I have been looking at a lot of grips in the picture and I am really liking the look of adding acrylic accents to my new rod build. My question is can acrylic be turned on a drill lathe and shaped with sandpaper? I don't have a true lathe or gouges to use, so I am concered about trying to turn it with sandpaper and putting scratches in it and then it turning at a much slower rate than the cork.

We've had many articles on various uses and methods for using acrylic in RodMaker. Yes, you can shape it with sandpaper but expect to take a long, long time. It's hard stuff and the actual sizing and shaping is much more easily done with a scraper (or reverse scraper) than with sandpaper.

Scratches are removed by sanding with progressively finer and finer grades of sandpaper. I finish my acrylic pieces by going up through about 600 grit and then polishing with blue Dico plastic polish. There are other ways to finish them, of course, such as the excellent micro mesh sanding papers, but I find the former to give equal results much more quickly and with less work.

Here's a couple of clear ones where clarity is particularly important. But all these materials are similar and can be handled the same way.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

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thanks Tom. When you say scraper are you talking a lathe gouge or a different tool all together? Right now I am considering this but like I said before I want to use it as accents so it will be integrated with cork rings so its gonna be shaped all together which is going to make for some issues I am concerned.

Yes, it's a lathe turning tool. Some turn acrylic with actual gouges or even skews, but I find a round nose scraper works best for me.

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thanks tom. I think this i am going to have to sideline this project for right now unfortunately.

Tom

What type of glue did you use to glue them on I figured glue would show up under them

Bill - willierods.com

You color the epoxy.

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Tint rod bond ???

Bill - willierods.com

I use a liquid epoxy for that, but you can color RodBond if you wish.

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Hello Bill.

I only find 2 Acrylic articles, 1 (the main one) V13-#6 Pg. 10("Crystal Clear Acrylic Handles"), the second in V14 #4 Pg. 19("Acrylic Turning Tips").
There is also an article in V8 #5 Pg. 10("Turning Polyester Castings"), and if you want to learn how to make polyester castings there is an article("Adventures In Polyester Casting") in the V8 #3 RM magazine.

Note to TOM the article in V8 #5 states "Joe's original article on casting and using polyester resin appeared in the Volume 8, Number 4 issue of RodMaker Magazine." when in fact it is in the V8 #3.

Hope That Helps Bill.

Tight Wraps.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Using sandpaper when turning acrylic together with cork is a real problem! They cut a vastly different rates! The cork will cut so much faster, that keeping them even is almost impossible without using a tool that allows you to cut the acrylic alone. When close to finishing you can use sandpaper backed by something flat to achieve a scratch free finish.

Another thought provoking question.

I'm a scrapper fan myself. I've been using a Poly Urethane glue (think GG type) lately for reel seats and handles.

I do paint (usually white or black) the inside (hole) of the acrylic blanks before gluing.

I also hate turning plastic ... this is what my lathe looks like after turning

[s1.bild.me]

[s1.bild.me]

I have seen duck call builders flaming the acrylic lightly with a torch in order to "polish" it. Has anyone tried this?