anyone out there making any hybrid blanks for shave brushes? I just got everything to do hybrid blanks and have been watching a lot of youtube videos. was wondering if anyone had any tips
hybrid blanks
- Thread starter t81rd
- Start date
Have you seen any of the video that Stephen Joiner from Dogwood handcraft puts up on you tube,? He makes some really nice handles.
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- #3
I've watched zac Higgins, dogwood handcrafts, and heath knuckles mostly
Make sure the wood is very dry, bone dry if possible. Any moisture can cause problems with the resin adhering to the wood, clouding/hazing, and voids. If you’re using stabilized wood you’re good to go. I’m not a fan of Alumilite but it seems to work best for hybrids and is easy to turn, although I’ve had great success with poly resin.
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- #6
I actually got a electric smoker to dry my wood and to cure the cactus juice. What is your issues with alumilite?
Cool, get a digital oven thermometer to make sure you’re in the right temperature range to cure the cactus juice, the ones on electric ovens/smokers/etc are notoriously inaccurate. Mine is off by about 15 degrees. Since you’re stabilizing the wood yourself make sure it’s bone dry. Vacuum will pull the moisture out and run it through your pump, water vapor kills the vacuum pump so... As for Alumilite it has some advantages. It’s a breeze to turn so it’s good for someone new to turning resin, is better for casting in cold temps (not a problem here in the desert), and you can make really cool swirly patterns that can be extremely difficult with epoxy or poly resins. My big problem with it is while it’s considerably more expensive than poly resin it doesn’t shine up nearly as nice. The finish makes the piece so Alumilite doesn’t cut it for me unless I absolutely have to use it. Generally you want to do a CA finish with hybrid blanks so that shouldn’t matter for you.
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- #8
I do hvac so I use vacuum pumps very regularly. Mine is actually too big for stabilizing I think
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- #9
First hybrid blanks
First 2 blanks done
First 2 blanks done
They look nice!
Look forward to seeing them turned!
Look forward to seeing them turned!
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- #11
First brush
Made a brush. Still needs a little work but it already looks nice. Unfortunately the wood cracked on the blue one but it is what it is
Made a brush. Still needs a little work but it already looks nice. Unfortunately the wood cracked on the blue one but it is what it is
Nice! I’m digging the magenta pinkish purpley looking one, but how did you make one that looks just like a raccoon? 
The lathe looks like a Rikon from the lid.
The lathe looks like a Rikon from the lid.
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- #13
It is a rikon 70-220vsr lol. I love it. Which one looks like a racoon?
It’s a nice lathe for the money, @Graydog and I both have the same one. As for the raccoon, one of the pictures below the blanks showed a raccoon, but it wasn’t there when I just now checked.
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