Segmenting disasters

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When does your segmented disasters happen???

  • Blows up when Drilling

    Votes: 20 24.1%

  • Blows up when Turning

    Votes: 17 20.5%

  • Happens on Occassion either way

    Votes: 40 48.2%

  • Never happens

    Votes: 6 7.2%
  • Total voters
    83
jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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Joined
Feb 22, 2005
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Location
NJ, USA.
This question will go on the same basis as my Why Blanks go Boom posting.

But in this one I am curious as to when is it that most disasters happen??? Is it when you are drilling or when you are turning and have the blank mounted??? I am going to put a poll up too.

Also has anyone thought of or even tried to cast a blank after it has been segmented and all the fancy cuts and parts are in place. If you then cast it you will now surround the blank in a cocoon when drilling. I was thinking about this the other day as I was casting some blanks for a pen I am making. The drawback which Probably can be overcome is keeping centers. I am thinking if before you cast you mark centers by indenting them some way such as maybe a small drill bit. I nail punch or something like this. Now when you cast you insert a nail or something to keep that indent clear so when it is cured you can place between centers and round the blank down so that it can fit in whatever chuck you choose. Probably a pinjawed chuck or one of the oversized pen chucks.

So what do you think about that idea.??? Has anyone tried this.

Lets get a discussion going about when our disaters hit.
 
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When mine blow it is usually on the ends, just as it is getting to final size. Only happens when the segmenting leaves small pieces at the end.

Jake
 
Luckily - I haven't had any blow recently, but historically mine blow at drilling. Practices gained from the discussions on this forum and changing to the Loctite HD epoxy no doubt have contributed to fewer blowouts for me.
 
I've had blowouts during drilling but then changed my process.

I changed to drilling first, then gluing up on the barrel tube. Since I started drilling first, then gluing I've been lucky and haven't had more blow-outs.

But when I did have blow-outs I glued them back together and moved forward.

Tom
 
Used to be drilling, and only with metal. That is still the highest pucker factor! Like Lynn said, after reading everything I could find on the subject here, and a few PMs to wizards, I have improved my technique - I hope. And Mike - if I get it tubed, then it falls to mistakes. I stop fairly often to CA the joints for extra insurance!

Harry
 
The last one I had fail when drilling it was because I moved the drill too close before starting to drill and it bumped the blank that was still spinning. Completely my own fault. Sharp drills also make a huge difference.
 
ive had both happen, the most frustrating is when I get through the drilling with a sigh of relief only to tear out a huge chunk while squaring it on the lathe....
 
I use my disk sander for squaring the ends and taking the corners off as much as possible. Trying to minimize the impact loads.

nanosec12 said:
ive had both happen, the most frustrating is when I get through the drilling with a sigh of relief only to tear out a huge chunk while squaring it on the lathe....
Click to expand...
 
I voted on drilling, but most of my problems are during glue up. Maybe the problems during glue up contribute to the drilling problems. Once I get past drilling, turning has not been a problem.
I guess I need to do more segmenting to get better at all steps.
gordon
 
In my early months of pen making, I turned my hand to segmenting with the confidence of someone who had no idea what I was doing. It was a great learning experience and since most of my segmenting was really just laminating some different woods together to get some contrast.
Doing what I call "wiggle cuts" with different colors of veneer glued into scroll saw cut pen blanks was successful as well as my double xx pen with bloodwood and maple. I also tried some more complex patterns which had mixed results.
Now that I have been reading all of these great tips and seeing what is being done with the metal scallops and such, I am inspired to get back into segmenting with these fresh ideas and seeing inspirational results.

The IAP continues to amaze.
 
Before I started wrapping in gauze and soaking in CA it was while drilling. I just as was typing had the idea to try wrapping in Saran Wrap and not using CA. Gonna try that on a few. That way I can see the blank a month later and remember what it was. Rarely ever during turning did I lose one.
 
I don't soak with CA and I don't wrap them either. Sharp drills, sharp sharp sharp skew and high speed. Did I mention sharp skew? I am not sure how after wrapping with gauze or twine you could get your blank really centered and running true while drilling?
 
