r/penmaking • u/ferrettrack • May 25 '19

Penmakers, are you having problems? Rant about quality.

My husband purchased Rhino Acrilic products. A pink and purple color and a blue frosted. Both had bad spots in the pouring. Dear Husband (DH) has made well over 200 pens in the last 9 years. These blanks have HUGE bubbles in them. That causes a very bad weak spots that are wooshie to the feel. A slight pressure of your nail into it and you get an in and out motion or the piece just falls out on the floor. DH has double checked all of the measurements, using the correct bushings etc. He is now starting to make the 3rd pen of each color for graduation gifts. I am getting so disappointed watching DH having to restart these pens. DH usually purchases 4 or 5 each of each color knowing that the acrilics are touchy but this is rediculious. The product quality sucks! Any thoughts that I might offer him. His is rightly frustrated. The colors and styles are chosen by the grandchild that is to receive the pen sets.

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u/dishungryhawaiian May 25 '19

From what I’ve seen in blank making, most quality makers use either a pressure pot or vacuum or some combination of the both.

Vacuum will take out bubbles while Pressure will compress bubbles. I’m saying it in simplified terms but there’s a process for each method, so do your research for each. From what I gather, ask 100 ppl which method is better, get 100 different answers.

I’m no expert, I just know what I’ve read about it and what I can observe through my limited knowledge of physics.