It’s not that easy to turn like that, Patrick. You are a pro, no doubt. The blank had a bit of white splashed into the blue/green resin, iirc. It is too slick? What did you finish it with?
With resins, I use 8-10 coats of CA spun on low speed. Work thru the grits next. A little plastic polish after that. Grippy enough. Others take it to the buffing wheel too, but I haven’t done that.
I use these sanding pads https://www.penblanks.ca/Micro-Mesh-Cushioned-Pads/ After CA, I go right to 12000 with these pads (wet) then use Hut Plastic Polish which I got at the same place. I put the CA on with a rag and then use the spray activator. Truth be told, I find CA a pain. I don’t usually use it with wood, I prefer and enjoy finishing wood handles and bowls off of the lathe. I used to make pens and did use CA for those.
Beautiful handle. Love the shape and the color. The only time I've used CA on Acrylic is to fix small irregularities in hybrid blanks and as a finish on hybrids. On straight acrylic I wet sand to 12,000 grit then use MAAS metal polish. Turns out like glass. I do use CA on wooden pens and wooden brush handles and agree it's a pain to work with. And on most wood projects I prefer finishes that leave the wood still feeling like wood. Why do you use CA over acrylic? I thought CA was basically acrylic anyway. Is it harder than Acrylic?
I started with hybrids when I first did pours. Maybe I don’t need it? I do like the gloss. Will try a resin pour without it. Thanks for the advice.
@jtspartan. Hope you didn't think I was being critical at all in that question. It's hard to convey things in text sometimes. I was genuinely just curious. But it seems like you understood that. I get what you are saying about its just the way you've always done it. I trained a lot of people at a job I did for about 17 years. One day a rookie asked me why we didn't do something a simpler way. My response was, That's just the way I've always done it because that's the way I was taught. He suggested a much simpler way that ended up working much better. Eventually most the people in the company adopted that new way. Here is an acrylic razor handle I made. Just wet sanded and polished with MAAS.
I took no offence! On the contrary, I valued your comments. I am not super experienced with resins still. I have made far, far more wood shaving turnings. The handle looks great. The Maas sounds like a good product.
Made some matching brush and lidded soap bowls combos for a good friend of my wife’s. One for her partner and one for her father. One in Poculi and one in Walnut. Both brushes have transplanted Omega Pro48s: The brushes were done to her specifications and I took some artistic liberty to make the bowls match aesthetically. The techniques for brushes and bowls were similar to what I have described on here earlier.
MAAS is great stuff and it actually smells decent too. I believe I read somewhere it is lavender scented. Those are Beautiful. Don't believe I've ever seen Poculi wood before. It looks very luminous.
I've been turning for quite a while and have wanted to turn a good brush for almost as long as I have been wet shaving. My son recently started using a DE and a badger brush I didn't use much so I'm working on putting a kit together for him for Christmas. I turned this brush and handle for him yesterday. The handle is actually going on a Roman Empire Shaving Caesar razor head The brush is a 24mm knot from Maggards set with about a 56mm loft. The shape of the handle is based loosely on the shape of a turkey call that I make. Today I'm working on a brush for myself with a big 30mm knot Critiques are very welcome.
Thank you. Yes I pour my own resin and resin hybrid blanks. I pour a lot of pen blanks that work great for razor handles.
