Trimming the ends

Tools needed to trim the ends varies.

Some will use wood chucks on the lathe with 1″ jaws.

Some like to use offset sanding jigs,

Some like barrel trimmers (please do NOT use barrel trimmers with polymer clay, it can easily damage the clay pen blank!!!) 

Some will use sandpaper and lap the ends on the lathe bed,

Some want to use box cutters and xacto knives.

Whatever your poison is the clean problem free methods are: Wood chuck, lapping on the lathe bed, offset sanding jig;  The lower end brutal methods are box cutters, xacto knies and barrel trimmers.

Mounting on the lathe

in whatever method you are comfortable with.

Turning polymer clay on the lathe

These turn like regular wood or acrylic blanks would however they are on the soft side which means you need to be extra careful to *NOT* be to aggressive!  I suggest using a peeling cut with a skew.

Post-turning sanding

sand and finish like normal.