Purchasing thick acrylic sheet?

[jbswearingen]

Acrylic pen blanks aren't cheap, even when you have a friend who sales them. I am short on space, so buying the materials to make them might not be too cost effective for me...yet. Time is also a factor...two kids and evening school cut into it a lot.

So I'm wondering if you can buy larger sheets of 5/8" or 1" thick acrylic that's dyed like what you buy in blank form. For my pens, I prefer to buy S2S lumber (or whole burls) and then cut the blanks on my band saw. Is this an option for acrylic material?

 

[ed4copies]

We could sell you some materials in that form. PM me if interested, if I explain it here, it becomes an ad and will be moved.

 

[jbswearingen]

Thanks!

 

[witz1976]

Brad,

Not to take anything away from Ed as he is good to purchase things from, however if you are looking for a cost effective way to turn resins, the cheapest option would be to cast your own. Sure there will be a cost involved in the learning process, however as many others here (including myself) have found that what may look questionable on the outside (meaning you think you messed up) can turn out quite lovely as a finished product.

Of course if you are just looking to purchase sheets and process them your self, well sounds like Ed will help you out with this too.

 

[jbswearingen]

Brad,

Not to take anything away from Ed as he is good to purchase things from, however if you are looking for a cost effective way to turn resins, the cheapest option would be to cast your own. Sure there will be a cost involved in the learning process, however as many others here (including myself) have found that what may look questionable on the outside (meaning you think you messed up) can turn out quite lovely as a finished product.

Of course if you are just looking to purchase sheets and process them your self, well sounds like Ed will help you out with this too.

Yeah, for now, purchasing sheet and cutting myself I think would be the best route. Later I might get into casting myself, but I don't want to bite off too much too early.

 

[ed4copies]

Again we run into the semantics issue.

You CANNOT make acrylic in your kitchen.

If you want RESIN blanks, you can make them from PR or Alumilite (we have done both)---they will NOT be acrylic.

 

[jbswearingen]

Again we run into the semantics issue.

You CANNOT make acrylic in your kitchen.

If you want RESIN blanks, you can make them from PR or Alumilite (we have done both)---they will NOT be acrylic.

Ah. I'm not even far enough into the process to know the difference. I'll learn!

 

[hewunch]

I know Karl at Rhinoplastics does his own mixing and pours into big sheets. He might be a resource for you.

 

[ed4copies]

Again we run into the semantics issue.

You CANNOT make acrylic in your kitchen.

If you want RESIN blanks, you can make them from PR or Alumilite (we have done both)---they will NOT be acrylic.

Ah. I'm not even far enough into the process to know the difference. I'll learn!

It is not my intention to pick on you---I made this same "speech" in the "penmakers" meeting at AAW. If we all use the proper terms, we can communicate. Otherwise, when I give you suggestions on turning "acrylics" and you use them on Resins, you can run into problems!!

Acrylics are more dense. And less brittle.

 

[witz1976]

Again we run into the semantics issue.

You CANNOT make acrylic in your kitchen.

If you want RESIN blanks, you can make them from PR or Alumilite (we have done both)---they will NOT be acrylic.

That is true and I did make the mistake of automatically assuming that when Brad mentioned Acrylic he would have included resins into this.

My apologies for the confusion...as I did contribute to that :redface:

 

[jbswearingen]

It is not my intention to pick on you---I made this same "speech" in the "penmakers" meeting at AAW. If we all use the proper terms, we can communicate. Otherwise, when I give you suggestions on turning "acrylics" and you use them on Resins, you can run into problems!!

Acrylics are more dense. And less brittle.

No worries. I took no offense at all. I've never turned anything other than natural wood so far. I've been sitting on a really pretty black/white swirl acrylic blank for a couple of years because I've been too nervous to try it out.

Before this thread, I thought the acrylic blanks and the home-poured stuff was the same.

 

[Andrew_K99]

I'd only imagine that your cost per blank from sheet form wouldn't save you as much as buying wood and cutting that into blanks. You would also have a lot of one colour blank, which may or not be a good thing for you. If I were you I'd try the blank you have and make sure it it something you enjoy, then call up Ed or another vendor and get a mixed pack of 10+ blanks so you can see what is out there in the way of colour options. Finishing Acrylic/Resin is easier but there is more prep work involved (ie painting the tube and/or blank).

AK