent. I think Lauren and Braydon will be very happy with it! Now I just have to assemble the pen. Can't wait to see it done!
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David350
Member
Ed, would it be worth having from a business sense some of the clear polyester resin blanks made on just a plain , single tube available for sale ? This way people could have an opportunity to practice on something that is not expensive to make sure their turning skills will allow them to make a good pen. It would of course also allow for the laser engraving, or other "testing" without ruining a great looking and expensive blank....
qquake
Member
jttheclockman
Member
PHEW!!!!! You know Jim I was starting to feel real bad for you and the troubles this was causing. I know I made light of some of that and really just meant it as a joke thing to help get your mind off what was happening. I was getting ready to get on a plane and get out there and help you with this thing. I was going to bring my skew and shown you how to use it which I am sure would have helped tremendously. That is the tool for blanks that can go boom. A good sharp skew will out perform even a round carbide cutter in my opinion.
Glad to see this done and yes the saves were impressive. It came out just fine and wish you luck with the engraving. That material makes for such a classy looking blank and now all polished up it sparkles. Thanks for keeping us in the loop and again hope you did not take my comments too hard. Keep on turning. Now that you have one under your belt I am sure Ed can expect an order for many more.
Glad to see this done and yes the saves were impressive. It came out just fine and wish you luck with the engraving. That material makes for such a classy looking blank and now all polished up it sparkles. Thanks for keeping us in the loop and again hope you did not take my comments too hard. Keep on turning. Now that you have one under your belt I am sure Ed can expect an order for many more.
qquake
Member
You should have flown out John, I'd have bought you a beer. Or a vodka cran. Or CBD gummies. LOL
One thing I've never learned to use correctly is a skew. I have several, have watched videos online, but just can't get it. I do use them as scrapers from time to time, but that's it. Gouges have served me well for over twenty years, though, and learning the skew isn't a high priority for me. As for turning more abalone blanks, I don't know. They're very expensive, and the mistakes I made were very nerve wracking. It was worth it in the end, of course, the pen is magnificent. And Lauren is beyond excited about it. She chose the blank, and the abalone is perfect, since she's getting married on the beach in Mexico. I would have to say it's my second favorite pen I've ever made, behind my son's wedding pen, of course. But his was Bethlehem olivewood, which is much easier to turn.
One thing I've never learned to use correctly is a skew. I have several, have watched videos online, but just can't get it. I do use them as scrapers from time to time, but that's it. Gouges have served me well for over twenty years, though, and learning the skew isn't a high priority for me. As for turning more abalone blanks, I don't know. They're very expensive, and the mistakes I made were very nerve wracking. It was worth it in the end, of course, the pen is magnificent. And Lauren is beyond excited about it. She chose the blank, and the abalone is perfect, since she's getting married on the beach in Mexico. I would have to say it's my second favorite pen I've ever made, behind my son's wedding pen, of course. But his was Bethlehem olivewood, which is much easier to turn.
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pshrynk
Member
Yikes! Qquake does a victory dance with power mooning on that one! I've had that sort of experience with the Thin Red Line plastic blanks, except that they tend to explode, rather than chip heavily. It takes me an average of 1 1/2 blanks to make one Fire Fighter pen.
I'm having images in my head of your son having a Steam Punk wedding...
I'm having images in my head of your son having a Steam Punk wedding...
qquake
Member
Actually, it was more of a country theme, than steampunk. I chose the steampunk kit because it matches my daughter-in-law's personality. She has tats and piercings. Everyone wore cowboy boots, including the girls. My son and the groomsmen all wore bib overalls, as did I, the bride's father, and my ex-wife's husband. I may be biased, but it was the best wedding I've ever been to! And yes, those are handcuffs. The officiant put them on Heather and Joe during the ceremony. Afterwards, they couldn't find the key. Fortunately, my son is a corrections officer, and several CO's attended. One of them had a key in his car. They were really sweating it!
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pshrynk
Member
It does look like a fun time. However, I noticed that the father of the bride's shoes were missing the requisite bovine excretions caking them...
PBorowick
Member
qquake
Member
It didn't go that deep. It just went to the bushing.
qquake
Member
In post 55, images 065 and 066, you can see the clear acrylic.