10 Minutes To Better Pen Making - Glass-Like Finish On Acrylic - Mark Dreyer
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- Turning acrylic can be a challenge. If you watch my other videos we go through drilling, painting, turning and sanding. Finishing acrylic to a glass like finish it not difficult if you follow a couple of guidelines. In this video, we will explore finishing sanding, polish, and buffing. I will give you my tips and tricks. Hope this helps.
In this series of videos, I plan to take individual topics and explore them and discuss them 10 minutes at a time. I will use my 25 years as a pen maker to give tips and tricks on the topic. Each topic will only be 10 minutes. We will explore everything from kit and blank selection, to drilling, to turning and turning tools, finishing, and marketing and sales. If there is a topic you would like to see discussed, please leave me a comment. Thanks.
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Love the tip on using the sanding block to clean the buffer wheels. Mine need a good scrubbing for sure. I have also tried using the delrin bushings but I felt like they prevented me from getting the ends of the blanks the attention they need. I now use a simple wood dowel, and I usually set the blank on my thumbnail so it can spin and control speed with my other thumb. I do the ends by gripping *firmly* and rotating the blank about a quarter turn as I move it through the wheel. Methodically re-grip and repeat.
For polishing my acrylics I use Abranet 220 through 600, then Gator 800 and 1200, then Novus 3 and 2 scratch removers, Dr. Kirks Micro Magic wax, HUT Crystal Polish, then buffing wheels. Replacing the micromesh with the 3 waxes has really cut down my effort without compromising results. Thanks for the nice video!
Thanks for the information. I will warn you if you haven't cleaned the wheels in a while it will be messy, but worth it. I have not tried the other waxes / polishes but will look into them. As I say I hope to facilitate conversations on this channel. Thanks for watching and thanks for the input.
Really good info. Thanks. That's how I've been doing it for several years except for the buffing. I'll have to give it a try. I purchased a small bottle of "Micro-finish" from the Micro-Mesh company along with their polishing cloth and have had good results. Shine sells. Thanks again!
Thanks for there vídeos! I'm learning great information, tips, and skills that are improving my skill sets.
Thanks for watching ...
This was the first video I've seen of yours and I'm definitely going to have to go back and watch more. I'm relatively new to pen making (or lathe work, in general) and it looks like I can learn a lot from your technique. I don't yet have any buffing wheels like you use, so maybe that's something I need to incorporate into my setup. Thanks for sharing~!
Thanks for watching ...
Great video series Mark!!! I would like for you to make a video about pricing the pens we make and different ways to generate sales. I see a lot of pens for sale on say Pinterest for instance and I can’t see how some of these people are making any profit on their sales. After the investment in all of the components they seem to be breaking even at best. I value my pens a lot more than the majority of what I have seen out there. I think it would make for a very interesting video. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Clint - thanks for watching. As for a video on sales let me start with I have considered it. At the Midwest Penturners Gathering this year in April there will be two demos on just this - sales and marketing / setting a booth at a craft or art show. After I watch those I will see what I want to do. If you want to see them look at my promo video for the event to sign up. I will consider it, I know it would be a nice video to facilitate conversation. Thanks for the idea and watching.
Great information and videos.
Thank you
Exellent information! Dry wall sanding blocks are now on my shopping list.
I like the idea of using the plastic bushings & letting the blank ssort of spin. I currently use the bar from my 'Pen Disassembly and Transfer Punch Set' that best fits the pen I'm working on.
I've been buffing below center ever since I tried buffing on the top and the pen blank got ripped from my hands and was bounced off my chest.
I tried running the lathe in reverse and buffing on the top of the wheel. It worked well until the wheel ripped the bank from my hands and launched it like a rocket to parts unknown in my studio (it's a gargage when the cars are in it)
Hey Mark, love the videos. Just for clarification - you were wet sanding with the micromesh?
Yes - wet sand with micromesh. Thanks for watching ...
Hi Mark. How often do you wash your micros mesh pads? How often do you replace them? Thanks!
Sorry for the delay. I replace the micro mesh generally after 2 cleanings - I clean them as soon as dipping them in water does not clean them all the way off. Meaning that if the pad remains white after dipping in water - time to clean. Hope this helps.
