Acrylic Pen Blanks

[frazeeg]

Quick question: Is the acrylic used in pen blanks (such as one can find at Rockler) the same as the stuff used for acrylic stems? It would be easier (and cheaper) for me to get my hands on the Rocker stuff than to order acrylic stems online, I think.

[RadDavis]

Same stuff, I think.

Rad

[KurtHuhn]

If it says acrylic, you have to take a leap of faith that it's acrylic. However, I have found some pen blanks are not, and are actually polyester.

But that's no big thing. Polyester is slightly softer, and is more like ebonite in tooth feel.

You can tell the difference in smell when grinding it or cutting on the lathe.

[frazeeg]

Thanks guys. I'll probably buy a few blanks and see how they work out.

[RadDavis]

I've used polyester (faux horn) for one stem (for myself) and it's much too soft. It gets out of shape when clenching softly, and it bites through very easily.

YMMV

Rad

[KurtHuhn]

Yeah there's about sixteen different kinds of polyester, with hardness varying to a great degree among all of them. The properties can be changed by something as simple as the coloring agent and how much is used. On a pen this isn't a big deal, but on a pipe it can be bad news.

Another problem with using polyester is that, depending on exact formulation, it won't keep a bend. It'll bend easily enough, but over time it will relax back to it's original straight self. The faux ivory does this, and I recall the faux amber does as well. I'm glad it was MY pipe I tried it on, and not a customer's.