Couple of (Hopefully) quick questions

Hey Folks,

Sure, I am getting excited about my first attempt at the Aus day pen swap, but more importantly, I am making sure I get them done in a reasonable time (I get distracted quite a lot and put things on the back burner).

Whilst turning some pens for the swap, a few little niggles popped up that I thought I would ask about.

I am making a Sierra for the first time and as it is a single barrel pen, using a mandrel saver, my tool rest doesn't really fit between the mandrel saver and headstock. I overcame this by putting some additional bushes on the mandrel to create the space. Just wondering if this is a reasonable solution, or if there is a much simpler/better one that I have overlooked?

Second, I have been turning some darker timbers with dark grains. Whilst sanding the grain looks beautiful, but as I apply CA as a finish, the grain is that dark it is almost impossible to see the figure. Just wondering if there is a finish or oil I could apply before the CA that would 'lighten' up the grain or make it pop so as to highlight the figure rather than just darkening it.

Thanks a bunch

Gab

Better solution is to get a shorter tool rest :rolleyes:

Dark grain issue, CA is one of the lightest solutions, oils generally make it darker :-

Quite often pens are 2 parts, with sierra and similar it can be useful to do 2 at a time ,or as Neil says a shorter rest is the way to go , can be made up easily enough with a solid bar that fits your existing clamp and a piece of angle or similar welded square on top ,good luck with your project, can be very enlightening and fun , cheers ~ John

Had the same problem...My tool rest was 4 inches wide. Solution was to purchase the second one and cut an inch off each one. The stock rest for a Jet 104 was far cheaper then a nice stainless custom rest..

After you sand the blanks and before putting CA on rub them down with metho and see if that will pop the grain a bit. CA shouldn't make it dark.

Yes I had similar problemwhen I first started with the mandrel saver but I ended up getting a smaller one made and have never looked back.

Cheers ian

I made a smaller rest
but then I've got dad's old welder