Patching acrylic pens

[Robert Parrish]

Are there any kits available to patch acrylic pens? I occasionally get a void when I turn them, this morning for example I was turning a camouflage blank and I was in the sanding stage when I discovered a void (small hole) in the blank. I tried ca and shavings but it doesn't look natural. I was thinking of something like wood putty for acrylic that you can adjust the color. I know there are casting resins but I don't need that much, just want to mix my own.

[curtis rosche]

just use CA glue to fill it

[Robert Parrish]

I tried that but it still looks like a hole!

[Jim McFarland]

You might try tinting the CA with Mixol but IME it will still look like a patched hole. I've had the same problem and sometimes I get lucky and can hide the patch under the clip. Most times, I just drop them in the "maybe someday, I'll figure this out" drawer and move on the next one. I figure this is why many recommend 3X materials cost for pen pricing!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Robert most times I find when turning if I am not careful I cause the void. I take a sharp skew to make the last few passes. I find most times that will eliminate the first few grits. If I can't get rid of it like Jim said I drop in in a box and start over. Most times if it is really small I will put some thick CA in the void, hit it with accelerator and try to hide it under the clip if possible. I quit trying to fill them because they just look bad. If I do finish them I just give them away to friends and family most of who don't care.

[Robert Parrish]

Well I got it to where it is hardly noticeable by mixing ca and shaving several times and re-sanding. The pen is a bullet pen from Penn State with a camouflage blank. I was thinking that I could grind up different color acrylic and use epoxy to make a paste for my future voids.

[curtis rosche]

you could get a small branding iron or a wood burner and turn it into a design or an intials

[Steve Kubien]

If I can't hide it under the clip I pitch it. The blank cost $3 or so and it is not worth more trouble. YMMV

[Jeff Nicol]

If those are the blanks that look like colored plywood, I think what you did is pretty much the way you will have to do it. Or dye a piece of light colored wood to fit the hole. Next time you could pour your own blank using a piece of camo arrow as the center and the clear casting resin would magnify it a bit!

Good luck,

Jeff

[Keith Outten]

I haven't done it myself but I watched a guy at a Turn-A-Thon melt acrylic shavings in Acetone. He made his own acrylic finishing material this way, he said it was by far supperior to CA glue and it cost just a couple of penny's per pen for the Acetone.
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[Robert Parrish]

That sounds a little dangerous, Keith. What type of heat did he use?

[Gary Conklin]

No heat the acetone melts the acrylic.

[Scott Conners]

You can tint epoxy with a variety of colorants - powdered paints, metals, and inks all work. It works similarly and polishes up well compared with acrylic. Not a super fast solution though, you really need to let it cure fully before working it.

[Keith Outten]

Don't use any heat and make sure you dispose of the paper towels you use in a proper container!
When I use acetone on rags I normally put them in a bucket of water outside my shop for a couple of days before I dispose of them.

Gary is right, the acetone melts the acrylic shavings. The smaller the shavings the faster they melt. Use a glass container or an old coffee cup and add a couple of teaspoons of acetone, then add your shavings and stir until you get the right consistency and apply it to the surface of your pen. You will have to apply several coats.

Acetone has a pretty low flash point so take the necessary precautions. I watched a Turner at WoodCraft make acrylic/acetone finish in their classroom and apply it to a wooden pen he had just turned. He brought the acrylic chips/shavings with him so I don't know how he made them but I would try collecting them from a sander, the fine powder would dissolve faster than larger shavings and I expect you have to move quick since acetone evaporates quickly. Another option is to cut the acrylic on your band saw, there should be plenty of small chips left on the table you can collect. I would try to find a baby food jar with a metal top that could be sealed in between coats, maybe it will slow down the evaporation.

Clear acrylic provides a perfectly clear finish. I don't know what happens if you use colored acrylic.
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