More Fun With Plastic

Well, I don’t know if “fun” is exactly the right word. I do like the end result you get with acrylic blanks, very shiny and dramatic. But it’s a long, hard slog to get there compared to turning most wood species. While there are no grain issues with acrylic blanks, they are very brittle and hard, and on three of these four, I had chip-out around the ends, taking out several big chunks in an instant. Fortunately I was able to turn down past the chunk-holes, so it wasn’t fatal.

New Acrylic Bottle Stoppers
New Wine Bottle Stoppers (Click photo to view larger on Flickr)

A fresh carbide blade on the Easy Wood Tools Finisher is the key to my success with turning acrylic blanks. Wood too, for that matter. I love these things. They do have their limitations, and I still reach for other tools once in a while. But not often — aside from the parting tool, I use these for just about everything.