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For me, if a blank is going to self destruct, it's going to happen when drilling. What I've found, is if a blank makes it through the drilling, it's been plenty sound enough to survive turning. I will say though, that when I turn a segmented blank, I make very, very lite cuts. If I made aggressive cuts on segmented blanks, my vote would most likely be different.
 
mikespenturningz said:
I don't soak with CA and I don't wrap them either. Sharp drills, sharp sharp sharp skew and high speed. Did I mention sharp skew? I am not sure how after wrapping with gauze or twine you could get your blank really centered and running true while drilling?
Click to expand...

Mike, when I have done the mummy wrap, I drill between centers and that has worked pretty well.
 
plano_harry said:
mikespenturningz said:
I don't soak with CA and I don't wrap them either. Sharp drills, sharp sharp sharp skew and high speed. Did I mention sharp skew? I am not sure how after wrapping with gauze or twine you could get your blank really centered and running true while drilling?
Click to expand...

Mike, when I have done the mummy wrap, I drill between centers and that has worked pretty well.
Click to expand...


Can you explain this??? I too often wondered for those that do the "Mummy Wrap" how do you mount the blank to be drilled so that it runs true???
 
jttheclockman said:
plano_harry said:
mikespenturningz said:
I don't soak with CA and I don't wrap them either. Sharp drills, sharp sharp sharp skew and high speed. Did I mention sharp skew? I am not sure how after wrapping with gauze or twine you could get your blank really centered and running true while drilling?
Click to expand...

Mike, when I have done the mummy wrap, I drill between centers and that has worked pretty well.
Click to expand...


Can you explain this??? I too often wondered for those that do the "Mummy Wrap" how do you mount the blank to be drilled so that it runs true???
Click to expand...

Interested in this as well. I tried to wrap a blank once and there was no way to drill it where I needed to.
 
plano_harry said:
mikespenturningz said:
Mike, when I have done the mummy wrap, I drill between centers and that has worked pretty well.
Click to expand...


Can you explain this??? I too often wondered for those that do the "Mummy Wrap" how do you mount the blank to be drilled so that it runs true???
Click to expand...

Ok, at the risk of screwing up somebody's hard work --

  1. I mark my centers and 60 degree center drill the end marks
  2. Mount my drill chuck and bit in the headstock
  3. suspend the blank between the tailstock center and the tip of the drill bit.
  4. hold the blank with some long handled pliers and turn the lathe on at 300-500 rpm, or whatever you have found to work for you.
  5. crank the tailstock to slowly advance the blank onto the bit
I find this is the only way I can drill a piece of curved antler that is barely larger than my bushings and get the bark exactly where I want it.

If you are careful, the point of the bit and the tail center are pretty much guaranteed to be in line.

Things to watch out for --

  1. don't let that chuck get out of the headstock!:eek: DAMHIKT
  2. mark the bit so you don't contact the point of the tailstock
  3. as I get near the end, the bore is pretty well set, so I either drop in a small piece of stock between the blank and tailstock to sacrifice to the emerging bit tip, or have more blank than I need and stop short, or if it is soft I sometimes just push the last 1/8" by hand on my pliers.
  4. If my bit is getting hot, I wrap it in a small piece of paper towel and a few drops of DNA -- or better yet, just take a break and let the bit and blank cool.
I hope that helps -- but use at your own risk. Always make sure you can easily detach from the blank and run for your life if things go south :biggrin:

Harry
 
I have not needed to try this method.

I finish up a glue up. Then I determine where the center needs to be and punch both ends of the blank making something of a divot for the centers. Then I turn the edges off the the blank but no more than absolutely needs to be turned off. I want as much mass as possible when I drill. By the time I have the edges off this represents the center of the blank. Now I chuck it up using those cut edges in the jaws the blank will be spinning on the new center at this point. Now make sure you have absolutely sharp drill bits. I then use a 60 degree center drill to make a real start point. Now drill in you will need to use common sense here as to weather you need to keep moving the drill out and letting things cool down. A good rule that I use is if the drill is drilling easily and the chips are coming right out it is likely the heat is also coming out with those chips. If the chips are not coming out you will need to pull the drill back often and keep that blank destroying heat out of the blank. Different woods drill differently so really be careful and you will save yourself a lot of repairs.
 
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