Thread: What i learnt today

I had that kind of day to Neal. Been waiting to try a Sierra click, picked some beautiful wood (mango), turned nicely, great finish, took out the bushings and crack! Broke a chunck about 3mm by 2mm out the end. Measured and decided I can sand of a little of the end and re-turn that end. Could I get a good fit, no. I should have gone with my first instinct to walk away and return a new tube.

Anyway with regards to assembly I have printed out the pen instructions then laminated them and keep in a filing cabinet in the shed. Always grab them out to check what I am about to destroy.

Everyday we learn a new way to enhance our skill, in my case usually at the sacrifice of the pen or some skin.

Neal,
any day you have in the shed is a great day, and if you also learn something that will make it greater

It's not a mistake if you learn from it.
David

Thanks for that info Neal.

I was told by wiser heads here, that I should use either a special wood? or nylon or stainless bushings if I use EEE to stop the discolouration. I haven't had the opportunity to get that yet so at this stage am not using EEE when I work.
I am sure the wiser heads can tell you the name of the wood?

Ady

Yup, Ady i believe its "Corian" i think, and i have a tiny blank in small square form, perhaps only big enough to do one slimline, i was saving it for a pen, i may rethink and revisit that descision. I thought it was a pro only solution, and i'm not all that fond of my own personal toolmaking abilities, so ive been putting it off and probably why i haven't used it yet. Looks like i have another job to do.

Neal.

Hey Neal

Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained thats what I say you ventured so you gained some knowledge and thats a goos thing mate

Ian

Hehe ! save the corian for a slimline , a good test for straight drilling in that stuff .
The most common and usually easist to get hold of is old cutting boards ,when someone is not looking a slice off one end of say a 1/2 " thick board will give you heaps of almost non stick spacers , cut to about 3/4 long sections and drill a 1/4 " hole through them length ways as close to centre as possible . then you simply mount a few on your pen mandrel and turn to round . using your skew turn tapers on one end of each section till it nearly touches the mandrel rod ,about 60degrees roughly is fine , on one or two of them do another taper on the other end ,so it is double tapered to allow for two blanks at a time for finishing ,these bushes are quick and easy to make and will work for sanding and CA finishing No pictures but pretty straight forward to produce whenever needed, Delryn is also good for these things . Cheers ! John

Almost midnight for me, the nylon is quiet to handsaw, i have a 5:30am wakeup to start at 6 so an easy getaway while swmbo is yawning an not fully awake...i wonder if i can get away with it..lol.

Seriously John that rocks, i knew of it, i should have thought about it, and realised, but didn't, i'll stop by my local $2 dollar shop tomorrow arvo after work and save meself an ear clipping.

If i get another early finish this week i'll redo another stream the way this one should have been.

Again thanks John.

Neal.