Turning a test piece of handle material into jewelry

[Fletch Helical]

So I ordered some acrylic blocs that I wanted to check out how they looked finished. I bought a couple blocks that I liked and there was one I wasn't sure about and I got a small scrap test piece to see how it looked finished. I kind of liked the scrap piece but I just cut a thin slice and made it shine. Then I got the idea that that it seemed kind of a waste to just have a nice shiny piece of acrylic that is essentially useless.

So I then decided to take one of the blocks I bought and see how that looked finished. But again I said to myself "why just have a finished square piece of useless acrylic?" So I figured I'd try and make something out of it... Here is what I came up with.

What I need to do is come up with an easy way to hold it in place when I'm sanding and filing it. Holding it in my fingers the whole time it a bit of a challenge. I can't tell you guys how many times that thing slipped out of my hand and bounced behind every possible nook it can find under my workbench

 

[argel55]

Hot glue it to a popsicle stick or such

 

[Burl Source]

To polish stones they use what is called a dopping stick. A wood or metal rod glued to the back with adhesive wax or epoxy.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

A dop stick will work for hard materials ,or where the back isn't going to be seen. For soft materials like this acrylic, I often pre-shape the piece, and then drill the bail hole. I glue in a steel pin (CA glue) and then hold the pin in a pin vise. This allows the whole thing to be handled like a lolly-pop. When all the shaping and polishing is done, just heat the pin and remove it. Add the bail or loop and you are done.

I make miniature knives the same way, basically. The mini is made from a piece of round steel ( or gold...or platinum) that is held in a pin vise. I then forge,shape, file, sand,polish, etc. until the knife is sitting at the end of the stock in the pin vise. I cut the knife from the stock and finish the tang, if needed.

 

[Larry D. Davis]

I'ved used a small piece of double stick tape with a big enough piece of wood to grasp stuck on it. Works good for wooden buttons.