Love all your vidoes and thanks for sharing all your experience (or mistakes). I am thinking of moving to carbide and see you use the round cutter. Other video use the square cutter. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons? Thanks Brian
Brian - thanks for watching. If I was to only get one it would be the round cutter. I do 90% of my pen turning with the round cutter.
The pros -
I can use just the edge (all edges) as a single point. With that I can be quite aggressive.
With a small rotation of the tool I get a fresh edge (in the turning acrylic I go over this)
Most pens - I rarely turn straight. I like a small flair at the end (Purely personal)
I use the square of rounding down wooden blanks (or deer antler) quickly (see the video on turning wood pens with carbide)
So if I was to only have one - round and the mid-size. Honestly you won't go wrong with both.
The next question would be cutter head. Once again if one one I would get the traditional round cutter head. For the extra ~$18 I would get a negative rake cutter also. The can be changed on the tool quickly. The NRC works great on acrylic.
Remember just because you don't have to sharpen does not mean you don't rotate. An edge holds for about 20 - 40 hours based on what you are turning. Rotate when needed.
Hope this answers you question.
@@markdreyer2865 Thanks!
Sorry for all the questions but are the cutting head inter changeable by manufacturer?
@@briankatz9710 Ask as many questions as you like. Half the fun is watching conversation with people. As for interchangeability, the round cutters from Easy Wood are interchangeable (traditional vs. negative rake) with respect to them selves. I don't believe all the rest are inters of manufacturer to manufacturer.
Mark, I realize there several ways to skin a cat (terrible saying, never really thought about that) I have both, the Beall three step buffing system as you have and the Barry Gross two-wheel (one step?) acrylic buffing system. I use the BG two wheel on acrylic and CA finishes and follow up with Novus scratch remover. I would think the buffing process would just remove the Novus scratch remover if it was put on first. Other than that, I follow your process the same way but with micro mesh pads. I thought I was the only anal pen turner that cross polished/sanded micro mesh. 👍 Thanks again for the excellent video Mark!
Great info Mark. How long does this finish last under "normal" wear and tear? Does the pen owner have to do anything special or have the pen rebuffed?
Mark, I use zona paper instead of micro mesh I find it works great
Thanks - I know a lot of people use Zona paper - I will try it out.
I want to start making pens. What kind of pen mandrel do you recommend for someone new like me?
Jer - I use the turn between centers system - Here is the link for a morse taper - www.exoticblanks.com/turn-between-centers-mandrel-system-2mt.html
I also have a video on my channel on its use - ua-cam.com/video/-lDS-YlBDt8/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching and hope this helps - if not let me know. Mark
Hi, how did you do the circute pen panel ?
Mark,
I wish you would have been a little more descriptive of the material you loaded your buffing wheels with.
Sorry the wheel in order are Tripoli, White Diamond, and Carnauba Wax. Hope this helps and thanks for watching.
i get more instruction from your video than some others your videos RJB WOODTURNER
Okay... your final two steps are a waste. Of time and money. Micro Mesh 12,000 grit is the finer than your last two steps.
Depends and what you are using it for. I completely understand the point of view. White Diamond (the second wheel) and 12000 micromesh are indeed approximately the same grit. Sorry if I did not point this out well, but I rotate the blank from flat to straight up as I am buffing. On the lathe I am sanding either across or with the blank. Rotating it against the wheel diagonally allows for diagonal scratch removal. And the carnauba wax has no abrasive, and acts as a polish. I can see both ways, but for the extra 30 seconds I feel it is worth it. Thanks for watching - and I appreciate the point of view.
Thanks for sharing Mark You make it look so easy, but I'm new to pen making. I have a great Mentor I'm only making wall street and bolt action pens so far twist and click. my mistake drawer is getting bigger and bigger. I'm starting to go slower and less mistakes I really enjoy your videos. Would you be willing to send me your phone number in a private message I promise you that I won't be a nuisance.
Sorry I missed this - I don't know how I did. Sign up for my Facebook page "10 Minutes To Better Pen Making" and ask me over there. Better yet - the third Thursday of every month I am on ExoticBlanks Presents webinar (completely free Zoom call) and we can talk all you would like.