Is old hard rubber workable?

[Buzz J]

I've come across a few sticks of virgin old rippled hard rubber. I'm guessing its old since the colors include blue, green and olive.

 

It must be somewhat brittle, but I wonder if it could be turned?

 

My first thought is to make a Parker 51 barrel & hood to go with a vintage cap, nib & guts.

 

Any thoughts? Anyone like to try it?

 

John

(a turning wannabe)

[Richard]

Don't assume it's old. There is modern rippled hard rubber in several colors, including (for certain) green and olive. There may also be blue -- the FPH exclusive version of the Stipula Saturno was made of blue/black mottled HR, and it stands to reason that the French factory that made that rubber, and also made the modern ripples I'm sure of, would make blue ripple as well. Is your blue ripple a mix of blue and black or blue and green?

 

If indeed your HR is modern, it's crappy -- so much so that Howard Levy, who used it in 1998 for Bexley's Ebonite series, has sworn never never never to permit another piece of it into his shop. The stuff has both voids and inclusions, the inclusions being harder than the rubber and causing chatter and gouges in the surface while the voids leave craters as you turn the material down over them.

[bgray]

Don't assume it's old. There is modern rippled hard rubber in several colors, including (for certain) green and olive. There may also be blue -- the FPH exclusive version of the Stipula Saturno was made of blue/black mottled HR, and it stands to reason that the French factory that made that rubber, and also made the modern ripples I'm sure of, would make blue ripple as well. Is your blue ripple a mix of blue and black or blue and green?

 

If indeed your HR is modern, it's crappy -- so much so that Howard Levy, who used it in 1998 for Bexley's Ebonite series, has sworn never never never to permit another piece of it into his shop. The stuff has both voids and inclusions, the inclusions being harder than the rubber and causing chatter and gouges in the surface while the voids leave craters as you turn the material down over them.

 

I think that I bought some of that ebonite from Howard!

 

I picked up some of Howard's old stock, and one rod is Green/Black with beautiful swirls, and its great stuff.

 

There's another rod of aqua green, that I'm not so sure about. I turned it, and found a void. Oh well.

[Buzz J]

Richard,

 

The blue rubber is blue with black ripples there is also a black with blue ripples. Examining the blues & greens with magnification, I may see hints of very small voids. Interestingly, the olive looks very clean as does the red ripples. These did come from the UK.

 

Hmmmm, well I've got em, might as well do something with em. I still think they'd make some neat looking 51 replicas. I'll bring them up to Columbus if anyone is interested in seeing them.

 

John

 

Brian - Do these look like your pieces?

 

http://img.photoamp.com/pa/07/10/16/598FbCu.JPG

Edited October 16, 2007 by Buzz J

[Bruno]

I've been using some vintage ripple HR stock that turns well enough... it's not the easiest thing, but does not have the problems the others are complaining about. I don't know exactly how old it is though. May be the same thing you have. Where did you get yours? A few assorted rods of the same thing I have recently appeared on ebay (I know because the source is the same).

[Bruno]

Brian - Do these look like your pieces?

 

John, you posted this picture while I was writing my previous post. This is the same stuff I have. The tan ripple and green ripple are fairly easy to work with. The blue/green ripple is a bit more troublesome, and the odor given off when turning it prompted me to by a new toxic fumes mask. But it has made some very pretty pens. Here's one...

 

http://home.pacbell.net/brunoh//CorsiniPens/Ripple_Crescent.jpg

 

-Bruno

[Buzz J]

Brian - Do these look like your pieces?

 

John, you posted this picture while I was writing my previous post. This is the same stuff I have. The tan ripple and green ripple are fairly easy to work with. The blue/green ripple is a bit more troublesome, and the odor given off when turning it prompted me to by a new toxic fumes mask. But it has made some very pretty pens. Here's one...

 

http://home.pacbell.net/brunoh//CorsiniPens/Ripple_Crescent.jpg

 

-Bruno

 

Bruno,

 

That is indeed a lovely creation!

 

I did get this batch from ebay - borisinbronz from England. It ended up at $35 for the lot, which I thought worth the adventure.

 

John

Edited October 16, 2007 by Buzz J

[bgray]

Richard,

 

The blue rubber is blue with black ripples there is also a black with blue ripples. Examining the blues & greens with magnification, I may see hints of very small voids. Interestingly, the olive looks very clean as does the red ripples. These did come from the UK.

 

Hmmmm, well I've got em, might as well do something with em. I still think they'd make some neat looking 51 replicas. I'll bring them up to Columbus if anyone is interested in seeing them.

 

John

 

Brian - Do these look like your pieces?

 

http://img.photoamp.com/pa/07/10/16/598FbCu.JPG

 

The rod on the far left is definitely one that I've turned into a pen. It's great stuff.

 

The rod third from the left is also stuff that I've used (I'm pretty sure). It had some minor voids.

 

 

[Bruno]

The rod on the far left is definitely one that I've turned into a pen. It's great stuff.

 

The rod third from the left is also stuff that I've used (I'm pretty sure). It had some minor voids.

 

Brian, you sure? I know the seller of these and I'm familiar with his stock. I believe the ones you are referring to are old tube stock... I think the three on the left are tube stock and the rest are rod stock.

 

The one on the left is definitely different from the Cumberland rod stock. None of these materials are what Howard used on Bexleys.

 

-Bruno

[bgray]

The rod on the far left is definitely one that I've turned into a pen. It's great stuff.

 

The rod third from the left is also stuff that I've used (I'm pretty sure). It had some minor voids.

 

Brian, you sure? I know the seller of these and I'm familiar with his stock. I believe the ones you are referring to are old tube stock... I think the three on the left are tube stock and the rest are rod stock.

 

The one on the left is definitely different from the Cumberland rod stock. None of these materials are what Howard used on Bexleys.

 

-Bruno

 

Well, I certainly could be wrong.

 

Here's the pen that I think is the one on the far right....

 

 

And here's the one that I think is third from the right....

 

 

[bgray]

OK...now that I look, you are right about one third from the right.

 

But the far right is the one in my picture, right? I could be wrong.

[Bruno]

OK...now that I look, you are right about one third from the right.

 

But the far right is the one in my picture, right? I could be wrong.

 

I can assure you they are very different materials, Brian. Look at the direction of the ripples. My crescent pen is made from the same material that John has. They came from the same source.

 

Also, I was additionally confused because your earlier posting mentioned the "other right".

 

-Bruno

[bgray]

OK...now that I look, you are right about one third from the right.

 

But the far right is the one in my picture, right? I could be wrong.

 

I can assure you they are very different materials, Brian. Look at the direction of the ripples. My crescent pen is made from the same material that John has. They came from the same source.

 

Also, I was additionally confused because your earlier posting mentioned the "other right".

 

-Bruno

 

WOOPS!

 

I meant right. I feel like a real doofus.

 

Thanks for the feedback. It looked similar to me.

 

By the way, what is the source for these rods?

 

Take care.

 

bg

Edited October 17, 2007 by bgray

[hexyr]

Brian - Do these look like your pieces?

 

John, you posted this picture while I was writing my previous post. This is the same stuff I have. The tan ripple and green ripple are fairly easy to work with. The blue/green ripple is a bit more troublesome, and the odor given off when turning it prompted me to by a new toxic fumes mask. But it has made some very pretty pens. Here's one...

 

http://home.pacbell.net/brunoh//CorsiniPens/Ripple_Crescent.jpg

 

-Bruno

Great looking pen