Bowling Ball Pen Blanks, Sanding?

Re: Bowling Ball Pen Blanks, Sanding?

Brad Vietje

>Jim,

I don't know exactly what a bowling ball pen blank is, but I know a number of hard plastics polish up real nice with cream metal polishes like Brasso, or Noxon. I bet you'd get pretty good results with Tripoli, followed by white diamond or white rouge on a cloth, using fairly high speed.

I'll be interested to see what others suggest.

Safe Spinning,

Brad Vietje

Thetford, VT

Re: Bowling Ball Pen Blanks, Sanding?

Russ

>Most plastics polish up with corcus cloth and kerosene. Keep it wet.

Criocus cloth is tripoli (800 grit) on a cloth backing. Look in Ace Hardware for it.

Results from tonight, Pics

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont

>Hello,

Well I went back out and turned three more bowling ball blanks from Color Pens, I decided to wet sand from 220 up to 12000, then I used a plastic polish called Novus, looks better to me now. I kept the lathe at 1800 rpm for all turning and sanding.

The kit I used here in the CS Platinum kit.

Thanks for viewing,

These blanks are VERY easy to drill and turn, I was very happy with the easy process,Ed Davidson, you have me hooked!

:-)

Take care,

Jim

Re: Results from tonight, Pics *LINK*

Pens of Color

>Hi, Jim, it was nice talking with you about the bowling ball blanks. We are glad you are as excited about them as we are!

Here are the official instructions that we developed for finishing the blanks. If there are any questions, please call us toll-free at 888-966-3736.

Finishing Suggestions for Bowling Ball Pen Blanks

Because the Bowling Ball pen blank is made from a thermosetting material, it takes a considerable amount of heat to apply a good finish. But, it can be done, with great success, if you don't mind using a little extra elbow grease. By the way, this same thermosetting quality is what allows the blank to be drilled without melting or cracking it, unlike acrylics.

There are several different methods for finishing the Bowling Ball blanks. Just choose what works best for you and your shop.

I don�t own a buffing system, so I use friction polish and a soft cloth. I start sanding the blank with 400 or 600 grit, anything less than that will actually put MORE scratches in the blank. I sand with the lathe spinning, stopping between grits to sand lengthwise on the blank, while turning it by hand. When I get to around 2500 grit, with regular sandpaper, I put on one or two coats of sanding sealer, then wipe off the excess before it dries, to fill in any tiny divots or air pockets in the blank.

Then, I use one of several products to remove the fine scratches. Sometimes I use the Novus 2 Step system, sometimes I use Hut Ultra Gloss, sometimes I use EEE Ultrashine polish. Any of these will remove the very fine scratches from the blank.

Finally, I dab some friction polish on a soft cloth, and go to work. The thermosetting properties of the blank means I have to get more friction working than I would on a wood blank, so the polish can be baked on. So, I use a little extra pressure on the rag to create the extra heat I need. If the pen gets a little cloudy or dull, then I know I have to go back and get it even hotter, because the polish is just sitting on top of the blank, not actually baked on yet. Two coats of friction polish are all it takes to get a great shine.

~~~~~~~~~~

If you have a buffing system, you should sand to about 600 grit, use a coat of sanding sealer, then buff. You'll have to buff with the tripoli wheel pretty hard and at high speed to get all the fine scratches out, before going to the white diamond wheel. Then, apply your choice of finish.

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The Bowling Ball Blanks are made from the same exact material as the outer covering of a bowling ball. They can be polished using any conventional method after fine sanding to remove any scratches. Plastics polish, friction polish, CA glue, polyurethane, and/or waxes may be used to create a high gloss shine. Just be sure to create extra friction and heat on the friction polish, and you should not do the boiled linseed oil if you finish with CA glue.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 888-966-3736 or 888-Wood-Pen. You may also contact us via email at pensofcolor.com We want you to be happy with our products!

Thanks!

Pens of Color

www.pocwoodworking.com


PoC Woodworking.com for Pen Kits, Pen blanks, Wood

Re: Results from tonight, Pics

Jim Shaver, Oakville Ontario

>Thanks Very Much,

I really appreciated your advice and guidance, the material is really fun to turn, a real eye grabber!

Take care, Jim

Re: Results from tonight, Pics

Pierre Plamondon

>Jim,

Very impressive! I am anxiously waiting to get my lathe [Mini Jet VS]. Hopefully this Thursday. After a few month of practice I hope to start producing acceptable pen.

Thanks for the help this last weekend at the Woodstock Woodshow.

Pierre

Re: Results from tonight, Pics

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont

>Hey Pierre,

Great to see you on Line, How is Edmonton? Well it was my pleasure to help you spend your money on really good turning tools and supplies, now once you get turning you'll need to hang out here and see what you can learn!

Take care,

Jim

Re: Bowling Ball Pen Blanks, Sanding?

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Hi Jim,

Hey these are really nice looking pens! I love the red one. I've seen these blanks advertised and I think after seeing your efforts I will certainly have to try them. I really like these kits too. Thanks for posting them!

Jennifer : )

Re: Bowling Ball Pen Blanks, Sanding?

Doghouse

>POC did a great job in developing these blanks. I have found that if you have the Bealle system or have made a similar, the blanks buff up much quick if you buff them vertical rather than horizontal. By using a diagonal or vertical method, you are immediately blending in your tool marks and sanding marks.

For those of you who have not dealt with Pens of Color, I can highly recommend them for the service and flexibility.