ltkrause
Member
I've had it in my head for a long time to stabilize and turn a cigar as a blank for a pen. After some trial and error, I've succeeded in stabilizing one using cactus juice and vacuum.
After letting the blanks cure in the oven for 1.5 hours, they came out rock-hard! I was too excited to let them sit for a bit so of course I had to drill them out, again success! There was no stopping me then. I just HAD to glue in the tubes and mount on the lathe.
Turning.....was not so successful. First, warning to those not using breathing protection, USE IT HERE! The turning comes off as very fine powder and is quite airborn. Even though it had an amazing smell as it turned, you don't want that in your lungs. Anyway, as I wanted to be surprised as to how the finished product would look, I didn't check the turnings periodically, BIG mistake! Had 2 major blow-outs about 1/2 way through each blank. Looking at the blown-out blanks, next time I'll definitely stop around 1/2 way and reseal with CA or re-dip in CJ to fill in all of the little voids left by bubbles and let it sit before continuing.
All in all, the turned design was really neat looking (what was left
)and I can't wait to get one finished up this weekend!
LT
After letting the blanks cure in the oven for 1.5 hours, they came out rock-hard! I was too excited to let them sit for a bit so of course I had to drill them out, again success! There was no stopping me then. I just HAD to glue in the tubes and mount on the lathe.
Turning.....was not so successful. First, warning to those not using breathing protection, USE IT HERE! The turning comes off as very fine powder and is quite airborn. Even though it had an amazing smell as it turned, you don't want that in your lungs. Anyway, as I wanted to be surprised as to how the finished product would look, I didn't check the turnings periodically, BIG mistake! Had 2 major blow-outs about 1/2 way through each blank. Looking at the blown-out blanks, next time I'll definitely stop around 1/2 way and reseal with CA or re-dip in CJ to fill in all of the little voids left by bubbles and let it sit before continuing.
All in all, the turned design was really neat looking (what was left
)and I can't wait to get one finished up this weekend!LT
