Three Acrylic Pens

[Jon Shively]

Well, these were my very first three attempts at turning acrylics. Better than I thought it would be, less smell on turning than when drilling! The blue on the left is my youngest daughter's, the green in the middle is my oldest daughter's, and the blue with the white lines is my wife's. That blue with white lines was awesome to see come to life. Amazing blanks and in hand, the colors look a mile deep. Hope you like, they were Christmas present hits!

[John Hart]

Very nice Jon!
My daughters really like the acrylics too. They show them off quite often.

[Stephen Hibbs]

Very nice pens! With the acrylics, do you need a finer wheel than 80 grit on your sharpening? (I think that's what I have) I read somewhere that you need to hone them with a stone or leather. Those pens have inspired me.

[Jon Shively]

Stephen, this ole redneck still has two grey wheels on his grinder. I grind free hand, but generally only once or twice a day, depending on what it is I am turning. For these pens, Christmas Eve day, I turned seven pens, three of them these acrylics. I sharpened my gouge, my parting tool and think it is my skew (kind of a bull nosed chisel) at the start of the day on the grinder. Otherwise at Woodcraft I bought a nice set of three stones (red, blue, green ie, rough, medium and fine) and touch up between times or when resting with them only. Has worked well. Turned the speed down on my lathe to 1200. I turn my wooden pens at 2000. The Craftsman lathe I have is dial speed controlled and very user friendly in this aspect. Thanks for the kind comments, they were fun and very beautiful in hand. My girls love them. Oh, after the first, I didn't sand them with the 150 to 400 grit box I have, I also have a set of paper that goes up to 24000 from Woodcraft and used this only, didn't have deep cross gouges to contend with on the last two by jumping this step.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Jon! Have to admit that the blue with white lines really jumps out at you!

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Great Job, I know they'll like their gifts. Something I will look forward to turning at some point.:)