Lego

[Chrome]

Hi All,

Lego does not turn well. I just thought I'd let you know in case anyone here was thinking of trying to turn it.

It's a real shame, as can you imagine the forms you could make with it... the limit would only be your imagination. I suppose I'll have to stick to little blocks of wood! :U

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7595810700_6bdcbecd83_c.jpg

It was worth a try... :rolleyes:

Cheers,
Chrome

[Tim the Timber Turner]

Puts another slant on segmented turning.

Cheers

Tim:)

[Pac man]

Any reason you couldn't fill with epoxy and then turn?

[mkypenturner]

what a unusual medium to turn :2tsup: who cares if it falls apart just put the piece back together and away you go again :D

[Scott]

I was going to write something but am a loss for words and cannot stop laughing. :no: :D

[Scott]

Actually, contradiction. Didn't turn out well.

[orraloon]

Was the tool sharp?
I know turners think a bit outside the main stream but what gave you the idea in the first place. I have been a leggo fan since as a small child in the 60tes and got some as a christmass present. My parents were happy also as they had a lot less stupid questions to answer.
Anyhoo you do not deserve a result, LEGGO IS NOT TO BE ABUSED LIKE THAT!
Regards
John

[Skewturn]

How did you come up with idea to turn lego? Theres plenty of lego in my house, but it never crossed my mind. Maybe I should take another look in the toybox.
Cheer Skewturn

[Kidbee]

Definitely Lego abuse!

[corbs]

Any reason you couldn't fill with epoxy and then turn?

I love the concept and Pacman's idea is a bloody good one. Would take a while but could be worth it :)

[powderpost]

Need a fair bit of "grain filler" to get a smooth surface.. :o :;
Jim

[dr4g0nfly]

This thread struck a cord with me, I seemed to remember something about turning lego in our UK forum. So a quick search and below is an extract from the thread - might be a different way of looking at it as a turning material!


'as part of the restoration process I used to repair ABS plastics on the fairings and other plastic parts as opposed to the GRP which is used on modern bikes. The principles involved in this could, I suppose, be translated to the turning world.

It is very easy to do and very cheap - which is what I like.

Find some ABS, either old drain pipes or my favourite LEGO (which has the advantage of being coloured - Also 10kg of it on ebay for less than a tenner). If you can wrestle it from your eight your old son (DAMHIKT) cut it up small with some tin snips and put into one of those cheap ketchup squirters which are normally found in Pound Shops. This is a different plastic and unaffected by the process.

Next cover the ABS with Acetone. I use 95% Acetone which you can buy online for not a lot. Leave for a few hours to dissolve with the lid on (this is important or the acetone will evaporate and you are back to square one) then shake it up to ensure the ABS has dissolved evenly and pour into a mould.

Leave exposed to the air until it has set and there you have a block of ABS.

I have yet to try this in the size and thickness required for pen blanks but it seems to be a cheaper alternative to the expensive acrylics I see for sale online. I have no idea what its like to turn but when I am home next I will try it and let you all know.

The colour of the ABS may be a bit odd but it might be a good basis if you are going to use finishes or air brushing.

Posted by Gary_Claus (http://www.awgb.co.uk/awgbforum/index.php?action=profile;u=556) '

I've never tried it and Gary has not posted anything showing he has but if anyone does give it a go it might be very interesting.

[tea lady]

:rofl: :think: Might be nice inlayed rather than segmented. :doh: Maybe you could somehow sand off most of the thickness of a flat block and glue it round a pen blank so the blips stick up and then cast it in resin. :hmm: I can imagine some lego people cast in a thick resin bowl. :think:

[Pac man]

:meg: Clean up the lego or I'll stick it in the lathe again!

[Chrome]

Gary's idea is certainly interesting... Might look into that. :2tsup:

To answer a few questions; my tools were VERY sharp but at low speeds the plastic 'chips' in a bit of an unpredictable way. I had the 'piece' glued to a faceplate at the chuck end and supported by a jam chuck at the tailstock end too. At higher speeds I think the plastic was possibly becoming a little too hot. It didn't melt exactly, but the edges of any gaps were very 'ragged' and did not cut cleanly. The state you see here is after a little cleaning up with a craft knife.

I've always looked for creative ways of improving what I do... experimenting with different materials is simply part of that. I suppose it's thinking outside the box, to use an old cliché.

I see what Pac Man is getting at. It was all very carefully 'bonded' with medium and thin CA when it was assembled, but I suppose I could have 'filled' every brick with some resin or CA too, but it would have been a LOT of work. Also if I put each layer upside down to fill all the bricks with resin, then it would not really fit together like Lego properly. The only way I can see of achieving that is to drill a hole in each brick and fill them when it's all clipped together... somewhat difficult.

It didn't sand well either. :~

I don't think it's Lego abuse... and orraloon there's only one G in Lego :D

[BamBam53]

My boys would be in tears if they saw what you did to the Lego.

[Reaper]

i have has a little experience in destroying Lego... for finishing just sand at a low speed or even with the lathe off and turn by hand as the heat will make it next to impossible. if you want a smooth finished i got best results by using some plastic sheet (plastic bag from memory or it might have been pond lining) around my finger and a drop or 2 of acetone and smoothing around the Lego/exLego this will melt the face of it and along and your steady and have no creases in the bag you het an "ok" effect, i haven’t used polishes on it so that might be another option..


nor i really want to inlay a lego man in a pen....:cool:

[tea lady]

nor i really want to inlay a lego man in a pen....:cool:Maybe a stack of heads? :D

LEGO Minifigs Rare Spares Huge Bulk Lot 20 mixed minifig HEADS Starwars train | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LEGO-Minifigs-Rare-Spares-Huge-Bulk-Lot-20-mixed-minifig-HEADS-Starwars-train-/370631424390?pt=AU_LEGO&hash=item564b5ab986)

[Scott]

Maybe a stack of heads? :D

LEGO Minifigs Rare Spares Huge Bulk Lot 20 mixed minifig HEADS Starwars train | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LEGO-Minifigs-Rare-Spares-Huge-Bulk-Lot-20-mixed-minifig-HEADS-Starwars-train-/370631424390?pt=AU_LEGO&hash=item564b5ab986)

Not as silly as it seems TL, I reckon you could thread some of those heads over a slimline or sierra and then cast. :think:

[Reaper]

Not as silly as it seems TL, I reckon you could thread some of those heads over a slimline or sierra and then cast. :think:

the cast may not be required depending on the look your going for and its already been done! (but the example below is rather ugly...)
http://images.mocpages.com/user_images/69530/1307852869m_SPLASH.jpg

[BamBam53]

:pIf you want to turn Lego you need the right tools, like a Lego lathe :p

216417


Not as silly as it seems TL, I reckon you could thread some of those heads over a slimline or sierra and then cast. :think:

Scott, the beauty of Lego is that it is modular. No need to cast just push the heads onto a Lego pen. :doh:
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[TTIT]

:pIf you want to turn Lego you need the right tools, like a Lego lathe :p...........]He's gonna get himself in serious trouble with a gouge that blunt and so poorly shaped!!! :o :;